The Divine Mercy Cenacle (Prayer Group) meets every other Monday from 9:45-11:00 AM to thank and praise God and to discuss how to incorporate and live the Divine Mercy message in our daily lives. Join us!
Visit Our Facebook Page
By Katherine Acevedo
– Cenacle of Divine Mercy
The Sunday following Easter is a very special day for all Catholics since we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. When Jesus presented Himself on multiple occasions to Saint Faustina, a Polish nun; He instructed her to institute the Feast of His Mercy by teaching and spreading devotion to the Image and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy throughout His Church. In doing so, all souls could benefit from the promises that Jesus made for those who are devoted to it; unfortunately, many people are unaware of the great gifts this devotion brings.
It may come as a surprise to some Catholics, but Jesus promised to give those souls that celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday a total pardon of their sins. What a wonderful gift! Jesus told St. Faustina that "The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment."(Diary 699).
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a short but very powerful prayer that fills us with multiple graces not only in this life but especially and most importantly during our last moments. We can pray this chaplet at any time, but Jesus requested for it to be prayed at 3:00 pm, the hour of His death. “At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony…I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.” (Diary, 1320; also, cf. Diary, 1572) Jesus promised to those that venerate the Image of Divine Mercy the following: “I promise that the soul 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, 48)
Even if you think that your sins are so terrible that you cannot possibly go to confession and that those sins will keep you away from God, let me tell you are mistaken. Jesus wants everyone to ask for His Mercy and to trust Him completely. Jesus said to St. Faustina that “priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. 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…I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.” (Diary, 687). Ask yourselves, what is the point of having all this knowledge regarding God and our religion if we don’t trust Him and act according to our beliefs?
If you have ever prayed for a family member, a friend or another person who is separated from God and you fear for his or her salvation, there is good news! Jesus allows us, through the recitation of this Chaplet, to save others. “The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, my daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered.” (Diary, 1397). Jesus also promised that if we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy while standing next to another soul who is experiencing his or her last moments on Earth, then Jesus said that He will not come as Judge, but as a Merciful Savior for both the person that we are praying for and for ourselves as well.
The members of the Cenacle of Divine Mercy would like to encourage everyone to take advantage of the promises that Jesus made to St. Faustina and to join us in celebrating His Divine Mercy and spreading it throughout the world. Jesus requested (through St. Faustina) to do the Novena of Divine Mercy starting on Good Friday as a way to bring different populations to His Mercy. You can find the Novena and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at http://www.praymorenovenas.com/divine-mercy-novena. Let us not waste this amazing opportunity for forgiveness!
**Excerpts taken from the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, titled Divine Mercy in My Soul ©1987
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Pray the Divine Mercy Novena