Jesus told Saint Faustina that His
greatest attribute was His Divine Mercy.
Saint John Paul II revealed that the happiest day in his life was the
year 2000, Mercy Sunday. The Reason?
Three reasons for this overflowing joy. First, because it was mercy
Sunday. Second, was because he canonized the first saint in the new millennium—saint
Faustina Kowalska. Third, was because the Pontiff officially announced that the
Second Sunday after Easter would be Divine Mercy Sunday! His joy had no limits.
In this article we would like to
present a catchy acronym of the ABCs of Divine mercy in which we will give a
separate idea on how to understand and live out Divine Mercy for every letter
of the alphabet. However let us start out by a quote from the text Divine Mercy in my soul, of St. Faustina
Kowalsksa. These are the passionate words of Jesus who desires all of
humanity to love mercy and to TRUST Him totally:
“Let souls who are
striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of
graces which I grant them flows from my mercy. I desire that these souls
distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to
the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will
need to attain sanctity. The graces of
My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is--- trust. The more
a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a
great comfort to me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I
rejoice that they ask for much, because it is my desire to give much, very
much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow
their hearts.” (Diary #1578)
A--
Always ready to forgive! God is
slow to anger and quick to kindness and always ready to forgive! So should we!
B--- Be merciful as your heavenly
Father is merciful. MERCY is a two-way
street and not a dead-end alley. God
will forgive us and deluge us with His mercy only if we show mercy to others!
C--- Charity and mercy are almost synonymous
. Charity is supernatural love, the love
that God has for us and the love we should have for God. Mercy is God’s
abundant love forgiving the sinner.
D---
“Do to others what you want them to do to you.” This is the Golden Rule. Apply it to mercy!
E-- EUCHARIST AND MERCY. To be able to forgive our offenses we need
God’s abundant graces and they come to us through the Eucharist, the Bread of
Life…
F---FORGIVE. Jesus said: “Father forgive them for they
know not what they are doing.” Forgive immediately, if not the heart grows hard
and calloused toward the offender!
G—GIVE! “Give until it hurts!” These words of Blessed
Mother Teresa of Calcutta refer to mercy.
It is not always easy, but possible with God’s grace.
H---- Hope for heaven! God has His heavenly award waiting for
those who have begged for His mercy and freely given His mercy. The Good thief died a thief because he stole
heaven .(Fulton Sheen)
I--- INSTANT FORGIVENESS. Jesus instantly forgave the good thief
because he trusted totally in the merciful Heart of the Savior! Do you? God can forgive sinners in a mere
heartbeat, if their sorrow and trust is total!
J--- JESUS is the center, essence,
totality, ocean of mercy in His very Person. JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
K----KNOW His mercy in your mind, but
translate it into your life. God calls us to study and know divine mercy. Why
not read the “Diary of Mercy in my soul”
by St. Faustina Kowalska?
L--- LOVE! St. Augustine said: “Love God and do what you will”.
Mercy and love are twin sisters. Why not read the magnificent hymn of
love of St. Paul—I Corinthians 13!
M--- MISERICORDIA. This is mercy in Latin. It is composed of two
parts: “miseria”---sin is moral misery;
“cordia”—meaning heart! God’s
loving heart is always willing and ready to embrace our misery like the Father
and the Prodigal Son. Read and meditate the Parable of the Prodigal Son: Lk.
15: 11-32.
N--- NO TO REVENGE! We should never seek out revenge, but rather
to forgive and be merciful. Leave the
judgment to Jesus who will come to judge the living and the dead. (Creed)
O---OVERFLOWING IN KINDNESS AND
MERCY. Jesus said to St. Faustina that
His mercy is an infinite abyss, like an immense ocean. Even the highest realm
of angels cannot understand or comprehend the depths of the mercy in the Heart
of Jesus!
P--- PEACE! One of the extraordinary fruits of living out
mercy to its very core is interior peace of mind, heart and soul! The peace-makers are also merciful of heart!
Q---- Queen of Mercy is Mary. We pray in the Hail Holy Queen: “Hail Holy
Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope…”
R--- REFUGE! In all times and all places we should seek
refuge in the merciful hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sacred Heart of Jesus I trust
in you. Sweet Heart of Mary be my refuge and salvation!
S—SALVATION! Our salvation will come about, more than
anything else in the world, by trusting in the infinite mercy of the Heart of
Jesus. Let us pray: “Merciful Lord be not
my judge but my merciful Redeemer.”
T-- TRUST! Jesus said to Saint Faustina that the worst
sin was that of a lack of TRUST in Him!
The greater the sinner the more he has a right to God’s mercy. Jesus
said to Saint Faustina that the greatest sinners in the world can be the
greatest saints if they simply TRUST!
May we pray all the days of our lives and even on our death bed: JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
U--- UNIVERSAL IS HIS MERCY. The word “Catholic” actually means
universal. The mercy of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus is not limited to time, place nor circumstance, but is open to all if
only—JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
V- VANQUISH AND VICTORS! If we have truly understood mercy, loved
mercy, and lived out to the full the message and doctrine of mercy then we are
VICTORS! We have conquered and the well-
merited prize of eternal life awaits us!
Long Live Christ the King of Mercy.
“Viva Cristo el Rey de la Misericordia!”
W---- WASHED CLEAN! Confession is the Sacrament of God’s
infinite mercy. Every time I have recourse to this infinite font of mercy,
which is the Precious Blood of Jesus, then I am immersed in His Infinite mercy
in the Sacrament of Mercy par excellence!
X--- X! Jesus told Saint Faustina to make an x and
to cross out her sins, by the mercy of God and to start and new life. By confession we start anew; we are new
creatures. On Mercy Sunday, having confessed and receiving Holy Communion our soul
becomes white as snow; it is like being baptized a second time. We return to
baptismal innocence. Praise God’s mercy to the skies!
Y--- YES to God like the “Yes” of
Mary in the Annunciation. Nobody experienced the love and grace better than the
Blessed Virgin Mary. In her Magnificat, hymn of praise, she exalts God’s
mercy: “My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior….. He has mercy on all those who fear Him…”
Z---Zeal! We should all be set on fire with zeal to
spread the Good News of the mercy of Jesus. Why not start this very day to become
an ardent Apostle of the Mercy of Jesus. Jesus will bless you abundantly in
this life and in the life to come. Our Lady of mercy pray for us!
