“Divine Mercy in My Soul” is the title of St. Marie Faustina Kowalska’s diary. After writing about 684 pages about her life and life with Jesus, at Jesus’ command, those words were all she
needed to say to sum it up. I am part of a Divine Mercy Prayer Group. When someone is sick, dying or recently departed, we pass along their name and we pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for
them. It used to be mostly people we know. Now when I pray Last Rites with someone I’ve never met, I’m moved to ask to pray for Divine Mercy on them.. When I sense someone has been away from the Church, from Mass or an active prayer life, I am compelled that I MUST pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for them. Monday morning when I heard our holy father Pope Francis had passed, my first thought was we should pray the Chaplet for him: whom we loved. “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.” (p. 687) “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (p. 754) “When they say this
chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and them, not as a just Judge but as a merciful Savior.” (p. 1541) These are only some the words Our Lord told St. Faustina of this prayer He Himself gave us. What a compliment to Jesus to know how we all need His mercy, ask for mercy and trust His mercy.
       I’m still reflecting on Holy Week, as we should. Once again I am changed. How we can understand Jesus’ Paschal Mystery more and so enter into the Mystery of His Life, Death and Resurrection in our life? How does the Lord desire us to bring together “Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper”, “Good Friday of Our Lord’s Passion” and “Easter Sunday of Our Lord’s Resurrection” in our relationship with Him? Dare I say, isn’t Divine Mercy something of an answer? Jesus’ did ask us to celebrate the Feast of His Divine Mercy the Sunday after His Resurrection. 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.” We offer the Father the Sacrifice of His Son in the Mass on behalf of the whole world. We ask the Father with each rosary bead “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Humbled by Jesus’ forgiveness on Good Friday, we rejoice in Him at His Resurrection, so we can receive the Gift of Himself He gave at the Last Supper in the Mass.