Divine Mercy Sunday

   

Our Liturgical celebration for today, Divine Mercy Sunday, reflects the devotional elements of Divine Mercy—We no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for He is alive and has become the Lord of Life.

   In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina  Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. In obedience to her spiritual director, Saint Faustina  Kowalska wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938,the devotion to The “Divine Mercy” had begun to spread.

   The most familiar aspect of today is the “DIVINE MERCY IMAGE.” In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy. At the request of her spiritual director, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard these words in reply:
  The two rays denote Blood and Water. The Pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299). By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail  without works (742).

   These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist. 

   To return and conclude with today's celebration; it was established by Pope John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000. We should always remember though, that, Divine Mercy Sunday is NOT a feast based solely on St. Faustina’s revelations. Indeed, it is not primarily about St. Faustina—nor is it altogether a new feast.
The Second Sunday of Easter was already a Solemnity, as the Octave Day of Easter. The title “Divine Mercy Sunday” does however, highlight the meaning of today. “Jesus, I Trust in YOU!”

Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,
Christopher C. Stainbrook