We at the Evangelium Institute wish you a blessed Divine Mercy Sunday. This beautiful feast reminds us profoundly of the heart of God, who in his great love, longs to show us the depths of his mercy. This feast, which was set into the Church’s liturgical calendar in 2002, comes to us from St. John Paul II (JPII) who canonized Saint Faustina. And it is indeed most interesting to note that JPII, on the same day that he proclaimed Sister Faustina Kowalska to be Saint Faustina, also established Divine Mercy Sunday to be celebrated by the entire Church on the Second Sunday of Easter. Such was JPII’s love for the message of divine mercy that he is known to have said upon his proclamation that it was the happiest day of his life.
Earlier on in her life, the young Helen Kowalska (later taking the name Faustina when she entered religious life), began to have special communications from Jesus. Sometimes in the lives of certain select people, God “pulls back the curtain,” so to speak, and allows them to see things that ordinary Christians believe on faith. It could be tempting to be jealous of these select souls, but this divine selection often is accompanied by great suffering.
Over the course of several years, Jesus communicated with Faustina in a very real and mystical way. At one point in the midst of these communications from Jesus, she was told by her spiritual director to write down these revelations. These revelations have been compiled and can be discovered by anyone who desires to go deeper in her Diary, subtitled Divine Mercy in My Soul. The messages are many but let us here mention just a couple. And it is important to keep in mind that authentic revelations are always in line with the Church and the sacramental life. On one occasion, Jesus spoke to Faustina, as she relates, with kindness, saying: “My daughter, speak to priests about this inconceivable mercy of Mine. The flames of mercy are burning Me – clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don’t want to believe in my goodness.” Translation to each of us: “Go to the Sacrament of Confession where you will experience the loving mercy of Jesus who longs for us to be in communion with him.”
Specifically with regard to Divine Mercy Sunday, I encourage you to read and ponder this message from Jesus to Saint Faustina from her diary in which she states relates what Jesus said to her on a particular occasion:
My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, # 699)
On this Divine Mercy Sunday, let us be reminded to regularly have the words of these two beautiful prayers on our lips:
Jesus, I trust in you!
Saint Faustina, pray for us!
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