‘For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.’
My Dear family in Christ,
Every year, on the Sunday after Easter, we honour and implore in a unique way God’s unfathomable Mercy. Below are some beautiful excerpts from the Diary of St. Faustina, the great Saint of Divine Mercy, to whom Our Lord revealed the sacred image of His Mercy and spoke these words:
On Confession
“...when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrent of grace inundates humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls.” (1602)
To Great Sinners
“Let the greatest sinners place their trust in my mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of my mercy. My daughter, write about my mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to my mercy delight me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to my compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in my unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Before I come as the just judge, I first open wide the door of my mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of my mercy must pass through the door of my justice.” (pp1146)
On Praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy + The End Times
“Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of my tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet… let all mankind recognize my unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of my mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them.” (pp848)
On Divine Mercy Sunday, the Works of Mercy, and the Image of Divine Mercy
“I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbour: the first, by deed- the second, by word- and the third, by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to my mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of my mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. 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.” (pp742)
On the Power of Divine Mercy
“(All) who will proclaim my great mercy… I shall protect them Myself at the hour of death as my own glory. And even if the sins of souls were as dark as night, when the sinner turns to my mercy, he gives me the greatest praise and is the glory of My Passion. When a soul extols my goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of Hell.
“My heart is sorrowful… because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of my mercy. Their relationship with me is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds my Heart! Remember my Passion, and if you do not believe my words, at least believe my wounds.” (pp 378-9)
On Approaching God’s Mercy
“Act like a beggar who does not back away when he gets more(than he asked for), but offers thanks all the more fervently. You too, should not back away and say that you are not worthy of receiving greater graces when I give them to you. I know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many treasures from my Heart as you can carry, for then you will please me more… take these graces no only for yourself, but also for others; that is, encourage the souls with whom you come in contact to trust in My infinite Mercy. Oh, how I love those souls who have complete confidence in Me- I will do everything for them.” (pp 296)
If you would like to learn how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or simply want to pray along with beautiful images, this is a favourite of mine:
In the love of our Risen, Merciful Lord,
Father Daniel
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