Dear Families,
The month of April 2021 is filled with graces and mercy for humanity. The first Sunday after Easter is celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday.
I am very pleased to share a few conversations between Jesus and St. Faustina from the Diary of St. Faustina, with you this month.
Diary entry 965,
Jesus said to Faustina: Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them ... the Feast of My mercy. If they do not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice is near.
Diary entry 699,
Jesus spells out in detail the meaning of this feast day: 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 all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
Diary entry 699,
Jesus said to St. Faustina : 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 entry 742,
Feast of Mercy : Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy. ... I demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.
Our Lord Jesus made it very clear to St. Faustina that in preparation for the Feast of Mercy we need to be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers. If we are not practicing the works of mercy in our lives, then our celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday would be a kind of blasphemy, rather than an offering pleasing to the Lord .This requirement is simple enough to understand. Jesus Himself repeated it to His disciples (Lk 6:36): "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
We are already in the Holy Week and I would like to share with you to prepare for the Divine Mercy Sunday with a prayerful Novena on each of the 9 days starting Good Friday (April 2nd).
Please do refer to the PDF file attached which details the Nine Day Novena to Divine Mercy. (Courtesy : https://centrefordivinemercy.org/)
I wish you all a grace filled month and lots of blessings.
Fr. Stephen