Divine Mercy
“Apart from the mercy of God, there is no other hope for man.”
– Blessed John Paul II
Divine Mercy Letter from Bishop Isern
Dear Brothers and Sisters in
“God is love” (1
God’s mercy knows no bounds, but we must pray to the Lord for deliverance. With the Psalmist we pray for ourselves and for one another, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). God hears the prayers of His people and seeks to envelope them in his Fatherly embrace. However, created in His image and likeness, God has given us freedom, and he will not take that away. God will not act for us.
We are in the midst of an age of self destruction, of what Blessed John Paul II rightly called the “culture of death.” This is a time where every aspect of the world tells us to focus on ourselves, on our own self-fulfillment, on our own satisfaction at the expense of others. And, our faith tells something very different. Our faith tells us that we are the keepers of one another, that we live not for ourselves but for each other in
We see in the Scriptures and throughout history countless examples of men and women, saints and sinners, humbled before the Lord, seeking Divine Mercy and often times paying the ultimate price for their faith. I am often reminded of a Polish priest from late1800s who embodied the Gospel ideal of self-sacrifice and Divine Mercy. In 1941
Albeit more subtle than Nazism, the attacks upon life, faith, truth, beauty and goodness are persistent and fervent. If we do not seek mercy we will be unable to show mercy and we will be unable to receive mercy on the Day of Judgment.[1] We will not only fall victim to the attacks against life, but we will actually cooperate in the culture of death. “In the world it calls itself tolerance, but in hell it is called despair...sloth...the accomplice to the other sins and their worst punishment. It is the sin which believes nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and only remains alive because there is nothing it would die for.”[2]
The need for Divine Mercy is even more urgent now than ever before. In 1931,
This page contains instructions on how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This beautiful and powerful prayer implores the mercy of God upon the whole world. Over time it enables us to experience the unique fruit of God’s mercy and teaches to act with mercy toward all of our brothers and sisters. Following the example of
Please pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Show mercy at all times so that lasting peace may reign in the world and God will come to our aid now and at the hour death.
Sincerely yours in
Most
Bishop of
[1] cf. Kawulsak, Sr. Maria Faustina. Divine Mercy in my Soul. Trans. Stockbridge, Mass:
[2] Shoemaker,
[3] Kawulska, par 186.
[4] ibid, par 301.