THE MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY: TRUST AND MERCY
The Message of Divine Mercy is that God is merciful. He is love itself poured out for us. He wants no one to escape that merciful love. From the diary of a young Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska, a special devotion to the mercy of God is spreading throughout the world. The origin and spreading of the Divine Mercy message and devotion throughout the world, through the writings of St. Faustina, an uneducated Polish nun from The Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland, makes for great reading of extraordinary visions and revelations, miraculous answers to prayer and a strong support from Pope John Paul II, who has gone down in history as “The Mercy Pope.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” [Mt 5:7].
The message is nothing new, just a reminder of what the Church has always taught-that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. The message of Divine Mercy is that God loves us, all of us, no matter how great our sins. He wants us to know that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. But, in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone, especially the greatest sinners.
The greater the sinner, the greater he has to My Mercy. (St Faustina’s Diary 723)
What then is the meaning of “Divine Mercy?” God’s very nature is infinite, eternal, self-giving love among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But “mercy” is the form that God’s love takes when it overflows and His divine life pours out upon His creatures. This Divine Mercy is a compassionate love that seeks to meet the needs and relieve the miseries of others.
TRUST in JESUS is the essence of the message of mercy. But there is more to trust than just believing that God is trustworthy. We have to act upon that belief. Trust involves a turning back to God, a real conversion of our whole lives to God, repenting of our sins and forgiving others. TRUST IS A LIVING FAITH.
The Feast of the Divine Mercy
Among all of the elements of devotion to the Divine Mercy requested by our Lord through St. Faustina, the Feast of Mercy holds first place.
The most comprehensive revelation can be found in Diary entry 699:
“My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable me rev. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and a shelter for all souls and especially for poor sinners. On that day the depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of mercy. The Feast of Mercy emerged from <y 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.”
The Corporal Words of Mercy
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Shelter the homeless
- Comfort the imprisoned
- Visit the sick
- Bury the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy - Admonish sinners
- Instruct the uninformed
- Counsel the doubtful
- Comfort the sorrowful
- Be patient with those in error
- Forgive offenses
- Pray for the living and the dead
Divine Mercy Apostolate of St James
The goal of the Divine Mercy Apostolate is for each member to be transformed in God’s love and to be a true apostle of Divine Mercy. As part of our acts of Mercy, we feed the hungry and homeless of St. Vincent de Paul, visit and pray for the sick and the dying, give communion to the sick and the homebound parishioners of our parish and we pray for the living and the dead.
The Divine Mercy Apostolate members pray and reflect the Cenacle Formation Manual by The Eucharistic Apostles of Divine Mercy which was authored by Dr. Bryan and Susan Thatcher, with preface by Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC. The Cenacle Formation Manual and Prayer Book is dedicated to Jesus, the Divine Mercy in human flesh whose love for us never ends and is most present in our darkest moments, and to Mary, the Mother of the Blessed Sacrament. Through her intercessions Our Lady of Guadalupe, may all come to a deeper appreciation of the gift and sanctity of life.
The Divine Mercy Cenacle prayer meeting is held here at St. James, every 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 7:00pm in the Small Chapel.
The evangelizing part of The Divine Mercy ministry is our house-to-house pilgrimage. We bring the images of The Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Mercy to a home to pray, to give thanks and for any special intentions. The images stay at the home for 14 days.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join and at part of ministry.
The Graces of My Mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only and is tryst. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. (St Faustina’s’ Diary 1578)
Give thanks to Lord for he is good, for His mercy and love endure forever [Ps. 136]
