GOD'S MERCY IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY FATHER SAINT JOHN PAUL II
The truth about God's mercy, which was the central motif of John Paul II's pontificate, appeared in his teaching at the beginning of his pontificate in the Encyclical Dives in misericordia (God Rich in Mercy - 1980). The papal document is - alongside the Encyclicals Redemptor hominis (Redeemer of man - 1979) and Dominum et vivificantem (The Lord, the giver of life - 1986) - part of a great dogmatic trilogy in which the Pope speaks to modern man about God revealing himself to man as the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mercy is the key to understanding the mystery of God and man. It characterizes God revealed to man in the history of salvation. It is the central theme of Christ's teaching and is fully revealed in the mystery of salvation, in his death and resurrection. Mercy is also a special opportunity for man, because through it he can experience the closeness of God who is merciful.
During the beatification of Sister Faustina Kowalska, on the second Sunday of Easter, April 18, 1993 in Rome, John Paul II emphasized that the mystery of Divine Mercy, which God reminded the whole world through a humble nun from Poland, is "a prophetic cry to the world". For all mankind, tired of terrible wars, the message of mercy has become a sign of hope, pointing to the presence of God who gives love and the possibility of spiritual rebirth.
The canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000 in Rome had a special meaning, because through this act John Paul II conveyed the message of mercy to the whole world as a bridge linking the second millennium of Christianity with the new century. He also recalled that God's mercy is an extraordinary chance for regeneration for all mankind: "Humanity will not find peace until it turns to God's Mercy" (cf. Diary 699). The message of mercy allows us to reread the Gospel of God's mercy, in the light of which man not only experiences mercy by accepting it from God but is also able to share mercy with others (cf. DM 14).
John Paul II announced the second Easter Sunday as Divine Mercy Sunday, stressing that mercy is a chance to get to know "the true face of God and the true face of man". The message of mercy reminds the world of the dignity and worth of every person for whom Christ gave his life.
John Paul II during the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska clearly emphasized that the message of mercy proclaimed constantly by the Church and recalled thanks to the revelations of St. Faustina, becomes today a part of the experience of a man lost among various ideologies and currents of thought at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. In the mystery of God's mercy, a Christian finds the true face of God close to man and the true face of a man who needs mercy and is ready to show mercy. The Holy Father returned to this thought many times when he argued with the "theology of God's death" or when he showed the errors of modern totalitarianisms that try to remove God from human history.
When consecrating the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, John Paul II once again emphasized that the modern world needs God's mercy and set the Church the task of bringing its mystery to the world: “Today, therefore, in this Shrine, I wish solemnly to entrust the world to Divine Mercy. I do so with the burning desire that the message of God’s merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known to all the people of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. May this message radiate from this place to our beloved homeland and throughout the world. May the binding promise of the Lord Jesus be fulfilled: from here there must go forth "the spark which will prepare the world for his final coming" (cf. Diary, 1732).
This spark needs to be lighted by the grace of God. This fire of mercy needs to be passed on to the world. In the mercy of God, the world will find peace and mankind will find happiness! I entrust this task to you, dear Brothers and Sisters, to the Church in Kraków and Poland, and to all the votaries of Divine Mercy who will come here from Poland and from throughout the world. May you be witnesses to mercy!” (Homily, Krakow 2002)
The theme of God's mercy appeared in the teaching of Saint John Paul II again in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, published on the threshold of the third Christian millennium (January 6, 2001), as "the imagination of mercy". The Pope wrote about the imagination of mercy in the context of a united Europe. In October 1999, this issue became the subject of reflection of the Synod of Bishops, which prepared the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. The fruit of the synodal deliberations was the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Europa (June 28, 2003). This topic seems to suggest several threads of thought, covering the entire teaching of the Holy Father, and the keystone of this teaching is the truth about God of mercy.
Taking up the issue of God's mercy in the teaching of Saint John Paul II requires presenting the problem of the mystery of God revealed in the Old and New Testaments, which is in its essence merciful. The Pope presents a very original interpretation of God who reveals himself as the Father of mercy throughout the history of salvation. The mystery of mercy allows man to understand himself and fulfill his vocation. At the same time, it makes him realize that he needs mercy constantly and that he is able to do mercy towards others. Such assumptions of Pope John Paul II draw our attention to the mystery of God, revealing His mercy in the Old Testament, and to Christ, who is the full revelation of the Father's mercy in the New Covenant, as well as to the ways of exercising mercy by Christ's disciples.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george