Divine Mercy
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Happy Easter! On this Sunday in the octave of Easter, the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday. Our parish will have a Divine Mercy Holy Hour on Sunday, April, 24th at 3:00PM in the church. Confessors will also be available.
St. Pope John Paul II established this feast for the whole of the Catholic Church on the occasion of the canonization of Sr. Faustina Kowalska on 30 April 2000. Sr. Faustina, now Saint Faustina, was a polish nun who died in 1938 and who reported having visions of and conversations with Jesus. She recorded the content of these visions in her diary. From the diary of this young Polish nun, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s.
The message is nothing new, but is a reminder of what the Church has always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners. God wants us to recognize 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. Thus, all will come to share His joy.
The Church grants an indulgence for participation in the Divine Mercy devotion. For details on the indulgence see the article elsewhere in this bulletin. For more information on the Divine Mercy Devotion go to the EWTN Divine Mercy page to read about the indulgence. May God’s infinite mercy, that we celebrated during Holy Week and that we continue to rejoice in during the Easter Season, be a healing balm for your soul.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
