This Divine Mercy Sunday we celebrate God’s Mercy with a special feast day that Jesus himself requested through the revelations he gave to St. Faustina, specifically telling her, “this Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies.”
The message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. In the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a focus of calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners. Devotion to The Divine Mercy involves a total commitment to God as Mercy. It is a decision to trust completely in Him, to accept His mercy with thanksgiving, and to be merciful as He is merciful.
Jesus also revealed an image to St. Faustina, that has famously become synonymous with the devotion to Divine Mercy. Of this image, Jesus said to St. Faustina: “Paint an image according to the pattern you see (revealed Feb 22, 1931) with the signature: Jesus I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature Jesus, I trust in You.”
In addition to the prayer that Jesus taught St. Faustina (Chaplet of Divine Mercy or Divine Mercy Chaplet…one of my favorites!) Jesus also revealed to St. Faustina how precious the 3 O’clock hour is to Him, the hour He gave His life for us, holding nothing back. Of this hour, Jesus told St. Faustina: “at three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy … In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion. As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it, invoke it’s omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners, for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world – mercy triumphed over justice.”
God bless you friends, I pray we all cherish & share God’s Divine Mercy lavishly all the days of our lives! -Fr. Patrick