Every year at this time we are challenged to live out the fulfillment of our Lenten season of penance, prayer and zeal. This is the season of the Resurrection. This is the season of the new dawn. This is the season of the Divine Mercy. This is when we realize that the Resurrection is the glory of the Mercy of God. Ah, the Mercy of God is the caress of infinite Divine love. Just as the sunrise is for everyone, so is Divine Mercy; just as the sunrise is manifesting itself somewhere to enlighten and comfort creation in its warm caress, so is Divine Mercy. That is why the season of Resurrection is the season of Divine Mercy.
One of my heart movements this year as this new season rose over the spiritual horizon was about the "birth" of the Divine Mercy relationship that Saint Faustina was commissioned to bring to the world. I was wondering what had happened to this spirituality over the centuries, and I do mean centuries. I could not help but wonder how the faithful children of the merciful father could have failed to distil this faith conviction from the parable of the "Prodigal Son" that we hear every year.
This sassy, disgruntled child carved himself out of his family's life with the money that should have been enough to support him had he behaved properly. When things went badly and he could no longer take it, he decided to go back to the "farm" where the owner's "hands" were eating better than he. Yes, he went back home to his father in order to eat better. He wasn't feeling super sorry that he had insulted his father, he was suffering from eating pig slop. He did know one thing, though, he knew the depth of the love of his father. He knew that in that deep pool of love was boundless mercy for sons such as he. He was right.
We too are right. We too believe in the boundless source of Loving Grace and Redeeming Mercy of our Divine Father. We too know that we can come home. Just as sure as the sun rises to meet us every day, so does God continue His loving and merciful vigilance over us. We too can come back to Him, both from near and from far. The distance doesn't matter. The purity of our intentions doesn't even have to be at the 24 carat level. When we come back and feel that warm and merciful embrace, we just know that the costume jewelry heart that brought us back is on its way back to the 24 carat grade that He created.
I leave you with an invitation to visit the wonderful, hope filled Bible book (Right after Jeremiah) that goes by the name of Lamentations. It is three chapters of beautiful, down to earth poetry full of hope in the mercy of God. Yes, many centuries before Saint Faustina. Just another reason to celebrate this powerful attribute of our Divine Creator. As a blessing to you, I leave these few lines to you from the Word of God, coming to us from time immemorial in the Scripture entitled "Lamentations:"
19 The thought of my wretched homelessness is wormwood and poison;
20 Remembering it over and over, my soul is downcast.
21 But this I will call to mind; therefore I will hope:
22 The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not
spent;
23 They are renewed each morning— great is your faithfulness!
24 The LORD is my portion, I tell myself, therefore I will hope in him.
25 The LORD is good to those who trust in him, to the one that seeks
him;
26 It is good to hope in silence for the LORD’s deliverance. [Lamentations, chapter 3]
His mercy is limitless,it is tangible, it is always new, and it is near to you every morning. Rest in the power of His Grace and let mercy greet you where you are. (Dawn Boyer, Journeysingrace.com)
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