It was the Sunday after Easter 14 years ago that Pope John Paul II canonized an obscure polish nun named Sr. Faustina Kowalska. It was on that day John Paul II also designated the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. Three years ago on Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope John Paul II was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI. And this morning in Rome, Pope Francis celebrated his canonization, along with the canonization of another 20th century Pope, good Pope John XXIII.
He was called “good Pope John” because he was beloved by the Italian people; he was dearly affectionate and had a good sense of humor. He was once asked by an interviewer, “Holy Father, about how many people work in the Vatican”. To which the Pope responded, “about half of them.”
The phrase “Santo Subito” – sainthood now, was chanted by millions at both of their funerals. Now we can officially call them Saint John Paul II and Saint John XXIII.
What a fitting day to celebrate their canonization on this Divine Mercy Sunday, for both Pontiffs made it their mission to make God’s Mercy known to the world.
Divine Mercy is not a new concept. The message of God’s Mercy has been preached for almost two thousand years. It is the message of the Christian faith. God’s mercy is available to everyone. We are loved even when we are unlovable because of our sins—no matter how sinful, God extends his mercy to all through the death and resurrection of His Only Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pope Benedict said, Jesus Christ is divine mercy in person: Encountering Christ means encountering the mercy of God. Jesus willingly gave himself up to death so that we might be saved and pass from death to life. Mercy has a name, mercy has a face, mercy has a heart.
Thomas Merton said, “Mercy is the key to transforming a whole world in which sin seems to have sway.”
Each of us know all too well, that within five minutes of the nightly news you are going to see evidence of sin having its sway in the world. Hatred, violence, war and the threat of war are all present realities. Sin and immorality even in our own families. Evil laughs as it destroys life.
The Lord Himself appeared to Sister Faustina Kowalska and said, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.”
Again to quote Thomas Merton, “Mercy is the key” to the world’s transformation. Jesus Christ is the key. He is the remedy. He is the light in the darkness.
So many people in our time are searching for God, they are searching for Jesus and His Bride, the Church, they are in search of divine mercy: the yearn to hear the words Jesus spoke to the sinful woman, “your sins are forgiven, now go, and do not sin again.”
While kneeling at the Shrine of Our Lady of Chestehova – the Blessed Mother spoke to Sister Faustina, telling her to speak courageously about God’s mercy. Speak courageously, tell the world, make the message of Mercy known! But it’s not just for little Polish nuns to speak about God’s mercy; it is the task of every Christian: to draw our family members and our neighbors and all mankind to the fountain of God’s mercy that they may have life.
In order to be faithful to this task, our conviction that Jesus Christ is the key to the salvation of the world must be for more than an hour once a week.
One way the Church encourages us to increase and strengthen our faith is through the praying of devotions. In the devotions we have a rich tradition of powerful prayers which strengthen our faith and bring us comfort in difficult times. Devotions like the rosary, the stations of the cross, a wonderful host of novenas and litanies, visiting shrines, visiting the blessed sacrament throughout the day. Here at St. Angela’s we practice a wonderful devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help on first Saturdays after the morning Mass.
Unfortunately, in recent years, the rich devotional life of the Church has suffered as rosaries were exchanged for cell phones and trips to the tabernacle were exchanged for trips to the gym or sports fields. But it doesn’t have to be so.
Both John XXII and Pope John II encouraged devotions for the sanctification and salvation of the world. John XXIII recalled how as a young boy his family would often pray a litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. Together with his parents he would pray, “Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us… Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us. Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.”
John Paul II, in addition to encouraging the praying of the rosary, promoted a devotion called the “Chaplet of Divine Mercy”. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was given to Saint Faustina by Our Lord Himself. Jesus appeared to her and said, “My daughter, encourage souls to pray the chaplet I gave you…help me save souls.”
As she lay dying of tuberculosis, she began to pray the chaplet. And while praying the chaplet, she received a vision: she saw herself at the death bed of another soul, an unrepentant sinner who lay in torment. While the sinner lay dying, a host of demons surrounded him waiting to take his soul to hell. But, she continued to pray the words of the chaplet of divine mercy: “for the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”. Soon the dying man became calm, repentance for his sins filled his heart. He was comforted by putting his trust in God’s mercy which came through Faustina’s praying of the Chaplet for him.
So many people have hardened their hearts towards God. They live in habitual sin with no desire to amend their lives. It is so important that we pray for them, that they will open up their hearts enough to let in the flood of Divine Mercy God wants for them.
With all the hatred, war, violence, and bigotry, the world is in great need of God’s mercy. And now, more than ever, Christians need to be those instruments of mercy, through prayer, and through concrete acts of love.
Divine Mercy- God’s love, to quote Pope Benedict, “is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working.” Through the intercession of Saint John Paul II and Saint John XIII may we, like them, be instruments of God’s mercy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
No comments:
Post a Comment