Divine Mercy

(This is the talk I gave on Wednesday to my church's youth group, with Mario's helpful suggestions added in -- many thanks to him!)

Last Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter. It is the Feast of Mercy, requested by Jesus through Saint Faustina. It's purpose is to highlight the merciful love of God that's the whole point behind Easter -- and the Eucharist we celebrate at every Mass.



First, just a little bit about St. Faustina. She was a young, uneducated Polish nun who lived between 1905 and 1938. She was a modern woman -- not someone way back in ancient history. Jesus came to her in visions, and he gave her the prayers of the chaplet and urged her to share the message of Divine Mercy. She recorded all these things in her diary, and from then on she recited this form of prayer almost constantly, especially for the dying.



The Divine Mercy image is a painting St Faustina had commissioned that shows how Jesus appeared to her. It is an image of the Risen Lord, with rays of mercy coming from His heart. The red ray symbolizes blood and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The blue ray symbolizes water, Baptism, and the Holy Spirit. Both recall how when His side was pierced at the Crucifixion, blood and water flowed out, and we are redeemed by His merciful sacrifice for us.

Blessed Pope John Paul II said, "Right from the beginning of my ministry [...] I considered the message of Divine Mercy my special task." This Message of Divine Mercy is quite simple, but also an immense challenge -- Trust in Jesus, and be merciful as God your Father is merciful. "We are not only to receive the mercy of God, but to use it by being merciful to others" through the works of mercy (emphasis mine). As St. Paul said, "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). It does us no good to talk about Jesus all day long if we don't get out there and really live it.


What are the works of mercy? There are 14 -- 7 "corporal" (dealing with the body and physical life) and 7 "spiritual" (they deal with tending our souls and fostering eternal life).

Corporal Works
1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Comfort the prisoners
6. Visit the sick
7. Bury the dead

Spiritual Works
1. Teach the uninformed
2. Pray for the living and the dead
3. Correct sinners
4. Counsel those in doubt
5. Console the sorrowful
6. Bear wrongs patiently
7. Forgive wrongs willingly

Can anyone here give an example of when they did one of these works of mercy? Why did you do it?

All of this is integrally linked to the Divine Mercy Chaplet because in this devotion we beg God to have mercy on us and on the whole world, for we are all sinners. We're nothing without His mercy.

Now, let's pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

For more information on St. Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy, check out The Divine Mercy, a website maintained by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception.