Divine Mercy

A Holy man visits Cat island 

The Winter of 2008 found Gail and I sailing to Cat Island in the Bahamas to see the monuments of the Franciscan Hermit  Jerome.  We visited the hermitage, the carved stone stations of the cross, and we anchored all week on the leeward side of the island to attend mass on Sunday at his coquina stone Church.   A priest at a remote island like Cat is rare, but Jerome’s Church did have the most remarkable deacon who actually and unusually sang his 45-minute homily as a gospel spiritual in the deepest most beautiful voice.  He chanted of Mercy and of someone who was soon to follow him.  Intrigued and anxious to hear his voice again we stayed for another week having fun watching the islanders catching shark.  The next Sunday the entire Church was filled with people who had travelled from all over by boat to hear the message announced in advance by the Deacon.  The Deacon did not sing, but a visiting priest inspired by God, spoke like Martin Luther King with a message that could not be contained.  He told us the Church had lost its way, just like in the time of Jesus; “Jesus asked:  Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or evil? … and he told (the man with a withered hand) to stretch out his hand and he was cured… but they (Pharisees) became enraged and plotted against Jesus.” Luke 6:6-11 Fr Nixon told us the Church must renew its focus on Mercy and forgiveness to imitate the savior.  He singled out Gail and me, looking right into our souls and told us “You are in need of Mercy.”  He invited us to see where he was staying, but he was mobbed by people just wanting to touch his cloak.  A Holy man who inspired everyone he met. 

Early stirrings of Mercy in the Church

The Mercy message, of course, has always been proclaimed in the Catholic Church: “Jesus, son of David have Mercy on me a sinner.”(Jesus Prayer) “Be confident in your confession, approach the throne of grace and receive mercy.(Heb 4:16) “In what, then, can I place my hope or trust, save in the great mercy of God alone.(Imitation of Christ) In our times, however, the Mercy Message is taking on more urgency as Fr Nixon preached on Cat Island. St Jose Maria in his homily on the Sacred Heart emphasized St Johns words “The Blood and water that gushed from the heart of Jesus is a new sign of the Mercy of God.”  The Mercy message was proclaimed in 1980 in our Annapolis Church, by a Polish Immigrant who often stood up chanting over and over “For the sake of his sorrowful passion have mercy on us and the whole world.” In 1981 John Paul II in his encyclical “Rich in Mercy”  said that Christs “Program of Mercy must become the Program of the Church.”  In 1997 John Paul told us “There is nothing man needs more than Divine mercy.” But the most important message of Divine Mercy came earlier in the century from Jesus himself.

The Divine Mercy message of Saint Faustina

In 1931 our Lord Jesus gave Sister Faustina Kowalska, a message of Mercy to be spread throughout the world.  “My Heart overflows with great Mercy for souls and especially for sinners;  it is for them that the Blood and water flowed.”  He told her that God wants us to approach him in prayer, repent of our sins , and ask for his abundant Mercy with Trust. The mercy message took four new forms: 

1. The Feast of Divine Mercy: “ I desire that the Feast of Mercy (2nd Sunday after Easter) shall be a refuge and shelter for all souls for complete forgiveness of sins.” 

2. The Chaplet and Novena of Divine Mercy: “Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything you ask of me.” 

3. Devotion to the image of Divine Mercy: ”I promise that the soul who venerates this image … will obtain victory over its enemies.”  

4. Devotions at the 3:00PM special hour of Mercy:  “This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world.” 

The Message of Mercy becomes the message of the Church

In the year 2000 Pope St John Paul II made the Mercy message a doctrine of the Catholic Church when he canonized St Faustina, adopted her revelations as the Word of God, and instituted Divine Mercy Sunday.  The Pope said, “The light of Divine Mercy,  will illumine the way for men of the 3rd millennium”.  Referring to the saint’s diary, he told us we must prepare for the second coming of Jesus.  “Before the day of justice, I am sending the time for mercy(1588) . I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners.  While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of my mercy.”

Returning Gods mercy is necessary

Jesus told St Faustina  “I demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for me.” In these times, it is hard to conceive of Democrats sitting down with Republicans, or Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, Iranians, North Koreans, and Americans working together to rebuild nations. But, with the Lords graces all these things are possible and made easy (St Louis).  In fact, the Spiritual acts of mercy are immediately within the grasp of most of us: pray for the dead, pray for the souls in purgatory, especially pray for the dying … “When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between my father and the dying person not as the just Judge, but as the Merciful Savior.”  Once, she began practicing mercy, St Faustina tells us “she realized she was serving the Savior himself and graces flowed.” 

Mary is necessary and sufficient

Mary is appropriately called the “Mother of Mercy” for she personally witnessed the wounds of her son and watched him shed his blood and die on the cross for our sins.  To ensure victory for her sons sacrifice she has been made full of grace and Queen of heaven.  “If we ask her to be our advocate and show Trust, by praying the Rosary every day, she will guide us and channel the necessary graces from her son, to make it easy to love God and our neighbor as ourselves.” (St Louis) The same words were paraphrased by St Faustina: “Mary is my instructress who is ever teaching me to live for God.” (843), “O Mary my mother I place everything in your hands.”  From the revelations of St Bridget who heard Jesus tell his Mother “Ask of me whatever you wish”, and she heard Mary reply,” I ask Mercy for Sinners.”(Glories of Mary)