Why the Divine Mercy Message Is So Important Today

mercy, imitation of Christ, grace
Poland has given the Catholic Church some of the greatest Saints of the 20th Century.  To name just three, Saint John Paul II or John Paul II The Great.  Then there is Saint Maximillion Kolbe who created a brilliant Catholic Media Apostolate in Poland in the 1920s and 1930s and gave his life so that another could live.  Finally, last but not least, there is Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000 and called the Apostle of Mercy for the New Millennium.  This year, the Feast of Divine Mercy is on Sunday, April 24, 2022.  The National Shrine of Divine Mercy is in Stockbridge Massachusetts.
Father Chris Alar plays a very important role at the Shrine as the Director of the Association of Marian Helpers.  I interviewed Father Chris via email.
Francisco: Father Chris, in my opinion, the Divine Mercy Diary by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska is the most important book ever written other than the Holy Bible?
Father Chris: Certainly the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska is incredibly important because it is a reiteration of the truths about God’s mercy, but for our time.  God’s greatest attribute is Mercy, so the Diary should be high on the list of devotional material to be read by Catholics because Devotion to Divine Mercy is actually devotion to God himself.
While it should not replace reading the Holy Bible, studying the Church’s Tradition, or the Liturgy, it most certainly holds beautiful truths about Jesus, and anyone could and should read the Diary (ideally every day) to learn about God’s mercy.
Francisco: Who was Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska?
Father Chris: `Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska was a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, a religious order in Poland which still exists to this day.
She was directed to the convent by the Lord Himself. In her Diary, St. Faustina talks about how, when she entered the convent, the Mother Superior asked her to go to the Chapel and find out if the “Lord of this house would accept her”, which he did. From this moment on, though she struggled through many dark nights and sicknesses, the Lord would be with her and would reveal to her his unfathomable mercy.
The Lord asked her, “to arrange the painting of an image that we know today as the image of the Merciful Jesus or the Image of Divine Mercy.
Francisco: When did Jesus first appear to her?
Father Chris: Jesus first appeared to St. Faustina, at least from what we could surmise when she was younger at a dance.  She talks about seeing Jesus at her side, racked with pain, and suffering from the wounds, and asking her, “How long shall I put up with you and how long will you keep putting me off?”After the dance, she prayed at a nearby cathedral and was directed to join a convent in Warsaw.
Francisco: What is the Feast of Divine Mercy all about?
Father Chris: The Feast of Divine Mercy may be the greatest of all Divine graces.  The Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated every year on the Second Sunday of Easter (the Sunday immediately following Easter Sunday). This year the Feast of Divine Mercy will be held on Sunday, April 24, 2022.
Regarding the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus told St. Faustina, “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (Diary 699)
Francisco: The word humility is mentioned quite a few times throughout the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. Why?
Father Chris: We need to be humble in order to welcome Divine Mercy in our lives, acknowledge our sins, being open to God’s Grace. Pride closes our hearts and minds to God, hardening us against his mercy and against being merciful to others.
Francisco: Why is the Immaculate Conception God’s greatest act of Mercy?
Father Chris: God permitted one creature to begin without any stain of sin, with sanctifying grace. God made Mary the creature closest to him, most like him most transparent to him so that could be the Gate of Heaven, the House of God, and the Mother of God.
Francisco: Father Chris, what is the importance of reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet?
Father Chris:  Jesus attaches many promises to it,
Say unceasingly the Chaplet I have taught you, whoever recites it will receive great mercy at the hour of death.” Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of Salvation. The souls that say this Chaplet will be embraced by my mercy during their lifetime at the hour of their death. (Diary 754)
Francisco: What is the importance of Divine Mercy and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Fr. Chris: Jesus says, “I am the resurrection of life; whoever believes in me even if he dies, will live”
(Jn 11:25) Divine Mercy prepares the Church and the world for the Second Coming. God wishes to save everyone.
Francisco: What is your role as Director of the Association of Marian Helpers and the Marians of the Immaculate Conception?
Father Chris: My role is to help people go home to Heaven through living the charism of the Marian Fathers alongside the Marian Fathers, release generous prayers and financial support so that I and my brothers and Marians can eat, sleep, and breathe devotion to Mary Immaculate and the Holy Souls, and serve Christ and His Church where the need is greatest especially in parishes and Missions, particularly by promoting the Divine Mercy message and devotion.
I oversee the Marian Helpers Centre in Stockbridge Massachusetts, go on the road and livestream the Good News, and defend the faith in a time of confusion.
The Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge Massachusetts was built in the 1950s and 1960s. He also says the grounds are home to our multimedia apostolate, Spreading the Divine Mercy through the printed word as well as through our EWTN show “Living Divine Mercy” airing on Wednesdays at 6:30 EST.
It was a great privilege to write about this amazing important devotion for our times. My thanks to Father Chris Alar and the Marian Helpers.  I became one too. Jesus, I Trust In You.
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4 thoughts on “Why the Divine Mercy Message Is So Important Today”

  1. It has recently been widely documented that Polish Catholic organizations are welcoming and helping thousands of Ukrainian refugees providing them with the necessities of life: food, beds and shelter as well as much needed psychological support whilst consideration is given to next steps in each of the trauma survivors next steps,—–Need more be said as to the relevance and importance of the divine Mercy message today in war torn Ukraine. Let us pray embrace God’s mercy in these challenging times.

  2. Pingback: VVEEKEND EDITION – Big Pulpit

  3. Hello Francisco,

    I read your article with interest. My wife has a strong attachment to Sister Faustina. I picked it up from my wife and was so impressed with it that I bought two beautiful leather-bound copies of Sister Faustina’s diary., one for my wife and one for me.

    I soon realized that the artist rendition of the image of Christ ranks as one of the three images of heavenly beings God has provide for us. The other two are the image of Christ on the shroud and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.

    I pick up from the messages to Sr. Faustina that God feels He wants to make it easy to achieve sanctity for us who are mired too deep into this wicked world. God made it very easy, just believe and leave the rest to Him.

    The message is not hard to believe. One does not need to understand in depth what God is offering, just consider it true, since God took the trouble to reveal it to Sr. Faustina. So, I believe, and I am better off for my belief.

    Thanks for your discussing this very important devotion for the end times. We all need every break we can get because heaven is so perfect and we are so muddied by the world.

  4. Thank you Francisco for your important story and the interview you did with Father Chris . Your writings and stories continue to inspire. I look forward to your next story . God bless.

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