Grace Curtis
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As many of you may know, this past Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday. Although Catholics have been in awe of God’s mercy for centuries, a surge of devotion occurred when a little nun named Saint Faustina had some big things to tell the world. She kept a diary of her daily life as well as her conversations with Jesus. However, this wasn’t any ordinary prayer. Jesus appeared to her many times, preparing her to be an advocate for his unending mercy for the world. Eventually people started to listen to Faustina and spread the message Jesus gave her. In a busy world craving merciful unconditional love, God’s words were easily welcomed through Faustina. She described an image of Jesus in great detail, which was painted into the Divine Mercy image we all know and love today. Jesus’ sacrificial love and merciful blessings pour out of His heart through the red and white rays. His hand is raised in a sign of blessing, which welcomes us into His gentle presence. Often the image is captioned “Jesus, I trust in you” as a constant reminder to place our lives in His hand and following His example. Today the world is still a busy place full of people thirsting for love, and looking to Jesus in His words and this image equips us with the merciful waters of everlasting life to give to His people.
First, we need to understand how God’s mercy works. Mercy is freely-given forgiveness and compassion for a person who has sinned. Even when someone has hurt you personally and deeply, showing to mercy to them is a special gift of love and sets them free to do better. We all know God is love; therefore, God is the purest and perfect Mercy that we all need flooded into our hearts. Jesus, in His own words, speaks this truth plainly and Saint Faustina records it in her diary for all of us to hear.
“‘I am love and Mercy Itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted – it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it.’” (1273, page 459)
We all need God in our lives. He is more essential to us than anything else in the world, even more vital than air. However, my dear brothers and sisters, you simply cannot have God in your life unless you are merciful. The beautiful thing about humanity is we are all united in our need for forgiveness. Each and every one of us have hurt God in the most unimaginably terribly way. Yet He loves us so much that He sends His son to die a criminal’s death so that we may spend eternity with Him. This is the ultimate form of mercy, wiping away all the messiness and making things new and beautiful. When people tried to trick, humiliate, and walk away from Jesus, what did He do? Nothing less than showing them love and mercy. Now, that doesn’t mean He let people walk all over Him and such. Christ showed compassion for them by speaking truth and letting people walk away if they simply aren’t ready to handle God’s truth. This is the kind of life we are called to live. It is when pride and vengeance seep in that people push God out of their hearts. There is not enough room for hate and God to coincide within us. We cannot forget the roots of our humanity, where we all find mercy. At the cross every last bit of the Lord’s love and mercy pours out for us. We must be selfless with this gift and give it to everyone we encounter, no matter who they are. As we practice doing this, Christ turns our hearts closer to Him. If everyone can let mercy and love flow freely from their hearts, I can promise the world would be a more beautiful place.
“He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.” (390, page 175 of Saint Faustina’s diary).
Like Saint Faustina, you hold the power to spread God’s mercy in a unique way. Never forget the gifts God has given you, because He is crazy in love with you!
Your Sister in Christ
At the Cross - Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF-5aO2GYiY
Divine Mercy Chaplet - a form of prayer to bring God's mercy to the world
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php
First, we need to understand how God’s mercy works. Mercy is freely-given forgiveness and compassion for a person who has sinned. Even when someone has hurt you personally and deeply, showing to mercy to them is a special gift of love and sets them free to do better. We all know God is love; therefore, God is the purest and perfect Mercy that we all need flooded into our hearts. Jesus, in His own words, speaks this truth plainly and Saint Faustina records it in her diary for all of us to hear.
“‘I am love and Mercy Itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted – it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it.’” (1273, page 459)
We all need God in our lives. He is more essential to us than anything else in the world, even more vital than air. However, my dear brothers and sisters, you simply cannot have God in your life unless you are merciful. The beautiful thing about humanity is we are all united in our need for forgiveness. Each and every one of us have hurt God in the most unimaginably terribly way. Yet He loves us so much that He sends His son to die a criminal’s death so that we may spend eternity with Him. This is the ultimate form of mercy, wiping away all the messiness and making things new and beautiful. When people tried to trick, humiliate, and walk away from Jesus, what did He do? Nothing less than showing them love and mercy. Now, that doesn’t mean He let people walk all over Him and such. Christ showed compassion for them by speaking truth and letting people walk away if they simply aren’t ready to handle God’s truth. This is the kind of life we are called to live. It is when pride and vengeance seep in that people push God out of their hearts. There is not enough room for hate and God to coincide within us. We cannot forget the roots of our humanity, where we all find mercy. At the cross every last bit of the Lord’s love and mercy pours out for us. We must be selfless with this gift and give it to everyone we encounter, no matter who they are. As we practice doing this, Christ turns our hearts closer to Him. If everyone can let mercy and love flow freely from their hearts, I can promise the world would be a more beautiful place.
“He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.” (390, page 175 of Saint Faustina’s diary).
Like Saint Faustina, you hold the power to spread God’s mercy in a unique way. Never forget the gifts God has given you, because He is crazy in love with you!
Your Sister in Christ
At the Cross - Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF-5aO2GYiY
Divine Mercy Chaplet - a form of prayer to bring God's mercy to the world
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php