We are all in need of mercy. I know for myself I ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness each day and I am always amazed that He gives it so freely. As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter what a gift the Church gives us in that we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. What is Divine Mercy Sunday, or maybe the better question is what is The Divine Mercy?

Here’s the short version; Jesus appears in a vision to a nun, Sister Faustina in the 1930s in Poland and asks her to have an image of Him painted. You’ve likely seen this image in your Church, or maybe even have one in your house. It’s the image of Jesus with the red and bluish-white rays shining out from His heart, with the words Jesus I trust in You under the image. Jesus asked that we venerate that image, which means revere it, admire, and respect it, pray with it. He said, “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish” and “By means of this image I will grant many graces to souls.” Over the years He explains to her the Divine Mercy and reveals the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to her, which is a set of prayers prayed using the Rosary beads; but instead of Hail Mary’s, we repeat the prayer “For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”. Sister Faustina shares this with the world through her writings and diary and today is a Saint! She was canonized in the year 2000. St Pope John Paul II put this day on our calendar as he was devoted and moved by Saint Faustina and God’s great mercy.

Think of a time in your own life where you may have let someone down or did something you knew was wrong. Remember a time where you needed forgiveness. I know for myself; I feel as if almost every day I let someone down or act in a way that I am sorry for. Many times in my life I have not felt worthy of God’s love or mercy because of choices I’ve made and often times my lack of faith. So often in my relationship with God the Father I’m tempted to feel like a disappointment and even a failure.

In those times in my life God does not leave and abandon me; no, He loves me and gives me His mercy and forgiveness. Divine Mercy Sunday is an opportunity for you and me to recall the depths of Gods love and how His forgiveness is offered freely and generously even to this day.

The world tells us that following Jesus is restrictive. But saying yes to His love, a love that is all-in and all-encompassing is anything but restrictive. Following Jesus is freeing and a great joy! I have experienced, in a real way the love and mercy of Jesus that changed my heart and life so much, that each day I wish to share it with others.

On this Divine Mercy Sunday I would encourage you to be open to God’s life changing love and mercy, and to read about Saint Faustina and the Divine Mercy. I would encourage you to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet given to Saint Faustina with this promise; “Encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you.” “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death..even if there was a sinner most hardened, if he was to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive My infinite mercy.” Wow, that is powerful! We are a world and a people in need of His mercy and love, let us call out for it and let us accept and receive it!

“Lord, who reveals the Father’s love by Your death and Resurrection, we believe in You and confidently repeat to you today: Jesus, I trust in You, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world.“ –St. Pope John Paul II