5 Things to Know About Divine Mercy Sunday

As the faithful prepare to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on the second Sunday of Easter, it is important to review the meaning and historical significance of the day. Divine Mercy has been called "the greatest grassroots movement in the history of the Catholic Church."

But what is it?

What is Divine Mercy?

Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners" (1849). This is the crux of Divine Mercy. We could easily have the God that the Deists believe in, who sets things in motion and leaves them to their own devices. Fortunately for us, we have a God who loves us so deeply that He takes an interest in us.

Unfortunately, none of us can fully attain perfection here on earth, so God's love for us always takes the form of mercy. It's always the Lord stepping out in compassion to help us poor, weak, and broken sinners. Every good we receive is an expression of Divine Mercy. As St. John Paul II said, mercy is love's second name.

What Is Divine Mercy Sunday?

Unlike many religious feasts, the feast of Divine Mercy is barely two decades old. It is based on the private revelations of a Polish nun St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938). She received visions from Jesus, including one of Jesus wearing a white garment with beams of red and white coming from His heart, which came to be known as the image of Divine Mercy.

In 2000, Saint John Paul II canonized St. Faustina and, during the ceremony, he declared, "It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called "Divine Mercy Sunday". 

The faithful who willingly conduct the prescribed acts assigned by the church can attain a plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday.

What Did St. Faustina Learn From These Private Revelations?

St. Faustina wrote all these private revelations in her diary which was subsequently published after her death. In many of these messages, Christ spoke to her about his great love for the world and His desire for the world to know His unending merciful love. In one of these visions, St. Faustina was told: 

I want the Image [of Divine Mercy] to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it…

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. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. 

On that day [Divine Mercy Sunday], the very depths of My tender mercy are opened. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. ... On that day, all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened.

It should also be stated that St. Faustina's visions were not limited to Divine Mercy. In her diary, she described numerous encounters with Jesus, Satan, the Virgin Mary, angels, and even demons. Christ also appeared to her insisting on her complete submission to God’s will, obedience toward superiors, and a life of suffering for the souls of others.

Why Do We Celebrate It If It Is From a Private Revelation?

As a general rule of thumb, the church tends to keep private devotion and revelation separate from church doctrine. It is not very common for the church to broadly accept a saint's vision as being detrimental to the church. This is obviously not the case for Divine Mercy.

As the Marians of the Immaculate Conception beautifully articulated: God sometimes appears to mystics because He has a prophetic message for a particular time in history, and He uses particular men and women to share His message. Sometimes it's to remind us of something that's been forgotten. Sometimes it's a warning. At other times, it's a message of comfort. Or it may simply be a call to conversion. Whatever it is, it doesn't change the Bible. Rather, it brings us back to it at a certain time in history.

In his theological commentary in The Message of Fatima, Pope Benedict XVIII wrote:

We might add that private revelations often spring from popular piety and leave their stamp on it, giving it a new impulse and opening the way for new forms of it.

Nor does this exclude that they will have an effect even on the liturgy, as we see for instance in the feasts of Corpus Christi and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

From one point of view, the relationship between Revelation and private revelations appears in the relationship between the liturgy and popular piety: The liturgy is the criterion, it is the living form of the Church as a whole, fed directly by the Gospel.

Popular piety is a sign that the faith is spreading its roots into the heart of a people in such a way that it reaches into daily life. Popular religiosity is the first and fundamental mode of “inculturation” of the faith. While it must always take its lead and direction from the liturgy, it in turn enriches the faith by involving the heart.

How Can I Earn A Plenary Indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday? 

The faithful who desire to earn a plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday must follow the standard three conditions of sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. Additionally, you must also:

• in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy
• or, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”).”