A Suggestion for Easter Season Reading

At the start of Lent I suggested some books to consider reading as a part of your Lenten practices. I'd like to offer a suggestion for something to read during the Easter season. In fact, it would be appropriate to start reading this book on Good Friday.

The book I am recommending is the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy In My Soul.

For those of you who are not familiar with St. Faustina (1905-1938), she was a nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Cracow, Poland. She was a mystic who was called by Jesus to proclaim His message of Divine Mercy.

Probably the most familiar aspect of her message is the Divine Mercy Chaplet. However that was only a part of the message about God's Mercy given to her. The heart of the message was that God wanted us to know the offer of His Mercy to sinners. Because of His Love for us the Father sent Jesus to die on the Cross so that we find forgiveness of our sins. God is offering this Mercy to everyone of us. It is up to each of us to accept that mercy. But there is more.

Each of us needs to extend that mercy to others. That includes forgiving those who wrong us, praying for the living & dead, correcting sinners, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick etc (ie the corporal & spiritual works of mercy). & in all things to completely trust in Jesus. You can read more at the Divine Mercy website that I have linked above.

I suppose that I better explain the reason why I suggested that you start the book on Good Friday. This has to do with the Divine Mercy Novena. It starts on Good Friday & ends on the Saturday before the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). Pope John Paul the Great declared the 2nd Sunday to be Divine Mercy Sunday in response to another part of the message.

The message of God's Mercy is tied into what Jesus did on the Cross. The Eucharist, the Crucifix, pictures of the Sacred Heart & the Divine Mercy portrait are all signs of God's Mercy. It is freely offered to each & every one of us. But, & this is important, it is not automatic. Each of us has to accept God's Mercy & forgiveness. If we don't accept it & live as sons & daughters of God then we will have to face God's judgement & justice. Those that chose God's justice will leave Him no choice but to send them to Hell for eternity. This is not what God wants, but because of free will, He will honor our choice to reject His Mercy. In rejecting God's Mercy a person condemns him or herself to Hell, not God.

With the condition of the world today, we are more in need of God's Mercy than ever. The acceptance of abortion, homosexual lifestyles, fornication, etc shows how far we have strayed from God's path. Yet, He hasn't turned His back on us as we have on Him. He continues to offer us His Mercy.

The day is coming when it will be too late to receive His Mercy. Fortunately, that day has not yet arrived. Please, if you haven't done so already, turn to Jesus, ask for forgiveness of your sins, receive His Mercy. Then share it with others.