Talking Point by Archbishop Julian Porteous
IN the year 2000, as a new millennium was being ushered in, Pope John Paul II instituted the Feast of Divine Mercy, a feast to be celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter.
Clearly in the mind of the pope was the particular relevance of this feast and the devotion to the Divine Mercy for our times.
In fact Pope John Paul had commented, “Right from the beginning of my ministry in St Peter’s See in Rome I consider this message my special task. Providence has assigned it to me in the present situation of man, the Church and the world.”
The apparitions to St Faustina emphasised the mercy of God and urged people to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion today.
The Diary of Saint Faustina tells of the message concerning this day:
“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.” (Diary 699)
At a time when the practice of confession has fallen off among so many Catholics this call of Christ to discover grace of the sacrament is important.
Of course, the call to approach the Sacrament of Mercy on this feast day, should be an encouragement to use the sacrament regularly, at least monthly.
Devotion to the Divine Mercy may also be a providential act of God to help the Catholic people to return to this sacrament. The Lord wanted to link going to Confession with acts of mercy.
Just as the Lord taught his disciples that once receiving mercy we should show mercy ourselves, and as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer – forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us – so the mercy we taste in the confessional should move our hearts to express a generous mercy to others.
One expression of this desire to show mercy is to pray in intercession for the needs of the whole world. In the chaplet we pray,
“Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a powerful prayer.
Again we can refer to the words received by St Faustina,
“Whoever will recite it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. 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 want the whole world to know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My Mercy …” (Diary 687)
The world needs mercy.
Firstly the world needs the mercy of God.
Through the revelations to St Faustina the Lord Jesus is calling upon us to intercede for the world, crying out for mercy.
Secondly we need mercy.
We are sinners.
We cannot remain in our sins. We need to approach the Sacrament of Mercy, the confessional, and to do so regularly.
Thirdly, we need to be instruments of mercy to others. The injunction of the Lord in the Our Father must be our constant inspiration: we will forgive others, as we seek forgiveness ourselves.
Archbishop Julian Porteous is the Archbishop of Hobart.
Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on April 27.
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