FOOD FOR THE SOUL GOD’S DIVINE MERCY

     The Holy Scriptures touch one by the striking eloquence of the inspired writers when they exalt the magnificence of God’s mercy. “I will give praise to Thee, 0 Lord, among the people; I will sing a psalm to Thee among the nations, for Thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens and Thy truths into the clouds.” (Ps. 1 vi. 10-11). Then comes the often-repeated refrain of the Psalmist: “The tender mercies of the lord are above all His works.”
     If you want to obtain a more vivid understanding of God’s mercy for you, you must penetrate a little deeper into the very heart of God by studying the life and teachings of Our Blessed Redeemer. As soon as Christ enters into this world, He offers His life for sinners. He calls them; He seeks them out, and now He washes their sinful hearts in the ocean of His mercy and forgiveness. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd who runs after His straying sheep and, when He finds it, worn, torn, and bruised, He places it on His Divine shoulder and brings to the peace and security of the fold. He is the Father of the prodigal, who goes forth to meet His child, press him to His Heart, folds him in the embrace of the fondest love, and welcomes him back into the paternal home. He feeds him again with the tender delicacies of His love and mercy. He honors the repentant publican and forgives the public sinner of Magdala. He even calls the reprobate betrayer His friend, and crowns with the promise of eternal bliss the contrition of the dying thief. And when He Himself is about to breathe His last, there is not a word of reproach but only a word of mercy that falls from His parched lips: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” If you wish to realize more fully the unbound extent of God’s mercy, ascend Mount Calvary whose summit disappears in the gloom of a mysterious darkness; kneel down at the foot of the cross where shall soon expire the very Victim of your own iniquities. It is at Holy Mass that Jesus hangs between heaven and earth; mystically and sacramentally His body, still nailed to the cross, is painfully stretched and bruised; His head is bent by the weight of the crown of thorns; His face is pallid and smeared with blood. The Crucified speaks to us by His attitude. Yes; the cruel thorns, the heartless nails, the crimson drops would draw such torrents of tears as would wash the bloody marks from the Redeemer’s face. From this sea of suffering and this ocean of sorrow a voice seems to rise and cry out to the world, the sinful world; “Behold the infinite Mercy!”
     Who, then, can distrust for a moment the Divine Mercy? Who can say with Cain: “My sin is greater than can be forgiven”? Has there ever been a blacker sin that the betrayal of Judas? Well, I say to you that, if Judas, on his way to consummate his crime in despair, had only said to himself: “This Man I have betrayed has called me His friend. Could I not implore His mercy?” - if, instead of following the path that led to the field of blood and suicide, had he only followed the steps of His Master and, meeting Him on the way to Calvary, had he only thrown himself on his knees and said to his Savior: “Master, I know too well I am the most miserable wretch on earth, but shalt not Thou forgive him who betrayed Thee?” -yes, if Judas had done this, for a second time Jesus would have kissed him. A second time Jesus would have called him His friend and said: “Judas, My beloved son, it is true that thou has betrayed me and delivered Me unto My enemies, but I have pity on thee; I accept thy tears and thy repentance. Come with Me to Calvary; come and thy crime shall be washed in My Blood and thy heart purified.” All this Jesus would have done and said if Judas had only repented and asked forgiveness from His Master. Knowing all this, would you distrust God’s infinite mercy? True, you have grieved the loving Heart of Jesus when you committed sin, but how much more you would grieve Him now, if you would distrust His forbearance and mercy!
     Do not turn a deaf ear to the voice of Divine mercy calling you and entreating you to come back to your Savior. If it is your misfortune to live separated from God; if, like the prodigal, you are wandering in the far-off country of sin, squandering your substance in shameful pleasures; if your infidelities should exceed the moments of your existence and surpass even the enormity of Judas’ betrayal, do not say: “It is too late.” Listen once more, I beseech you, to the voice of Divine Mercy constantly calling you.


Divine Mercy Image

     During Christ’s first visit to St. Faustina in 1931, Christ asked that the Image of Him, as she saw Him, would be painted, and would be displayed in every home and every place of worship. The Image was painted. It took an artist three years to paint the Image, as St. Faustina described how it was that Christ appeared to her. That original painting of the Divine Mercy is still intact. It is honored in a Shrine in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was placed there in 1934 by Sr. Faustina’s spiritual director, Father Michael Sopocko, when he was giving a retreat there, and for the first time introduced the Divine Mercy message to the retreatants. At the time, it was not said that Faustina was the recipient of the Image and the message.


     Just for the sake of greater understanding, consider the requests Christ made during His appearances to St. Faustina over seven years of her lifetime, from 1931-1938.

     1. Have the Image painted, He said. She did

     2. Write down the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and have it distributed to the world. She did. The Chaplet is being said
          worldwide.

     3. Have Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter, put back on the Liturgical Calendar.
     4. Faustina died in 1938. Sixty-two years later in the year 2000, Pope John Paul II put the Divine Mercy Sunday, the
         Sunday after Easter, back on the Liturgical Calendar.

     5. Nine days before Divine Mercy Sunday, from Good Friday to the Saturday after Easter, the Divine Mercy Novena
         is said worldwide. The intentions for each day were given to St. Faustina by Christ Himself.

     6. What has not yet been accomplished: that the Divine Mercy Image be honored and displayed in every home and in
         every place of worship.






 

Constant Vigil of Prayer