Invitation to the Banquet of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy is a mystery. For many of us - a scandal. Mercy is the kerygma of Christianity for the third millennium and each subsequent one. It is good news about the Good News. Because: “Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise, The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. The LORD is good to all, compassionate toward all your works. The LORD is trustworthy in all his words and loving in all his works. The LORD supports all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works”. (cf. Ps 145: 3, 8-9,13-17)
God's righteousness in all ways and his faithfulness in all works is radical, because with the new covenant it means the incarnation of Jesus. It is a sign of the highest possible solidarity of the faithful Creator towards an unfaithful creature. One of the most beautiful revelations of God's mercy is precisely the solidarity that Jesus speaks of in the moving speech to his opponents, which Saint John relates in the Gospel: “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (cf. Jn 5: 21-23). God has entrusted the power of judging to Jesus
He entrusted Him this power, "because He is the Son of Man” (cf. Jn: 5, 27). This is a sentence that has always touched me deeply. Always. Because it means that God did not want to judge the human, until He became human! After all, as our Creator, he would have every right to do so. Therefore, God's mercy also consists in the fact that he has not taken any judgment over man, not having experienced his fate. Spurned, betrayed, spat on, killed. You do not know, God - sometimes we throw out in prayer - what is it, what I must struggle with, what to fight with, so do not judge me. God does not judge you. He loves you, and out of this love he walks with you through all of this in the person of Jesus, with whom you must enter into a relationship and walk your way with him. Do not judge anyone yourself, because you always know only little of the fate of another person.
It is not enough to know Jesus as Teacher. And not enough just to hope in Him as in the all-powerful miracle-worker. The deeper dimension of faith opens up to us only when we meet Him as the One who died and rose - and therefore lives. He died - because I killed Him (and I, and you and each of us many times); he rose to lift me up from death which is my sin and to proclaim forgiveness.
The meeting with Jesus changes everything. From now on, I am no longer confronted with the "lesson" (the instruction preached by the "Divine Teacher"), neither do I review it, nor judge it as a Greek "seeking wisdom"; I also do not look for "signs" and do not rebel when I do not receive it. But I know that in Jesus I met Someone who was ready to die for me, even though I was His killer. From now on, I do not "study the theory", I do not study "law"; I am trying to answer to the Love. And it is worth talking about.
And even more – who get through it, cannot stop to talk about it. The Church has always called this (and only this) story a kerygma - an exclamation, a solemn proclamation - the truth that needs to be shouted out. The Christian kerygma - the proclamation of God's love stronger than human sin, revealed in Jesus Christ, who was crucified and rose first (1 Cor 15:20), is nothing but the only one Kerygma, Kerygma of Mercy.
Divine Mercy Sunday - Invitation to the Banquet
Did you experience it in your life? If not, today you have the great chance which Jesus himself called the Feast of Divine Mercy – the Banquet of His Love. Today, He invites you and me to this Banquet. In fact, the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska is filled with invitations from our Lord Jesus Christ to celebrate with Him the great Feast of the Divine Mercy. In numerous passages, Jesus spelled out for her "why," "when," "who," and "what to expect" at this special banquet.
First, why did Jesus ask the Church, through St. Faustina, to institute the Feast of Mercy? Jesus said to Faustina: “Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them ... the Feast of My mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice is near”. (Diary 965)
The main reason that Jesus wanted this feast to be established is that He wanted to "throw a lifeline," to souls who are perishing, souls who are drowning in sin and despair. That lifeline is this Feast, with all the tremendous promises of graces and benefits which Jesus attached to it. As He said to St. Faustina, He wanted to make this Feast day a special "refuge and shelter" for the "consolation" of souls. “Jesus said: "the Feast of My Mercy has issued forth from My very depths for the consolation of the whole world." In short, Jesus gave us this Feast as both a comfort and a lifeline for souls.” (Diary 1517)
Second, "when" is this Feast to be celebrated? The answer was given directly to St. Faustina on numerous occasions. For example, Jesus said to her: "I desire that the First Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy." (Diary 299)
Third, in order to discover "who" is invited to this great Feast, and what kind of spiritual "banquet" our Lord wants to prepare for us on that day, we need to consult the Diary entry 699, in which Jesus spells out in detail the meaning of this feast day, and the comforting promises He attached to it. 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. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity.
The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy”.
From these words of our Lord, it should be clear who is invited to the Feast of Mercy. He states clearly: "I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls" - that is, for all penitent souls without exception - but "especially" for "poor sinners." So, the special guests at the Feast of Mercy - the guests who will receive the most attention - are poor sinners, those who are most in need of His mercy. It means me and you.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george
We encourage you to come and join us to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, here at Christ the King Church, where there is the Blessed and Signed by Saint John Paul II, Merciful Jesus' Image.
Our Address is: Christ the King Roman Catholic Church - 624 N Rossmore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
If you are not able to attend in person, please join us at:
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Schedule of the Celebration of Divine Mercy Feast
10:30 AM - Solemn Mass (English)
12:30 PM - Solemn Mass (Spanish)
2:00 PM - Gather to celebrate Divine Mercy Feast
2:30 PM - Conference: The Great Promise of Divine Mercy Sunday
3:00 PM - The Great Hour of Mercy
· Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
· Chaplet of Divine Mercy - (Bilingual)
· Reflection: Divine Mercy in My Soul
· Great Hour of Mercy Prayers and Divine Mercy Litany - (Bilingual)
· Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
· Entrustment of the World to Divine Mercy
· Veneration of the Relics of Saint Faustina, Blessed Michael Sopoćko, Saint John Paul II and Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe.