Blessed Sacrament honors Divine Mercy Sunday

By Julie Keane, Globe staff reporters
April 22, 2004

Blessed Sacrament Parish in Sioux City hosted a service to honor Divine Mercy Sunday on April 18 where penance, reflection and prayer was offered.

Father Bill McCarthy, priest in the Le Mars cluster, was the homilist during the service. He spoke of St. Maria Faustina, who in the 1930s saw an apparition of Jesus when he came to her with his message on mercy.

It was in her dairy that Sister Maria Faustina wrote Jesus' message of mercy, "If a soul does not exercise mercy, it will not obtain my mercy on judgement," (Diary, 1317.) As noted in her dairy, Jesus told Sister Faustina, "I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first, by deed; the second, by word; the third, by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy and it is an unquestionable proof of love for me," (Dairy, 1317.)

Father McCarthy said in his homily Sister Faustina's life was devoted to proclaiming the Divine Mercy of God, and people should continue to follow in her devotion.

This devotion for Divine Mercy is carried out each year through a nine-day novena, which begins on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday. Regina Ratino and Roxanne Lohr planned the novena and the service on Divine Mercy Sunday. Ratino said Divine Mercy Sunday is an important day to celebrate because Jesus came to Sister Faustina and made known his desire to have the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy.

"It is important time in our church following Easter to have this celebration because it demonstrates to us the close connection between the Easter mystery of man's Redemption and Divine Mercy," Ratino said.

The Divine Mercy service started at 1:30 p.m. with the Procession of the Divine Mercy. Father Paul Kelly, Father Raymond Wieling, Father Bill McCarthy, Father Merlin Schrad and Father Dennis Meinen were all available throughout the hour and a half to hear confessions. During this time, Blessed Sacrament was present.

The Hour of Mercy began at 3 p.m. with Kevin Keane and Claudia Hardy singing a contemporary version of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. They were accompanied by Mary Helen McElroy. Following the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, The Act of Entrustment Prayer was said. Father McCarthy continued the service with his homily. He spoke of the importance of Divine Mercy and how that mercy influences people in their daily lives.

"Today we give glory to God through prayer and thanksgiving to our fellowship," Father McCarthy said in his homily. "Together we gather in prayer as brothers and sisters in Christ. We give glory to God by participating in the Chaplet. By Jesus' death and resurrection we are made whole. We are given life. This is a special day in the church. Each of us is called to put our trust in the son of God. Christ beckons each of us. We are called to listen to our hearts and to hear how God wants us to serve his Divine Mercy."

Margaret Teter, parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Sioux City, said she remembers finding a Divine Mercy prayer card years ago. She said she hoped that people everywhere will know and experience God's Divine Mercy, just as she had on Sunday.

"The service was the most wondrous thing that could have happened," Teter said. "I thank God everyday for giving us his Divine Mercy."

The prayer card that Teter found had a picture a Jesus smiling and color beams shining from his heart. When Jesus came to Sister Faustina, he asked her to have an image of him drawn. In honor of the Divine Mercy Sunday, the Knights of Columbus have held a year-long effort to promote the Feast of Mercy. The Knights of Columbus have had the images of the Divine Mercy created in honor of Pope John Paul's 25th anniversary. Marvin Japel, Knights of Columbus member, said that there are two images circulating around Iowa and about 200 in circulation total.

"I think the councils and the church want to focus on Divine Mercy Sunday as a holy event and extension of the Easter season," Japel said. "The Knights are backers of the church and the standards of the church, and this is a new standard of the church that the Knights want to be part of."

Divine Mercy was celebrated throughout the diocese through services hosted by different parishes. Ratino said that she hopes those attending the service at Blessed Sacrament will take away a deeper understanding of the Lord's mercy.

"I hope people take away a more firmly held desire to be a living reflection of our Lord's mercy," Ratino said. "God gives us countless opportunities everyday with our families, friends and neighbors to exercise mercy towards others. I also hope that people take away a deeper attitude of trust in the merciful love of Jesus, which is actually the essence or soul of Divine Mercy devotion."