From Fr. Mark-April 12, 2026

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER-

            SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY

WHAT IS DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY?

In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000.

  St. Maria Faustina Kowalska is the Polish religious sister whom our Lord chose to be his apostle of Divine Mercy to the world. She lived in Poland at the beginning of the 20th century and entered the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as a young woman.

        St. Faustina’s religious life consisted of humble, simple tasks, but she also had the grace of conversing with Jesus. Around the time of her first vows, Our Lord began to reveal to her the mystery of his mercy and gave her the special mission of spreading devotion to it. From the visions and conversations that St. Faustina had with Christ came the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the famous image of Jesus.

        He chose her to be the “secretary” of his mercy, to tell the world of his love and compassion. Guided by her spiritual director, St. Faustina recorded Christ’s messages in her diary. Divine Mercy in My Soul: The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska continues to be an impactful Catholic spiritual work today. St. Faustina was canonized by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.

Nevertheless, Divine Mercy Sunday is NOT a feast based solely on St. Faustina's revelations. Indeed, it is not primarily about St. Faustina — nor is it altogether a new feast. The Second Sunday of Easter was already a solemnity as the Octave Day of Easter. The title "Divine Mercy Sunday" does, however, highlight the meaning of the day.

We have seen the striking image of Jesus with red and white rays shining from his heart and the words “Jesus, I trust in You”. Divine Mercy centers upon God’s great love for us and the infinite compassion that flows from it. Jesus himself is the image of God’s Divine Mercy –– “the face of the Father’s mercy,” as Pope Francis wrote –– because Christ came to rescue us from the misery of our sinfulness. We are not perfect, and we never can be, but God does not leave us to struggle for it on our own. Instead, he sent Jesus, his Son, to bring about our reconciliation and redemption. Through Christ, God reveals that his mercy is greater than our individual sins and even than those of the entire world.

  Only God expresses love, compassion, and forgiveness to their utmost. This is why we say that God is love (see 1 John 4:8) –– his merciful love is his greatest attribute.

        God’s mercy is infinite, lasting from age to age without limit. One of the greatest parables in the Gospel is the story of the prodigal son. The father of the prodigal son welcomed his son’s return with great joy and every good thing in the same way that our merciful God receives repentant sinners. The Lord not only forgives us but also wants to reinstitute everything to us.

        What Does The Divine Mercy Image Mean? “I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world” (Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 47).

        The Divine Mercy image was painted under St. Faustina’s direction, depicting Christ as he appeared to her. In the picture, Jesus is dressed in white and luminous in appearance, and he is stepping forward ever so slightly as if to come closer to us. His right hand is raised in blessing while his left hand points towards his heart, from which two rays pour forth: one white or translucent and one red. These two rays represent the blood and water that flowed from His pierced side on the cross, as Jesus himself explained:

       "The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood, which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross” (Diary of St. Faustina, 299).

       This meaning parallels what took place in Scripture after Christ’s death on the Cross: “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:33-34).

      The two rays that stream from Christ also represent important sacraments: the red ray stands for the Eucharist (“the Blood which is the life of souls”), while the white ray stands for Baptism (“the Water which makes souls righteous”) and also Penance, which are sacraments of mercy. These three central sacraments offer us vital graces of sanctification and healing.

     Christ offers bounteous graces to those who venerate his image in the Divine Mercy: “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory” (Diary of St. Faustina, 48).

Why Is The Divine Mercy Devotion So Important? Through the revelation of Divine Mercy, Christ offers his peace to a dark and troubled world. Our human minds often focus on justice more than anything, but Jesus wants to extend his love and gentle compassion to other souls.

  The Divine Mercy is a devotion very close to the Lord’s heart (both literally and figuratively!) because it centers around God’s great love for us. Jesus told St. Faustina: “My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy. Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy” (Diary of St. Faustina, 300-301).

        Christ’s compassion is meant to change our hearts, too, as he leads us into his abundant love. He calls us to be missionaries of his mercy in a sinful and divided world. In the Gospel, he tells us, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

I hope you all had a BLESSED EASTER day! However we continue our celebration until the great feast of PENTECOST.

I want to thank our Sacristans who prepared and readied our Church throughout the Lenten Season, our Triduum celebrations and this Feast of Our Risen Lord, today, Easter Sunday and throughout our Easter Season.

Thanks to our musicians and choir, for the time they spent preparing for and being present at our Liturgies.