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Each
year, on the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates the Sunday
of Divine Mercy. In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to a humble Polish nun,
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. As Jesus continued to appear to St.
Faustina, she recorded His messages in her Diary.
On one such occasion, Jesus said to St. Faustina, “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” (Diary, no. 699).
When
recalling our sins, we may feel discouraged or fearful of approaching
God; however, we can cling to the truth that Christ's Passion on the
Cross did not end in death, but in the joy of the Resurrection. The
miracle of Easter gives us the courage to face our sins, confess our
mistakes, and then humbly receive God's forgiveness and accept the joy
that comes with new life in Christ. In His infinite love for us, God
desires nothing more than to wash away our sins and offer us His mercy.
He has a prepared place in His merciful heart for each of us, and no sin
is bigger than His power to forgive.
No matter how we have fallen, the Resurrection of Christ is an assurance of hope.
Christ’s mercy is constantly available to us, if only we reach out to
Him in faith and confidence through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The
words Christ revealed to St. Faustina, He also speaks to us: “Lay your head on my shoulder, rest and regain your strength. I am always with you” (Diary, no. 498).
Excerpts from Kowalska, Maria Faustina. Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press, 2000. Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.
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