Divine Mercy Sunday: Celebrating the Fullness of Easter

      Divine Mercy Sunday, observed on the octave (the eighth day) of Easter, celebrates the fullness of Christ’s resurrection, (this year on April 24th).  The solemnity comes to us through St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who kept a diary in the early 1900s of Christ’s private revelations to her on His message of mercy.

      On Feb. 22, 1931, Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska first saw a vision of Jesus with rays of mercy streaming from His Heart. Christ told her to have an image painted to represent the vision, and to write below it, "Jesus, I trust in you!" St. Faustina also wrote in her diary that Christ encourages the faithful to trust in His mercy and turn to Him for that mercy.  St. Faustina died of tuberculosis in 1938 at age 33.  Pope John Paul II canonized her in 2000.  That same year, the pontiff declared Divine Mercy Sunday a worldwide feast day. Two years later, he instituted a plenary indulgence for those who participate in the devotion.

      To receive the graces of the plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday, the message of Christ requests that the faithful prepare in the following ways:

 • Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation with true repentance on or before Divine Mercy.

 • On Divine Mercy Sunday, receive a worthy Communion and venerate the image of  Divine Mercy.

 • The faithful also are strongly encouraged to pray the novena of Divine Mercy, (beginning on Good Friday and ending on the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday); pray the  Divine Mercy chaplet; be merciful toward others through words, actions and prayers.

Praying the Chaplet

St. Faustina wrote that Christ revealed to her a special chaplet to be prayed, using a standard Rosary or special Divine Mercy chaplet beads.  Through St. Faustina, Christ asked the faithful to pray every day the chaplet at 3:00 p.m., the hour of great mercy and His death.

 • Begin with one of each of the following prayers: The Our Father, Hail Mary and Apostles’ Creed

 • On the five large beads before each decade, pray the following: “Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

 • On the 10 small beads of each decade, pray the following: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

 • After praying five decades, conclude with the following three times: “Holy God, holy mighty One, holy immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”