Saint Faustina reports in her Diary what Jesus told her about Divine Mercy Sunday:
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“My daughter, tell the whole world about My
inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and
shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the
very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of
graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul
that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain
complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are open all
the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary #699).
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That day is today! It is the
Feast of Divine Mercy! Today’s feast is among the newer feasts in our
Church. Though Jesus’ desire that this feast be celebrated on the eighth
day of Easter was spoken to Sister Maria Faustina Kowolska back in
1931, it was not solemnly instituted until the year 2000. On April 30 of
that year, Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina and
inaugurated the Feast of Divine Mercy as a universal feast within the
Church. Because this Feast is so recent within the Church, we can be
certain that we still have much to learn about the message of this
Solemnity as well as the numerous messages about God’s mercy revealed in
Saint Faustina’s Diary.
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Among the many messages contained within her Diary,
Jesus revealed to us that this Sunday, the eighth and final day of the
Octave of Easter, is a day like none other. Though grace and mercy are
continuously poured out from Heaven upon us, Jesus is very clear that
today is unique. Today, “a whole ocean of graces” is poured forth upon
souls who approach the font of His mercy. Sit with that image for a
time. “A whole ocean of graces.” What does that mean?
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Symbolically speaking, a whole
ocean is meant to depict the infinite. Try to imagine what it would be
like to have the entire ocean poured upon you—it’s beyond comprehension!
Thus, God is saying that the infinity of grace is given today. The
question for us all to ponder is this: How receptive am I to those
infinite graces?
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By analogy, imagine that your
life was like a thimble, and an ocean of water was poured upon you. As a
thimble, you could not contain all that was given. Therefore, we should
realize that God wants to stretch our capacity to receive His mercy
more abundantly by widening our capacity for mercy. What if your soul
were like a large pond? Still, the waters of the ocean could not be
contained within that pond. What is it that is capable of receiving an
entire ocean of mercy? Only an ocean can contain an ocean. For that
reason, God desires to first prepare our souls to receive an infinity of
mercy by transforming us into vessels of infinite capacity.
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Saint Teresa of Ávila, in her
spiritual classic, “Interior Castles,” teaches us that the soul is,
indeed, capable of infinite capacity for the simple fact that God dwells
within. The soul is like an interior castle with many interlinked
dwelling places through which we must pass so as to arrive at the
central chamber. She teaches that the goal of the spiritual life is to
travel through these various dwelling places to the center of our souls
where the infinite God dwells so that we can be present to Him there.
Therefore, we must understand that our souls are indeed capable of
receiving the infinite waters of mercy, because God created us with this
ability when He chose to live within us. The key to being able to fully
receive this fullness of mercy is to seek out the infinite God,
dwelling within. How is this done?
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The heart of the path laid out in the Diary
of Saint Faustina is as follows: Go to Confession and receive Holy
Communion so as to obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
However, as many of the great spiritual writers explain, such as Saint
Teresa of Ávila, there are many levels we must pass on our spiritual
journey so as to be able to encounter God in His fullness. This, of
course, includes encountering God’s mercy given to us in Holy Communion
and Confession. Those who receive these Sacraments while dwelling only
in the first dwelling places, for example, will never benefit from them
to the extent that those who dwell in the seventh and central mansion
where the King dwells in fullness. Thus, mercy is given in its fullness
but unless we make the transforming journey to God through conversion
and purification of our souls, we will never be able to receive the
ocean of graces God bestows.
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Reflect, today, upon this
ocean being poured forth upon you. How much of this mercy are you able
to receive right now in your life? As you humbly admit your limited
openness to God’s grace, know that God patiently waits for you, dwelling
in His fullness deep within you, waiting for you to make the journey to
Him. Commit yourself to this journey by prayer, fasting, penance, the
reading of Scripture, the celebration of the Sacraments and spiritual
reading. There is an ocean of the fullness of life waiting for you. Dive
in and allow His mercy to deepen your capacity to receive Him most
fully.
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My Lord, You are The Divine
Mercy, the source of all grace and the Bestower of this grace in
superabundance. I thank You for the infinity of Your generosity and pray
that my soul will be more fully disposed to receive You. Please stretch
the capacity of my soul through my ongoing journey of purification and
conversion so that I will receive all that You wish to bestow. Jesus, I
trust in You.
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Prayer for Trust in The Divine Mercy of God
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I turn to You in my need.
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You are worthy of my complete trust.
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You are faithful in all things.
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When my life is filled with confusion, give me clarity and faith.
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When I am tempted to despair, fill my soul with hope.
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I trust You in all things.
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I trust in Your perfect plan for my life.
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I trust You when I cannot comprehend Your divine will.
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I trust You when all feels lost.
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Jesus, I trust You more than I trust myself.
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Nothing is beyond Your sight.
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Nothing in my life is beyond Your concern.
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Nothing is beyond Your grace.
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May I trust You always and in all things.
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May I daily surrender to Your Divine Mercy.
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Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy,
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Pray for us as we turn to you in our need.
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