Divine Mercy Sunday

Apr 8
FHC

Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, finishing out the “Octave” of Easter (the first eight days of Easter), is known
as Divine Mercy Sunday. It a day to particularly remember and commemorate the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ and commending the world to His mercy. This meditation on the Divine Mercy came from St. Faustina and was popularized by Pope St. John Paul II. You may be familiar with the image of Christ where a red and a pale blue beam shine forth from his heart and it has the words “Jesus, I trust in You.” This image was the image revealed to St. Faustina. The beams represent the blood and water which flowed from Jesus’ side, reminding us that His blood saves us and washes us clean, and it is from Christ flows our Light and our Fountain of Mercy. And we are to entrust ourselves to His mercy.

There is also a prayer called the “Chaplet of Divine Mercy,” invoking Jesus’ mercy on the world with the words, “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (Which we prayed before each Mass this weekend.)

You may consider meditating with this image and praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy this week. But when we look to Christ’s mercy, there also arises the question of how one is to live this mercy. This is where the Church has given us a great practical list of things called the “Works of Mercy.” There are the “Corporal Works of Mercy” attending to people’s physical needs and the “Spiritual Works of Mercy” attending to their spiritual needs. As you meditate on the Divine Mercy of Jesus, I would strongly encourage you to also looking at the list of the Works of Mercy, and consider how you might live those, especially how you might live the Spiritual Works of Mercy during this time.
Here is the list:

Spiritual Works of Mercy

  1. To instruct the ignorant.
  2. To counsel the doubtful.
  3. To admonish the sinners.
  4. To bear patiently those who wrong us.
  5. To forgive offenses.
  6. To comfort the afflicted.
  7. To pray for the living and the dead

Corporal Works of Mercy

  1. To feed the hungry.
  2. To give water to the thirsty.
  3. To clothe the naked.
  4. To shelter the homeless.
  5. To visit the sick.
  6. To visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive.
  7. To bury the dead.

Blessed Divine Mercy Sunday and Happy Easter!

Peace,
-Fr. Kevin