Why do we need Divine Mercy Sunday?
“Your sins and my sins” is the short answer!
Mercy Sunday brings us Our Lord’s promise of an “ocean of graces” for souls, “especially for poor sinners,” and each of us as sinners most abundantly need the graces of the risen Christ to wash away those sins. Even those of us who are striving for holiness need deeper conversion and renewal. Sin is the problem, Divine Mercy is the answer. We would be foolish to ignore God’s gracious offer.
Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday :
In a decree dated August 3, 2002, the Apostolic Penitentiary announced that in order “to ensure that the faithful would observe this day (Divine Mercy Sunday) with intense devotion, the Supreme Pontiff himself established that this Sunday be enriched by a plenary indulgence…so that the faithful might receive in great abundance the gift of the consolation of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they can foster a growing love for God and for their neighbor, and after they have obtained God’s pardon, they in turn might be persuaded to show a prompt pardon to their brothers and sisters.”The plenary indulgence is granted (under the usual conditions of a sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and a prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on Divine Mercy Sunday, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, recite the Our Father and the Creed, and also adding a devout prayer (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!)
Our Lord Speaks:
“Whoever approaches the Fount and Confession of Life (Holy Communion) on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (Diary 300)
Our Lord Speaks:
“This feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy and it is confirmed in the vast depths of My tender mercies.” (Diary 420)... It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter... 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 and Confession of My mercy.” (Holy Communion) (Diary 699)
Our Lord Speaks:
“Make known to souls the great mercy that I have for them and to exhort them to trust in the bottomless depths of My mercy.” (Diary 1567)
The Lord Speaks:
“I desire that there be a Feast of Mercy. I want this image, which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy.” (Diary 49)
Pope John Paul II said in his canonization of Sister Faustina, “It is important that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the church, will be called Divine Mercy Sunday.”
The Pope said that this gift of mercy will be particularly needed in the third millennium. Mercy Sunday, as the main revelation that Jesus gave to St. Faustina, is the crowning of that gift of mercy for the whole world in our time.
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