April 2, 2010

Being that today is Good Friday, I am going to depart from the norm. Today is the day that many people start the novena to the Divine Mercy. Understanding that many of you may not be familiar with what a novena is in general and particularly what the Divine Mercy novena is, I thought I would do my best to explain.

Taken from EWTN (Eternal World Television Network) website http://www.ewtn.com/index.asp, a novena is a nine-day period of private or public prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or to make special petitions. (Novena is derived from the Latin "novem", meaning nine.) As the definition suggests, the novena has always had more of a sense of urgency and neediness.

The Nine days represents the nine days of prayer performed by the apostles as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus' ascension.

The Divine Mercy Novena is my absolute favorite. On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that St. Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the following Saturday. He, himself, dictated the intentions for each day. By means of a specific prayer she was to bring to His Heart a different group of souls each day and thus immerse them in the ocean of His mercy, begging the Father - on the strength of Jesus' Passion - for graces for them.

Each year, the Sunday after Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday thanks to Pope John Paul II declaring it such. Not by coincidence, Pope John Paul II actually died on the feast of Divine Mercy, April 2, 2005. Today is the anniversary of his death, but I believe he will become a saint and then today will be called his feast day, the day he entered into Heaven. This is clear in my memory because today is also Joke-A-Lot's 8th birthday, so I remember him dying on her birthday, but also remember how crazy it was that it was also Divine Mercy Sunday, the day that he declared.

Our Lord described a very specific image of himself to St. Faustina which I will display on my page during this novena period from today until the Sunday after Easter. This image must say "Jesus I trust in you" below it and it will have two rays representing the showering of the depths of His mercy upon us.



It is recommended to say this novena with the actual Divine Mercy Chaplet, but I am going to keep things simple and state the daily prayers.

The Novena to the Divine Mercy

First Day of the Novena
"Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.