Divine Mercy (Catholic devotion)

Last updated

The Divine Mercy is a Catholic devotion to the mercy of God associated with the reported apparitions of Jesus to Faustina Kowalska. [1]

Contents

The Divine Mercy devotion is composed of several practices such as the Divine Mercy Sunday, the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy or the Divine Mercy image, which Kowalska describes in her diary as "God's loving mercy" towards all people, especially for sinners. [2] [3] According to Kowalska's writings, this devotion and practices were asked by Jesus Christ himself during his reported apparitions.

Kowalska was granted the title "Secretary of Mercy" by the Holy See in the Jubilee Year of 2000. [4] [5] [6]

Devotion

In February 1931, in Płock, Faustina Kowalska had visions of Jesus who tasked her with spreading a devotion to his Divine Mercy. [7] Kowalska reported a number of apparitions which she described in her 1934–1938 diary, later published as the book Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul . [5] [6] The two main themes of the devotion are to trust in Christ's endless goodness, and to show mercy to others acting as a conduit for God's love towards them. [5] [8]

The primary focus of the Divine Mercy devotion is the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one's own heart towards those in need of it. [2] As he dedicated the Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Pope John Paul II referred to this when he said: "Apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for humankind". [9] There are seven main forms of this devotion:

  1. The Divine Mercy image with the specific inscription Jesus, I trust in You; [6]
  2. The commemoration of the Feast of the Divine Mercy Sunday [10]
  3. The recitation of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
  4. The recitation of the Divine Mercy novena
  5. The designation of the Hour of Mercy at 3:00 a.m. or p.m.
  6. Spreading mercy by word, deed, or prayer
  7. The spreading of works of mercy to the whole humanity, in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ to Earth

Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God.

— Words attributed to Jesus by Kowalska in her diary. [11] [12]

As in the prayers that form the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, there are three main themes to the Divine Mercy devotion: to ask for and obtain the mercy of God, to trust in Christ's abundant mercy, and finally to show mercy to others and act as a conduit for God's mercy towards them. [5] [8]

The first and second elements relate to the signature "Jesus I trust in You" on the Divine Mercy image and Kowalska stated that on 28 April 1935, the day the first Divine Mercy Sunday was celebrated, Jesus told her: "Every soul believing and trusting in My Mercy will obtain it." [13]

The third component is reflected in the statement "Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners" attributed to Jesus in Kowalska's diary (Notebook I, items 186–187). [14] This statement is followed in the diary by a specific short prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You." which Kowalska also recommended for the Hour of Divine Mercy. [14] [15] In her diary (Notebook II, item 742) Kowalska wrote that Jesus told her: "I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me." and that he explained that there are three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. [11] Kowalska's diary contain also a litany of Divine Mercy (Diary 949). [16]

The Divine Mercy devotion views mercy as the key element in the plan of God for salvation and emphasizes the belief that it was through mercy that God gave his only son for the redemption of humankind, after the fall of Adam. [17] The opening prayer for Divine Mercy Sunday Mass refers to this and begins: "Heavenly Father and God of Mercy, We no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for He is alive and has become the Lord of Life". [17]

In 1959, the Vatican banned the image and devotion to it because of a number of factors. Some Polish bishops questioned Kowalska's claims and were uncomfortable with the image's similarity to the red-and-white Polish flag. [18] Polish priests were reported to be interpreting the rays as a symbol of the flag. [19] The ban on devotion was lifted on 15 April 1978, due to pressure from future Polish pope Karol Wojtyła, who had great interest in Kowalska. [18] In 1987, American filmmaker Hermann D. Tauchert co-wrote, produced, and directed the film Divine Mercy: No Escape , which depicted the life of Kowalska. [20]

Image

Painting depicting the apparition of the Merciful Jesus to Saint Faustina Divinemercy1.jpg
Painting depicting the apparition of the Merciful Jesus to Saint Faustina

Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You... I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. [21]

In the image, Jesus stands with one hand outstretched in blessing, the other clutching the side wounded by the spear, from which proceed beams of falling light, coloured red and white. An explanation of these colors was given by Kowalska, which she attributed to Jesus in her diary: "The two rays represent blood and water". [22] These colors of the rays refer to the "blood and water'" of the Gospel of John (John 19:34) which are also mentioned in the optional prayer of the Chaplet. The words "Jesus I Trust in Thee" usually accompany the image (Jezu Ufam Tobie in Polish).

The original Divine Mercy image was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in Vilnius in 1934 under Kowalska's direction. [23] However, according to her diary, she cried upon seeing that the finished picture was not as beautiful as the vision she had received, but Jesus comforted her saying, "Not in the beauty of the colour, nor of the brush is the greatness of this image, but in My grace". [21] The picture was widely used during the early years of the devotion, and is still in circulation within the movement, but the image painted by Adolf Hyla image remains one of the most reproduced renderings. [6] Hyla painted the image in thanksgiving for having survived World War II.

After the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday was granted to the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on 30 April 2000, new versions of the image have emerged from a new generation of Catholic artists. [24]

Feast day

The Feast of the Divine Mercy Sunday on 1 May 2011 in Rome, during the Beatification of Pope John Paul II Beatification of John Paul II (1).jpg
The Feast of the Divine Mercy Sunday on 1 May 2011 in Rome, during the Beatification of Pope John Paul II

The feast of Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted by Pope John Paul II and is celebrated the Sunday after Easter on the General Roman Calendar, and is associated with specific indulgences. [5] [10] [26]

In an entry in her diary, Kowalska stated that anyone who participates in the Mass and receives the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist on this day is assured by Jesus of full remission of their sins and punishments. [10] [27]

Chaplet

According to Kowalska's writings (Diary 476), the Chaplet of Divine Mercy prayers and structure was dictated to her directly by Jesus on 14 September 1935, as she entered a chapel in Vilnius. The day before, she had a vision of an angel of divine wrath and the Holy Trinity to show her the power of the prayers that make up the chaplet (Diary 474-475). [28] [29] [30] [31]

Faustina wrote that Jesus promised that whoever prays this chaplet will receive great mercy during their lifetime, but especially at the hour of death. These graces can also be obtained by the dying by whose bedside others will say this prayer. Kowalska also stated that Jesus promised that anything can be obtained through this chaplet if it is compatible with his will. [32]

The chaplet is prayed on an ordinary rosary, though according to the Congregation, the chaplet should not be prayed the same way as the rosary and recited as Jesus dictated it without without interruption and change in the prayers. [28]

Daily devotions

In her diary Kowalska wrote that Jesus specified 3:00 p.m. each day as the hour at which mercy was best received, and asked her to pray the Chaplet of Mercy and venerate the Divine Mercy image at that hour. [33] [34] On 10 October 1937, in her diary (Notebook V, item 1320) Kowalska attributed the following statement to Jesus:

As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it, invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners, for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. [35]

The time of 3:00 p.m. corresponds to the hour at which Jesus died on the cross. [34] This hour is called the "hour of Divine Mercy" or the "hour of great mercy". [33]

Orders and institutions

A number of Christian orders and institutions are devoted to the Divine Mercy. The John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy is managed by the Congregation of Marian Fathers, which takes an active role in promoting the Divine Mercy message.

The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, to which Kowalska belonged, and the Congregation of Sisters of Merciful Jesus, established by Michał Sopoćko on the request of Christ reported by Kowalska, also have a very important role in spreading the devotion.

The World Apostolic Congress on Mercy takes place every third year in various cities of the world. [11] [36] [37] Continental congresses on Mercy also take place. [38]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Holy Wounds</span> Wounds inflicted on Jesus during the crucifixion

In Catholic tradition, the Five Holy Wounds, also known as the Five Sacred Wounds or the Five Precious Wounds, are the five piercing wounds that Jesus Christ suffered during his crucifixion. The wounds have been the focus of particular devotions, especially in the late Middle Ages, and have often been reflected in church music and art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divine Mercy Sunday</span> Catholic feast day

Divine Mercy Sunday is a feast day that is observed in the Roman Rite calendar, as well as some Anglo-Catholics of the Church of England. It is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, which concludes the Octave of Easter. It is originally based on the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy that Faustina Kowalska reported as part of her visions of Jesus, and is associated with special promises from Jesus and indulgences issued by the Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divine Mercy image</span> Depiction of Jesus Christ

The image of the Divine Mercy is a depiction of Jesus Christ that is based on the Divine Mercy devotion initiated by Faustina Kowalska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaplet of the Divine Mercy</span> Catholic devotion

The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, also called the Divine Mercy Chaplet, is a Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy, based on the Christological apparitions of Jesus reported by Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938), known as "the Apostle of Mercy". She was a Polish religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and canonized as a Catholic saint in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic devotions</span> Catholic traditions

Catholic devotions are particular customs, rituals, and practices of worship of God or honour of the saints which are in addition to the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes devotions as "expressions of love and fidelity that arise from the intersection of one's own faith, culture and the Gospel of Jesus Christ". Devotions are not considered part of liturgical worship, even if they are performed in a church or led by a priest, but rather they are paraliturgical. The Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican publishes a Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Hour</span> Roman Catholic devotional tradition

Holy Hour is the Roman Catholic devotional tradition of spending an hour in prayer and meditation on the agony of Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, or in Eucharistic adoration in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. A plenary indulgence is granted for this practice. The practice is also observed in some Lutheran churches and some Anglican churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaplet of Saint Michael</span> Catholic chaplet

The Chaplet of Saint Michael the Archangel, also called the Rosary of the Angels, is a chaplet approved by Pope Pius IX in 1851.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosary-based prayers</span> Christian prayers that use rosary beads

Rosary-based prayers are Christian prayers recited on a set of rosary beads, among other cords. These prayers recite specific word sequences on the beads that make up the different sections. They may be directed to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary or God the Father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic devotions to Jesus</span>

The Roman Catholic tradition includes a number of devotions to Jesus Christ. Like all Catholic devotions, these prayer forms are not part of the official public liturgy of the church but are based on the popular spiritual practices of Roman Catholics. Many are officially approved by the Holy See as suitable for spiritual growth but not necessary for salvation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic prayers to Jesus</span> List of Catholic prayers to Jesus

A number of prayers to Jesus Christ exist within the Roman Catholic tradition. These prayers have diverse origins and forms. Some were attributed to visions of saints, others were handed down by tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows</span> Rosary-based Christian prayer

The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, also known as the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows or the Servite Rosary, is a Rosary based prayer that originated with the Servite Order. It is often said in connection with the Seven Dolours of Mary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faustina Kowalska</span> Nun and saint from Poland

Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, OLM was a Polish Catholic religious sister and mystic. Faustyna, popularly spelled "Faustina", had apparitions of Jesus Christ which inspired the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy, therefore she is sometimes called the "secretary" of Divine Mercy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divine Mercy Sanctuary, Kraków</span> Church building in Kraków, Poland

The Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Kraków, Poland, is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to the devotion of the Divine Mercy, and is the resting place of Saint Faustina Kowalska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy, Vilnius</span>

The Divine Mercy Sanctuary of Vilnius or the Holy Trinity Church is a shrine in Vilnius dedicated to the Divine Mercy, a devotion originated by Faustina Kowalska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Płock)</span> Roman Catholic chapel

The Divine Mercy Sanctuary is a Roman Catholic chapel, in Poland, dedicated to the Divine Mercy devotion, originated by Faustina Kowalska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michał Sopoćko</span> 20th-century Catholic priest

Michael Sopoćko was a Polish Catholic priest and professor at Vilnius University. He is best known as the spiritual director of Faustina Kowalska. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugeniusz Kazimirowski</span> Polish artist (1873–1939)

Eugeniusz Marcin Kazimirowski was a Polish painter, and member of the realism movement. He is best known for the first depiction of the Divine Mercy image in 1934, based on a request from Faustyna Kowalska and her confessor Michael Sopoćko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolf Hyła</span> Polish painter and art teacher

Adolf Hyła was a Polish painter and art teacher. He is known for painting the most popular version of the "Divine Mercy image" in 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Józef Andrasz</span>

Józef Andrasz was a Polish Roman Catholic priest, writer, translator and editor. A member of the Society of Jesus, he was a confessor of Faustina Kowalska.

Divine Mercy in Song is a project of Trish Short, founder of the nonprofit organization Artists for Life. After composing a contemporary version of the Divine Mercy prayer, her song became widely used for this rosary prayer.

References

  1. ↑ Vatican.Va: July 8, 2004 Catholic-Jewish Joint Declaration
  2. 1 2 Ann Ball, 2003 Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices ISBN   0-87973-910-X page 175
  3. ↑ "Loving Mercy". Sed Contra. Archived from the original on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  4. ↑ (The Diaries of Saint Faustina Kowalska: Diary 965, 1160, 1605, 1693)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Saints of the Jubilee by Tim Drake 2002 ISBN   978-1-4033-1009-5 pages 85–95
  6. 1 2 3 4 Butler's lives of the saints: the third millennium by Paul Burns, Alban Butler 2001 ISBN   978-0-86012-383-5 page 252
  7. ↑ New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 8: Jud-Lyo. Gale. 2003. p. 245. ISBN   0-7876-4012-3.
  8. 1 2 EWTN on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
  9. ↑ Vatican website dedication of the Shrine of Divine Mercy, August 2002
  10. 1 2 3 A Divine Mercy Resource by Richard Torretto 2010 ISBN   1-4502-3236-1 pages 187–190
  11. 1 2 3 Mercies Remembered by Matthew R Mauriello 2011 ISBN   1-61215-005-5 page 149-160
  12. ↑ Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Faustina Kowalska 2003 ISBN   1-59614-110-7 Notebok 1, item 301 "Divine Mercy in My Soul". Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  13. ↑ Catherine M. Odell, 1998, Faustina: Apostle of Divine Mercy OSV Press ISBN   978-0-87973-923-2 page 105
  14. 1 2 A Divine Mercy Resource by Richard Torretto 2010 ISBN   1-4502-3236-1 pages 137–140
  15. ↑ Mercies Remembered by Matthew R Mauriello 2011 ISBN   1-61215-005-5 page 326
  16. ↑ St. Faustina Kowalska Diary - Divine Mercy in My Soul - 949
  17. 1 2 A Divine Mercy Resource by Richard Torretto 2010 ISBN   1-4502-3236-1 pages 58–59
  18. 1 2 Allen, John L. Jr. (28 April 2011), "Beatification Q&A #4: What's the Divine Mercy connection?", National Catholic Reporter
  19. ↑ [Development of the Worship of Divine Mercy in Poland and Abroad, Bishop Pawel Socha, Peregrinis Cracoviensis 11, 2001]
  20. ↑ "30th Anniversary of 'Divine Mercy: No Escape'". The Divine Mercy. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  21. 1 2 "The One True Image". Archived from the original on 11 April 2011.
  22. ↑ Canonization Homily of Pope John Paul II
  23. ↑ Skjoldli, Jane (2021). World Youth Day: Religious Interaction at a Catholic Festival (Critical Studies in Religion/Religionswissenschaft, 14). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 210. ISBN   978-3525554555.
  24. ↑ "Regina Coeli, 30 April 2000 - John Paul II". Archived from the original on 24 February 2015.
  25. ↑ Daily Telegraph 1 May 2011
  26. ↑ Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on Divine Mercy Indulgences, 29 June 2002, at the Vatican web site Archived 19 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ↑ EWTN on the Divine Mercy Novena
  28. 1 2 "Chaplet of the Divine Mercy | Mercy - Saint Faustina - Diary - Jesus, I trust in You - Congregation" . Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy | EWTN". EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "Chaplet of Divine Mercy | EWTN". EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  31. ↑ CNA. "Divine Mercy Chaplet". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "14 Amazing Promises Jesus Made to Those Who Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet". ChurchPOP. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  33. 1 2 Catherine M. Odell, 1998, Faustina: Apostle of Divine Mercy OSV Press ISBN   978-0-87973-923-2 page 137
  34. 1 2 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Faustina Kowalska by John J. Cleary 2010 ISBN   1-56548-350-2 page 75
  35. ↑ EWTN on the Hour of Mercy
  36. ↑ "ZENIT - Benedict XVI Inaugurates 1st Mercy Congress". Archived from the original on 7 April 2008.
  37. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 April 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  38. ↑ Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy [usurped]

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.