Newsletter for Sunday 23 April 2017

21 Apr

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. The feast originates from revelations of Our Lord to St Faustina, a Polish nun in the 1930s. Jesus asked on many occasions that a feast of Divine Mercy be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was a great promoter of this devotion, and originally it was celebrated only in Poland. But when he became Pope John Paul II, he extended this feast to the Universal Church. St Faustina kept a diary of the words Our Lord spoke to her. Concerning this Feast of Mercy, He said:

“Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (Diary 300)

“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. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.” (Diary 699)

What a wonderful promise! At all Masses this weekend, there will be the Solemn Blessing of the Divine Mercy image asked for by Our Lord, and as always, confessions are available so as all may reap the benefits of this wonderful feast.

Fr Paul Gillham

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