DIVINE MERCY
By Glen Leo Mendonca,
Pastoral Associate
It is important," the Holy Father said in his homily, "that we
accept in its
entirety the message that comes to us from God's Word on this second Sunday
of Easter. From now on, throughout the whole Church, this day will take the
name of 'Divine Mercy Sunday."
The day was April 30, 2000 marking the first canonization of the Jubilee year
of Faustina Kowalska by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square, Vatican
City. She was born on Aug 25, 1905, in Glogowiec, Poland, entered Religious
Life on August 01, 1925, in the Congregation of our Lady of Mercy Krakow,
Poland and had a vision of Christ on Feb 22, 1931 and died of "TB" at
age 33,
on October 05, 1938.
Two miracles accepted on Dec 20, 1999 by Pope John Paul II recognizing the
miracles through Sister Faustina as necessary for her canonization were that
of: Maureen Digan of Rosilindale, Massachusetts, March 1981, who was cured
from Lymphedema, an incurable disease she had since her youth. The other was
Fr. Ron Pytel who was healed instantly of his severely and permanently
damaged and blocked aortic valve of the heart. This took place on October 5,
1995, at a healing mass with the relic of Sister Faustina, at his Baltimore
Maryland Parish.
The Mercy Message, (revealed to this uneducated nun and written by her in 600
pages) is that God loves us -- all of us, no matter how great our sins and to
share in His joy. And He wants is, us to turn to Him so He can bless us and
to recognize His mercy and let it flow through us to others. It's as simple
as ABC: Ask for His Mercy, Be Merciful and Completely Trusting Him.
Jesus commissioned Saint Faustina to have an image painted of Him as He
appeared to her in a vision: with red and pale rays coming from the area of
His heart. The rays represent the blood and water, which flowed from His
pierced side on the cross. The Divine Mercy Image was to be signed: "Jesus,
I
trust in you!"
The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, again through divine revelations is an
intercessory prayer, prayed on ordinary rosary beads, appropriate after
having received Holy Communion at Holy Mass or during the "Hour of Great
Mercy" three o'clock each afternoon recalling the time of Christ's death on
the cross.
On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that Saint Faustina make a special
Novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the following
Saturday.
The First every Mercy Sunday is celebrated in thousands of Catholic parishes
across the world.
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