Becoming Merciful

Jesus, I trust in You!

PRAISED BE Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!

As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday during the Year of the Poor, it would truly be beneficial for us to see the devotion to the Divine Mercy and its relationship with the poor. Many of us associate the devotion to the veneration of the now famous painting of the Divine Mercy. We should include in this devotion the sacrament of Confession and also of the Eucharist. And of course, the devotion would not be complete without the 3:00 prayer and the chaplet of the Divine Mercy. However, there is one aspect of the devotion that we usually neglect, and that is the performance of the works of mercy.

The Acts of the Apostles portrayed for us a picture of the infant Church wherein those who followed the Lord Jesus put their resources together: “The community of believers was of one heart and one mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” Thus, “there was no needy person among them.” Their relationship with the Lord transformed them to the point that they placed even their financial resources at the service of each other. The mercy which they experienced from the Lord made the disciples themselves bearers of Divine Mercy. The works of mercy became a lifestyle: “In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this: that we keep his commandments.”  The Lord Jesus himself admonished us to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked and shelter the stranger, to visit the sick and the imprisoned for “whatever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.” We must imitate the Father who is holy and merciful: “Be merciful for the Father is merciful.”

We glorify God’s mercy by being merciful ourselves. In her diary, St. Faustina wrote this prayer: “O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify your mercy.

“I want to be completely transformed into your mercy and to be your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor. Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful , so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbor’s soul and come to their rescue. Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbor’s needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all. Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good for my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks. Help me that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor. Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own sufferings in silence. May your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.

“You yourself command me to exercise the 3 degrees of mercy. The 1^st: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The 2^nd: the word of mercy – if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The 3^rd: prayer – if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically. O my Jesus, transform me into yourself, for you can do all things.” (Diary, 163.)

Jesus. I trust in you! O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!