Novena of Divine Mercy Sunday

The 9 day Divine Mercy novena prayers were revealed to Saint Faustina through an apparition of our Lord Jesus. He desired that they be prayed in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday. The novena was to begin on Good Friday and be prayed each day of the Triduum and of Easter week in preparation for the glorious Feast of Mercy which was to take place on the Eighth day of Easter (the first Sunday after Easter).

Our Lord told Saint Faustina, “I desire that during these 9 days you bring souls to the fountain of my mercy, that they may draw…strength and refreshment and whatever grace they need in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death” (Diary,1209).

The message of Divine Mercy is a powerful and moving way to come closer to Christ. His Mercy is central to our lives and we must continually depend on it and ask for it daily.

HOW TO PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY NOVENA

The Novena of Divine Mercy Sunday is typically said daily at the Hour of Great Mercy---3PM. However if that is not possible, it can be said at any time during each of the 9 days

Jesus requested that we pray for a particular group of persons on each day.

DAY 1- All mankind, especially sinners

DAY 2- The souls of priests and religious

DAY 3- All devout and faithful souls

DAY 4- Those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know Jesus

DAY 5- The souls who have separated themselves from the church

DAY 6- The meek and humble souls and the souls of the little children

Day 7-The souls who especially venerate and glorify His mercy

DAY 8- The souls detained in purgatory

DAY 9- The souls who have become lukewarm

You can click on the link below to access the Novena prayers.

We hope you will join our parish and thousands of other Catholics around the world in praying the Novena of Divine Mercy Sunday this year.

For more information:

Link to the Novena: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/novena

General Information:

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

10 minute video summarizing the story of Divine Mercy Devotion

https://youtu.be/q0PAC9qTc_E?si=Qt0Kv5PhLk_zk0hR

What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

The feast of Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the first Sunday after Easter, which is the greatest feast of our Church year. Easter is so important that we celebrate it as an Octave, eight days of celebration. The climax of this Octave is Divine Mercy Sunday!

Divine Mercy Sunday is not a new feast per se and has roots in the Easter celebration of the early Church. However, until Jesus entrusted St. Fautina to promote the importance of this Feast day, many were unaware it existed. It was St. Pope John Paul II whom officially established Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast day for the entire Church.

Jesus promises extraordinary graces on Divine Mercy Sunday and told St. Faustina that “On the day, the very depths of My tender Mercy are opened. I pour out a whole ocean of graces on those souls who approach the fount of My Mercy…On the day, all the divine floodgates, through which graces flow, are opened” (Diary 699). We are promised a ‘clean slate of grace’ and are cleansed of our sin AND the punishment due to sin if we take advantage of this special grace. Jesus told St. Faustina that “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (Diary 699).

There are four basic requirements that are necessary to receive this amazing grace:

1. Go to confession before or on the Feast of Divine Mercy with a contrite heart

2. Be in a state of grace (no unconfessed mortal sins)

3. Receive Holy Communion on the Feast Day with the intent of receiving the promised grace

4. Perform acts of mercy: forgive others, pray for others, and intend to be more merciful to others

Jesus also requested that the image of Divine Mercy be displayed and venerated on the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday. He instructed St. Faustina to have an image painted just as He looked when He appeared to her. The original portrait, which is the version that we display in our church, was painted by the Polish artist Eugene Kazimirowki. It took the artist more than twelve tries before St. Faustina accepted it as satisfactory. There are different versions of the Divine Mercy image but all have the words, “Jesus, I trust in You” at the bottom of the portrait, as Jesus directed. Jesus’ right hand is raised in a blessing and He seems to be taking a step towards us. Two rays of light – one red and one pale -come forth from His heart and represent the blood and water that gushed forth from Jesus’ pierced side on the cross. “The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls…” (Diary 299).

Jesus said “I promise that the souls that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over (its) enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own Glory” (Diary 47-48).

Jesus desires to give us these amazing graces which flow forth from His heart. Will we choose to accept and say wholeheartedly, “Jesus, we trust in You”?

General Information:

How to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/celebrate/how/essentials

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

10 minute video summarizing the story of Divine Mercy Devotion

https://youtu.be/q0PAC9qTc_E?si=Qt0Kv5PhLk_zk0hR

What is the Divine Mercy Chaplet?

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a devotion that centers around the concept of God's mercy, as understood in the teachings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who had visions of Jesus Christ in the early 20th century. These encounters were recorded in St. Faustina’s diary which can be read today. Jesus Himself gave St. Faustina directions on how to say the Chaplet.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a relatively short prayer that is typically recited on a set of rosary beads. It consists of a specific arrangement of prayers and responses, including the Sign of the Cross, the Lord's Prayer (Our Father), the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed. The central and most distinctive component of the chaplet is the repetition of the phrase "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world" on the beads of the rosary.

Jesus made several amazing promises for those that pray the Chaplet that are recorded in St. Faustina’s diary. In particular, the Chaplet is a powerful prayer of intercession that can be said for the dying:

“At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say if for a dying person, the pardon is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son” (Diary 811).

“Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation.” (Diary, 687)

“…Tell them that no soul has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior”. (Diary 1541)

The Divine Mercy Chaplet and the associated devotion to God's mercy, emphasizes the idea that God is full of compassion and mercy, even in the face of human sin and shortcomings. It is seen as a way to seek God's mercy and forgiveness for one's sins, both personally and for the world as a whole.

The Divine Mercy message encourages individuals to be more merciful and compassionate toward others, mirroring God's mercy. It promotes acts of kindness, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

For more information:
How to say the Chaplet: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/chaplet

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

10 minute video summarizing the story of Divine Mercy Devotion
https://youtu.be/q0PAC9qTc_E?si=Qt0Kv5PhLk_zk0hR

What is the Devotion of Divine Mercy?

What if you could discover the secret to holiness?

How would your life change if someone shared with you the secret to holiness?

The secret to holiness can be summed up in two words: DIVINE MERCY.

Divine Mercy is when God’s love meets us where we are in the midst of our suffering and sin. Divine Mercy is at the heart of the Gospel and Salvation history because it is God’s heart. God’s merciful love has been offered to us since the start of creation. God has always stepped out in compassion to meet us in our suffering and brokenness. In His love for us, He sent us His only Son, Jesus, to become one with us and save us. This is why Jesus embraced the cross and conquered death.

The Devotion of Divine Mercy is most commonly associated with a Polish nun, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, who died in 1938. St. Faustina was a mystic and received extraordinary experiences of Jesus. At Jesus’s request, she recorded these experiences and messages in her diary which can be read today. The heart of Jesus’s message to her was His Mercy for us sinners. Jesus entrusted St. Faustina with the mission of sharing with the world His desire that all mankind come to know His Divine Mercy and His desire to draw us back to Him.

Father George Kosicki’s “ABCs of Mercy” offer us a simple acronym to summarize how we can live the message of Divine Mercy:
A: Ask for Mercy
B: Be merciful in deed, word, and prayer
C: Completely trust

A: Ask for Mercy
Matthew 7:7-8 tells us to “ask and it will be given to you…for everyone who asks receives”. In St. Faustina’s diary, Jesus reminds us: “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 of My Compassion” (1146). Jesus requested that we should “Beg for mercy for the whole world” (570) and said the “No soul that has called upon My Mercy has been disappointed” (1541). Fully living the message of Divine Mercy presupposes that we are actively participating in the Sacraments, which are the true sources and fountains of God’s Mercy.

B: Be merciful in deed, word, and prayer:
Being merciful requires two movements. The first, is a movement of the heart towards compassion for others. The second movement requires action – using our arms to alleviate the suffering of another. Jesus told St. Faustina that there are three ways to put mercy into action – by deed, word, and 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 me and pays reverence to My Mercy”. (Diary 742).

C: Completely Trust in Jesus:
How do we accept Divine Mercy? By trusting in God. This sounds so easy but due to our fallen human nature and past experiences of being hurt, let down, or humiliated by others, it is not always easy to trust. However, unlike putting our trust in other persons, trusting in God will never end in humiliation, disappointment, or heartbreak. Placing our trust in God leads to love and healing of our brokenness. And which of us does not need love and healing?
Jesus wants all mankind to repent and experience His Divine Mercy. His merciful love is always offered freely to us; but like all grace, its’ a gift which we can choose to accept or not. What will you decide?

General Information:
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

10 minute video summarizing the story of Divine Mercy Devotion
https://youtu.be/q0PAC9qTc_E?si=Qt0Kv5PhLk_zk0hR

Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Sunday

Novena of Divine Mercy Sunday

What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

What is the Divine Mercy Chaplet?

What is the Devotion of Divine Mercy?

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