Divine Mercy is, in my opinion, the name that describes Jesus the best.  Jesus is Divine and Jesus is Our Merciful Lord who suffered so much to open the gates of Paradise to us.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  John 15:13

Jesus told His apostles that He came from heaven:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”  John 6:51

Jesus gave His life and left us with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist so we could be strengthened by Him and share in His divine mission of salvation, being filled with His life saving graces.

St. Paul proclaimed the deity of Jesus, encouraging us to embrace His gentle, humble nature:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”  Philippians 2: 5-7

St. John encouraged people to repent:  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

The Prophet Isaiah also proclaimed the love of Our merciful God who wants so much to cleanse us of our sins.  All He asks is true repentance.

“Wash and make yourselves clean.

Take your evil deeds out of my sight;

stop doing wrong.

Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the good things of the land;

but if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

Isaiah 1: 16-20

Reflect on the words of St. Peter from 1 Peter 2: 1-10

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

‘See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,” and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.’

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2: 1-10

Holy Lord I have received Your mercy and Jesus I place all my trust in You.  I thank You for loving me so much.  I thank You for Your mercy that is infinite and inexhaustible.  I know Lord that we have a great responsibility as Your disciples to show mercy and compassion to one another.  Help us to pray for those that have offended and hurt us.  You instruct us to “Love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us.”  Matthew 5:44   You have many enemies in the world that do not follow in Your holy ways.  Your enemies are my enemies and Your friends are my friends.  I will never stop praying for our enemies and plead for your strength to live a life that gives You glory, that inspires and lifts up all those that You give me.  I ask this in Your holy name Jesus.  Amen.

For the sake of Your sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole world!