Receive Gratefully, Share Generously
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures forever” (Psalm 118:29).
My devotion to Divine Mercy is relatively new. Nevertheless, I assigned myself this topic thinking I would put together something truly profound. Mercy kept popping up in my Bible reading; I attended Mass at a church named after St. Faustina, whose diary I’ve been reading; I’ve been praying the chaplet. I’ve been studying for this!
Alas, it has been a struggle to put fingers to keyboard for this article, and I finally figured out why. Mercy and humility — our loosely applied theme for Lent here at Catholic Women in Business — are closely related. I forgot the humility part. I am far from an expert on God’s Divine Mercy.
One thing is clear to me, however, based on an email I opened today: God wants YOU to know about His Divine Mercy.
“On one occasion, I heard these words: 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” (Diary, 699).
Shelter for All Souls
For several months, I’ve been signed up for daily emails from the Marian Fathers, who work tirelessly to spread the news about God’s great mercy. The email uses an excerpt from St. Faustina’s famous diary (above) to prompt a prayerful response. St. Faustina was a Polish nun in the 1930s who received divine revelations leading to the creation of the image of Divine Mercy and the Feast of Divine Mercy — celebrated with increasing fervor around the world — on the Sunday after Easter. She recorded the revelations, word for word, in her diary, which was published after her death.
The history of this young nun and the Feast of Divine Mercy fascinates me. My husband and I were recently able to attend a short study on Divine Mercy based on Fr. Michael Gaitley’s book “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told.” Fr. Gaitley traces the origins of the Feast and its many ties to war-torn Poland. (I highly recommend the book and the video series available on Formed.)
One of Fr. Gaitley’s principal points is that God can be trusted. He does not seek to condemn us. He knows our sinful limitations, and He loves us more than enough to send Jesus to die in our place. The Resurrection points to that infinite love, and so do the countless appearances and private revelations documented by St. Faustina, the children at Fatima, and so many more.
YOU are loved. You can trust Him.
Humble Enough to Receive
In so many ways, we are taught to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. Needing help — of any kind — is a weakness, we’re told. I see the phrase “self-sufficient” a lot in my work with nonprofit clients whose goals include helping people break the cycle of poverty. They are trying to help people become financially self-sufficient, but the truth is no amount of money can replace our need for God and His mercy.
We have to admit we can’t do it all, and we can’t do anything alone. My husband recently quipped, “It’s a wonder any of us gets into Heaven.” He’s right! The only way we get there is through the mercy we must be humble enough to receive.
Consider Thomas, who is featured in today’s Gospel. He thought he had missed out. He couldn’t bring himself to believe Jesus had risen without seeing Him, without touching Him. When Jesus came to Thomas, he opened Himself to pour out mercy on the apostle, transforming his doubts into fervent evangelism that took him to the ends of the Earth.
Thomas humbled himself before Jesus and received His mercy and love.
Compelled to Share
St. Faustina — and Pope St. John Paul II after her — were charged with sharing the message of Divine Mercy, and so are we. How?
Tell someone about it! Share this article or your parish’s celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy with a friend. Learn more by reading St. Faustina’s diary, Fr. Gaitley’s book, or other resources, then share those too.
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This simple prayer can be done on your rosary in under 15 minutes. The hour of 3 p.m. is considered the “Hour of Mercy” by the Church. I have an alarm on my phone set for 3 p.m. and — more often than not, thank you Holy Spirit — I stop what I’m doing and pray the chaplet sometime during that hour.
merciful. In both our personal and business lives, we have abundant opportunities to be merciful to other people (I’d like a few less, wouldn’t you?). When someone misses a deadline, fails to reply to an email, utters a harsh word, or just plain forgets you, you can respond with mercy. Instead of lashing out, repeat “Jesus, I Trust in You.” Jesus will make it right.
It’s no accident that you need mercy to give mercy. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. Why would you expect being merciful to the person who took the parking space out from under your nose to be any different? God’s love and mercy apply to every day, every situation, and every person.
His Mercy truly endures forever. May you confidently plunge yourself into that endless Mercy today and every day.
The Managing Editor of Catholic Women in Business, Sharon Bengel is a cradle Catholic with more than 30 years of experience in writing, communications, and publication design. A recovering newspaper reporter with a crush on the prophet Jeremiah, Sharon loves discovering new things about the scriptures. She runs an LLC out of her home office in southwest Ohio, where she keeps a stash of chocolate for her grandkids.