Divine Mercy Sunday – Time to Celebrate God’s Mercy

Worried about the world situation? About your spiritual life? Jesus gives us the hope-filled solution. Seek and accept his mercy. Start in the Eastertide celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday, then continue with the devotion.

Jesus himself called for this devotion and feast. He made his urgent, essential request through Polish mystic St. Faustina Kowalska, the first saint canonized in the New Millennium by John Paul II.

Jesus said, “I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially poor sinners,” Jesus explained. “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open… I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon the souls who approach the Fount of My mercy.  On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet…. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” (Diary 699)

Divine Mercy Sunday Also known as “The Feast of Mercy,” marks the Second Sunday of Easter. The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, the authentic promoters of The Divine Mercy message and devotion, explain that there are tremendous promises of graces and benefits that Jesus attached to the feast.

Jesus said, “I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy” (Diary, 1109). “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (Diary, 699).

In 2002, the Church “endorsed” this promise by granting a plenary indulgence on this feast under usual and certain conditions.

In A Nutshell—To Prepare for the Feast and Receive These Promises:

1.    Celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter;

2.    Sincerely repent of all our sins;

3.    Place our complete trust in Jesus;

4.    Go to sacramental Confession, preferably before that Sunday; preferably during the Lenten season.

5.    Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;

6.    Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy;

7.    Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf.

The Marian Fathers make clear The Divine Mercy Image represents the risen Christ. The “two rays signify the Sacraments of mercy (Baptism and Penance or Reconciliation, and the Eucharist). The Eucharist is the blood of souls, carrying life-sustaining food for our spiritual journey. The water points to the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, in that through these Sacraments, our souls are washed clean.”

“I want the Image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter,” Jesus said, “and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it” (Diary, 341).

Jesus said, “I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy.  That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You”. (Diary 327)

Listen to Marian Father Seraphim Michlenko, an international expert on Mercy authority, explain more about Divine Mercy Sunday here.

Don’t fear confession. Our Lord noted he himself is there waiting for you. Jesus said, “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 “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  (Diary, 1602).

Jesus also added incredible promises and wants to grant great graces to souls for praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In part, he said, “Say unceasingly the Chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it, they will receive great mercy at the hour of death… Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy” (Diary, 687). “It pleases me to grant everything souls ask of me by saying the chaplet.” (Diary 1541)

“At the hour of their death, I defend every soul that will say this Chaplet as I do my own glory. When this Chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated and His unfathomable mercy envelops the soul” (Diary, 811)

Learn to pray it here and pray along in either the recited or sung Chaplet . Or learn here.

Pray it in the 3 o’clock hour. Jesus said, “This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary, 1320).

After you pray it once, guaranteed you’ll find you want to continue praying it for mercy for yourselves, your loved ones, the sick, dying, and the world.

Blessed John Paul II emphasized, “There is nothing that man needs more than Divine Mercy…it is a message that is clear and understandable for everyone. Anyone can come here, look at this image of the merciful Jesus, His Heart radiating grace… And if this person responds with a sincere heart: “Jesus, I trust in You,” he will find comfort in all his anxieties and fears….

Our Lord made the Divine Mercy message clear as the “Great Mercy Pope” died on the evening of April 2, 2005, the Vigil of the Feast of the Divine Mercy, after the Vigil Mass.

The next day, John Paul II’s last message, prepared for that Divine Mercy Sunday, was read at the end of the Mass in St. Peter’s Square. He reassured: “the Risen Lord offers his love that pardons, reconciles and reopens hearts to love. It is a love that converts hearts and gives peace. How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy!”

“Lord, who reveal the Father’s love by your death and Resurrection, we believe in you and confidently repeat to you today:  Jesus, I trust in you, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world.”

Don’t pass up on our Risen Lord’s incredible promises by accepting his mercy and trusting in him.

Learn more about The Divine Mercy devotion from the official site, of the Marian Fathers and the National Shrine of Divine Mercy.

I am struggling with resentment towards the Church, what should I do?

Q: Dear Dan, I have been Catholic for three years now, and am very grateful for the gift of faith. However, I have recently been struggling with resentment towards the Church – feeling that there are too many demands, hardships, that too much is being asked of me. How does one combat resentment?

A: Dear Friend, welcome home! I am sorry to hear about your suffering. Immediately after reading your question, Jesus’ call to rest came to mind:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

These words are worth reading slowly. They show the great compassion that Christ has for us. He knows that we live heavily burdened by many things and he offers to free us from them. However, coming to this freedom is a path of allowing Christ to unravel the things that bind us to the world, the flesh, and the devil, and keep us from the perfect freedom that he has for us.

When we experience emotions like resentment toward the very instruments of grace and the means of the grace and love of Christ (the Church), then we know something is askew in our souls. But what is the source?

Sometimes when we feel a burden that is too great, it might be that we have placed more upon our shoulders than Christ has asked of us – a yoke that he has not assigned to us. This can happen when new disciples in their fervency attempt to conquer too many things at once. Jesus gives us the strength to carry whatever burdens we must in order to find the freedom and healing he offers to us. However, when we take on more than he has asked of us, we become weighed down, burdened, and our progress slows to an even more frustrating pace.

There are also cases where we have patterns of personal challenges that were present outside of our faith and then resurface in our relationship with God. For example, if we have had one or more parents that were more task rather than nurture oriented, we might also envision God as a taskmaster. In this case, the oppression we feel is not rooted in Christ but in our own expectations and in the roles that comfortably replicate the relational patterns of our childhood.

Then, there is the weight of our own sins. Sin obscures reality – like a fog that clouds our ability to see the truth. Depending on the density of the fog, we can easily lose our way and find ourselves in a spiritual wreck. This clouding of the soul can also yield affection for things we should not desire and repulsion for the very things that offer us true healing and rest.

A final possible source is the enemy of our souls himself. I shared your question with my wife and she pointed me to a quote from Father Adolph Tanquerey. In this brief quote he summarizes a reflection from St. Ignatius’ second rule of discernment regarding what happens when a soul turns to God:

When it is a question of souls that have sincerely returned to God, the devil excites in them sadness, torments of conscience, and creates all manner of difficulties in order to make them lose heart and halt their advance. The good spirit, on the contrary, inspires them with courage, energy and good thoughts to make them grow in virtue. By the fruits then will the tree be judged; whatever hinders progress comes from the evil one, whatever promotes it proceeds from God. (Spiritual Life: 953)

It is important to understand that Father Tanquerey assumes that we are operating from the standpoint of an authentic, even if yet imperfectly lived, embrace of Church teaching. Sometimes people judge things as “good” and from God because they make them feel good or feel like they are making progress. However, there is never real progress when living in willful opposition to the truths of God and thereby to God himself.

So, these are a few ways to evaluate our struggles though they might not be exactly on target for you. Regardless, it would be wise for you to take this to confession. During your confession, openly share your angst with your priest and ask for some insight into why you might be feeling this way. I suspect that you will find your way free of this battle (at least for a time) if you confront it without hesitation.

Be assured of my prayers, and the prayers of the many good people who frequent this site.

Are you worth the time? Why would a priest take time for me?

Q: Why would a priest spend time with a nobody like me?

A: In the past year I have talked with a number of good Catholics interested in spiritual direction. Almost all of them expressed a feeling of being unworthy of a priest taking time out just for them. One woman said, “Why would a priest spend time with a nobody like me?” Now, mind you, this woman recently fought through some very difficult challenges and converted to Catholicism in spite of them. She is an exemplary woman who is actively seeking and submitting to God. However, she still feels unworthy.

Her struggle reflects things within her that are good, and some that are obstacles to her spiritual growth. The good is the honest recognition that before God and holy men and women, we rightly feel a bit unworthy. We are fallen creatures after all. On the other hand, the worst sinner among us still bears the image of God. Each person on this planet was specifically brought into existence by God (For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb – Psalm 139:13). He desires a relationship with each and every person – this includes you.

If we struggle in a similar way, it would be well worth our time to meditate on the parable of prodigal son (St. Luke 15:11-32). We should see ourselves as the prodigal and God as the loving father. He longs for us and regardless of the level of depravity to which we have lowered ourselves, He eagerly awaits our return. The second He sees our hearts turning His way, He opens His arms to receive us. He not only offers us forgiveness, but heaven and earth begin to rejoice with Him.

Turn to Him and those whom He has consecrated to serve you to Him. He has provided priests and consecrated in order to help you come to Him. Don’t deny Him when He has given so much for you. He is eagerly waiting for a deeper relationship with you and any good priest will see that and delight in your desire to grow deeper in Christ.

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Encounter With Mercy

Announcing: Encounter With Mercy – A Step-by-Step Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation

I am happy to announce the first official publication of Catholic Spiritual Direction!

The forward is written by Cardinal Justin Rigali. This step-by-step guide is compact (back pocket or purse size), simple to read, and perfect for rediscovering or deepening our understanding and practice of one of the greatest gifts we have as Catholics. Read inspiring stories, learn the reasons confession is important, understand the Bible’s answers to common objections, and find out how you can promote confession to those around you. Buy one for yourself and several to give away!

To purchase, click HERE and please tell your friends about this important guide!

Here’s A Summary of this Fantastic Resource:

• Forward by Cardinal Justin Rigali
• Introduction: The Crisis of Love
• Seeker’s Stories
• 10 Reasons to Go to Confession
• 10 Things You Can Expect From Confession
• 7 Things Expected From You in Confession
• 7 Objections and the Bible’s Answers
• Catholicism 101
• 7 Ways to Examin Your Conscience
• 6-Step How-to-Guide to Confession
• 7 Ways to Promote Confession
• Resources

Please explain plenary indulgences and purgatory! – Part III

Based on your feedback and further consideration on the initial question, I thought I should share a few more thoughts on this topic.

The Days of Our Indulgences

I want to start with two clarifications. First of all, one reader referred to the older practice of linking indulgences with particular numbers of “days” in purgatory. That practice has been officially phased out, not because it was doctrinally false, but because it was so easily misunderstood. It fostered the kind of mathematical piety that some of our readers are rightly uncomfortable with. The current practice is much simplified. The popes grant indulgences for certain pious actions (praying the stations of the cross, lifting your heart to God during the day, reading the Scriptures each day…), but they no longer assign numbers of days. Rather, they are simply partial or full indulgences.

This means that they can help make reparation for our sins and those of the faithful who are now in purgatory. The Church doesn’t want us to think of salvation as a math problem that we can calculate and manipulate. And yet, the Church recognizes that our active love for God and neighbor can make a real positive impact on our souls and those of our brothers and sisters. Indulgences are simply one expression of this beautiful aspect of God’s plan for salvation.

Doctrine Options

And that brings us to the second clarification. Indulgences are not merely an expression of popular piety. Expressions of popular piety, like pilgrimages, novenas to saints, and prayer vigils, are encouraged by the Church insofar as they help some of us stay energetic in our pursuit of holiness. But they are entirely optional.

Even the Rosary (probably the most popular of all) is entirely optional, though it has been strongly recommended by every pope since the start of the twentieth century. Even approved Marian apparitions (Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe…) are not an integral part of the Catholic faith. No Catholic has to believe in them or be devoted to them. They belong to what is known as private revelations.

Whereas doctrines like the Resurrection of Christ and the Immaculate Conception are not optional. They are integral parts of Revelation, and knowingly rejecting them is a sin against faith. Indulgences are closer to this side of the spectrum; they are both a doctrine and a practice. In other words, believing in indulgences is not optional. It is taught by the teaching authority of the Church as a true doctrine, as integrally related to Revelation. So, even if some of us don’t like the doctrine and the practice, even if we don’t try to obtain them, we must accept the truth of indulgences as part of our faith.

In fact, an entire subsection of the Catechism is dedicated to explaining and praising this doctrine and practice. (I have reproduced it below, if you want to see it – #s 1471-1480).

The Heart of the Matter

Those were the easy items. Now comes the hard part. I am glad that our readers were so honest with their responses to this Q&A, because some of those responses raise an important issue.

The Catholic Church is, precisely, Catholic, i.e. universal. Within this spiritual family we find every possible type of personality and temperament, every single level of education and formation, and all existing cultural variations. This is part of the richness of what it means to be Catholic. And this richness has practical repercussions in the realm of piety, of expressions of faith.

Many native Mexicans, for example, make the last miles of their pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on their knees, painfully shuffling over concrete and stone as a sign of their devotion. Bosnian Catholics cherish their tradition of climbing Cross Mountain barefoot, as an act of penance. Now, all of us may not feel called to these kinds of faith-expressions, but we should all respect them.

We must try to guard our hearts against the temptation to judge others by the standard of our own limited perspective, our own personal preferences. This is precisely why we are so blessed to have a clear explanation of our faith in the Catechism, and a divinely guided teaching authority in the Church. Those are the standards by which we should strive to evaluate and judge what we experience and encounter.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that only God can see into the depths of the human heart. Only he knows which members of the lightening-fast-Rosary-group are raving hypocrites, and which are truly and beautifully praying.

When we are tempted to pass judgment on others, we should ask God to remind us that we are not called to judge, but to love, which can certainly involve sisterly correction and instruction, but never condemns one’s neighbor. As Jesus made so uncomfortably clear: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

X. INDULGENCES

1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.

What is an indulgence?

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.“81

“An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.“82 The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.83

The punishments of sin

1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.84

The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the “new man.“85

In the Communion of Saints

1474 The Christian who seeks to purify himself of his sin and to become holy with the help of God’s grace is not alone. “The life of each of God’s children is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical person.“86

1475 In the communion of saints, “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.“87 In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.

1476 We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church’s treasury, which is “not the sum total of the material goods which have accumulated during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the ‘treasury of the Church’ is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God. They were offered so that the whole of mankind could be set free from sin and attain communion with the Father. In Christ, the Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and merits of his Redemption exist and find their efficacy.“88

1477 “This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission in the unity of the Mystical Body.“89

Obtaining indulgence from God through the Church

1478 An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.90

1479 Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.

Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC, ThD