Divine Mercy Sunday like a second baptism

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Divine Mercy Sunday Graces Are Like a Second Baptism for Your Soul

By Michelle Laque Johnson

The graces of Divine Mercy Sunday are so extraordinary that every Catholic should take full advantage of them, especially since Jesus made them so easy to obtain. Many of us have heard that Jesus told St. Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, that anyone who goes to confession beforehand and receives Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday “shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishmentâ€￾ (Diary 699). But in an appendix to her must-read just published book, “Day by Day With Saint Faustina,â€￾ Author Susan Tassone has compiled a list of ALL of the Divine Mercy promises Jesus gave to the world and which are recounted in the voluminous “Diary of St. Faustina,â€￾ http://bit.ly/FaustinaBookDVD.

Simply by venerating the image of Divine Mercy, by saying the Chaplet, or by imploring the Lord’s Mercy at three o’clock, untold graces are showered upon us. Here’s just one of those many promises, which Tassone lists on pages 401 to 405 in her amazing book, http://bit.ly/StFaustinaTassone. “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the merciful Savior. … Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.â€￾ (Diary, 1075).

Doesn’t knowing that make you love and trust Our Precious Lord Jesus even more – and that’s the whole point of Divine Mercy! Jesus WANTS us to trust Him. He wants to give us extraordinary graces – and He asks so little in return. (For more Divine Mercy items, please go to http://bit.ly/DivineMercyEWTNRC.)

So what must we do to receive these signal graces on Divine Mercy Sunday itself? Below, we list the simple requirements followed by a list all of the incredible programs that EWTN offers in the coming week to help you both celebrate and fully understand the meaning of Divine Mercy Sunday.

WHAT MUST I DO TO OBTAIN THE GRACES OUR LORD PROMISED ON DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY?

According to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Jesus told St. Faustina: “’On that day [Divine Mercy Sunday] the very depths of My tender mercy are open. The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment’â€￾ (Diary 699). The Marian Fathers also advise us that we should receive Holy Communion on that day with great trust in God’s Mercy.

The Marian Fathers also say that: “The theologian who examined St. Faustina's writings for the Holy See, Rev. Ignacy Rozycki, explained that this is the promise of a complete renewal of baptismal grace, and in that sense [is] like a "second Baptism…â€￾

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO ON DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY TO SHOW JESUS HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM?

Are there other things we can do? Of course! We, who are newly baptized after receiving Communion in a state of grace and with great trust in Jesus’ mercy, might consider saying a Chaplet of Divine Mercy before an image of the Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. and praying, with our newly cleansed souls, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and for others in our family. However, we can’t give the graces Jesus gives us on Divine Mercy Sunday to anyone else. They are for you and me alone. (However, you CAN get great graces for someone else simply by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy anytime of the year. This is especially important for someone who is dying. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/DMSickDying.)

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MY LOVED ONES WHO ARE NOT PARTICIPATING?

The Marian Fathers make it clear that we should not confuse the extraordinary graces given to the faithful on Divine Mercy Sunday with the plenary indulgence granted by Pope John Paul II on that same day. To get the graces of the Divine Mercy promise, you only need to go to Communion in a state of grace trusting in the Mercy of Jesus. The indulgence, which CAN be given to someone else, requires a bit more effort:

"A plenary indulgence, granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in You!)..."

WHAT SHOWS WILL EWTN AIR ON DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY?

We’re so glad you asked! Here’s the extraordinary lineup:

Sunday, April 28: All events Eastern Time

10:00 a.m. (Live) Divine Mercy Celebration from Vilnius Lithuania (1 hour)
12:00 p.m. (Live) Divine Mercy Preview Show from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA. with Fr. Joseph Roesch, MIC, and Father Chris
Alar, MIC. Guests include Father Donald Calloway, MIC; Teresa Tomeo, Catholic Connection/Catholic View for Women, and many others. (1 hour with an encore at midnight ET.)

01:00 p.m. (Live) Mass and Celebration of Divine Mercy from Stockbridge, MA. (2 hours 30 min. Encores at 1 a.m. ET, Monday, April 29.)
04:00 p.m. (Live) Divine Mercy Holy Hour from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL. (1 hour with an encore at 7 a.m. ET, Monday, April 29.)
05:30 p.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy from the chapel of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy.
06:00 p.m. The Original Image of Divine Mercy – The Untold Story of an Unknown Masterpiece: A look at the history of the original image of Divine Mercy from the
events that led to its creation under St. Faustina’s guidance to its current place in the Cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania. (2 hours)

10:00 p.m. The Face of Mercy – A documentary on the origins of the Divine Mercy devotion and the personal impact it has had on the lives of several Catholics. (1 hour.
Encores at 5 a.m. ET, Thursday, May 2, and 2 p.m. ET, Friday, May 3.)

RELATED PROGRAMS:

Reminders of God’s Love: The Sacred Heart and The Divine Mercy: Father Mitch Pacwa expounds upon the Divine Mercy and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Airs 4 a.m. ET, Monday, April 29.)
The God of Mercy: Five-part mini-series with Fr. Bala Udumala discusses the life of St. Faustina, the Divine Mercy image, the feast, the chaplet, the hour of mercy and much more. (30 minute episodes air 5:30 p.m. ET, Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26 and the following day at 2:30 a.m. ET.)
Divine Mercy – The Canonization of John Paul II: Newt and Callista Gingrich, along with a cast of scholars, witnesses, and pilgrims, share their experiences of the canonization of Pope John Paul II and reflect on his legacy. (30 minute episode airs 3 a.m. ET, Thursday, April 25, and 10 p.m. ET, Friday, April 26.)