Sunday of the divine Mercy

The Sunday of divine Miséricorde was instituted in the Roman Catholic church by Jean-Paul II the April 30th 2000, the day of the canonization of Sainte Faustine. It was celebrated for the first time in the history of the Church the April 22nd 2001. It falls systematically first Sunday after Easter Sunday.

A request of Holy Christ with Faustine

Sainte Faustine would have been gratifiée of regular appearances of Christ which are consigned in a book written by the nun: the Small Newspaper. The essence of the message received by Sainte Faustine turns around the mercy of God for humanity. During these private Revelations, Christ would have required of Sainte Faustine, which was at the time only one modest unknown nun, that Its Mercy particularly is honoured by all the Church second Easter Sunday.

Extract of the Small Newspaper

“My daughter, speaks with the whole world about my inconceivable Miséricorde. I wish that the Festival of the Mercy is the recourse and the refuge for all the hearts, and especially for the sinning poor. In this day the entrails of my Mercy are opened, I pour a whole ocean of graces on the hearts which will approach the source of my mercy; any heart which will confess (in the eight days which precedes or follows this Sunday of the Mercy) and will communiera, receive the complete forgiveness of its faults and the handing-over of their sorrow; in this day all the divine sources are open by which the graces run out; that no heart is afraid to approach me, even if its sins are like scarlet. The Festival of the Mercy is resulting from my entrails, I wish that she is solemnly celebrated first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not find peace as long as it will not turn to the source of my Mercy. ” (Small Newspaper, § 699).

Neuvaine with the Divine Mercy

According to the Small Newspaper, Christ asked so that the festival of divine Miséricorde be preceded by a Neuvaine to begin the Good Friday. This Neuvaine can however be recited constantly year.

"I wish that during these nine days, you pleasing the hearts with the source of my mercy, so that they draw force and freshness, as all the graces which they need in the difficulties for the life and particularly per hour for death. I will not refuse anything with the hearts which you will bring to the source of my mercy. " (Small Newspaper, § 1209)

Jean-Paul II and Sunday of the divine Mercy

The day of the Holy canonization of Faustine, Jean-Paul II thus reached this request allotted to Christ. A not very banal liturgical reform under a pontificate which was not it less. For the anecdote, one will observe that Jean-Paul II died out saturdays April 2nd, 2005. However this year, to 21:37, hour of its death, the Church had precisely entered… the liturgical time of Sunday of divine Miséricorde.

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