Divine Mercy Sunday in the Year of Mercy

I became fascinated with Divine Mercy in 2014 when Pope John Paul II was canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday. I learned that he had died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday and that it was a poetic end for the Pope since he had a great devotion to Divine Mercy.

It was then that I began to read the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, who was a Polish nun who had many dialogues with Our Lord and who was entrusted with having an image made of Divine Mercy with the words Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus asked Faustina to have the image made and that it should be venerated on the Sunday after Easter. Jesus also asked Faustina to encourage priests to declare the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday in honor of God's merciful love.

Pope John Paul II was from Poland and had a devotion to Divine Mercy. When he canonized St. Faustina in 2002 on Divine Mercy Sunday he also established Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast day for the entire Church to celebrate.

Pope Francis has declared a Year of Mercy which began on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will end on November 20, 2016 (the Sunday dedicated to Christ the King). 

 

This year of Mercy started off filled with surprises and consolations for me. In honor of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, I drove down to Perryville, MO with a couple of my friends. We decided to make a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal that is located at St. Mary of the Barrens Catholic Church.

Our first consolation was to discover that a designated Holy Door would be opened that very day! One of the members of our party was renewing her consecration to Jesus through Mary this day and was thrilled to have this extra consolation. “I thought that I would have to wait for the Holy Door to be opened at the Basilica in St. Louis this Saturday before I could celebrate this Jubiliee year of Mercy with an indulgence, but one is here that will open today!”

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

We entered the gift shop to find out more details about the events of the day and to arrange a tour of the church. That was when I saw Mary. I have been looking for a statue of Mary for 5 years trying to find one all in white with maybe some gold trim, but no blue ribbon or blue mantle. This may sound strange to you since Mary is usually depicted with one of these items or both. I have had one dream about Our Lady and that took place on New Year's Eve 2010 that heralded New Year's Day 2011. She was all in white-a dazzling white and she was beautiful. She did not say a word to me but just encouraged me to hand a particular red rosary to a friend of mine. That dream made a lasting impression on me and I decided that I would not get a statue of Mary unless the statue looked like her image in my dream. There she was sitting among a few Christmas items blending in, but yet not really a part of the display. I walked around the store and looked to see if there were any other copies of that statue. None. I picked her up and saw the price tag on the bottom of the statue. I took the statue up to the register. “I would like to buy this statue.” “Let me see if I have one in stock.” the clerk said. She checked her register. She checked the tag. She checked the register. “Hmmm. I am not showing that we have these in our inventory.” I smiled. “That must mean that she is to come home with me. I will pay the price that is listed on the tag.” The clerk went to find the statue's box. She came back. “I hope this box will do. I can't find the box that she came in.” The statue of Mary did fit perfectly in the box. She now sits on my shelf of honor in my office looking over my shoulder.  The statue of Mary was my consolation.

We toured the church. Two of us in our party had visited the National Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, but we both enjoyed hearing about the beginning of the church and how it became a shrine. The friend in our party, who was visiting the Shrine for the first time found great consolation in the whole trip especially being able to pray in the beautiful chapel dedicated to the Miraculous Medal and then to tour the grounds on a spring like day in December.

  Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

We attended the ceremony for the opening of the Holy Door to begin the Year of Mercy. I enjoyed the fact that the Holy Door led into the Votive Chapel where all the candle lights are lit for prayer requests. We walked through the Holy Door and attended the Mass that happened right after the ceremony. What a way to begin the Year of Mercy!!!

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

 

I have been following Fr. Michael Gaitley's book 33 Days to Merciful Love in preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy. I thought why not consecrate myself to Divine Mercy in the Year of Mercy? It has already started out as a year of great consolation and joy. I look forward to this new adventure and how it will draw me closer in my relationship with God, who is Merciful and who is Mercy.

For the sake of his sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.

St. Faustina, pray for us! St. John Paul II, pray for us!