Mercy Reciprocated

"My car has broken down ... flat tire ... stranded on the interstate."

This is how Lauren, one of our cenacle members and Divine Mercy prayer group members, spent part of her day. Except for deciding to attend a different church for Mass, that Sunday was typical in most regards. But soon things became a tough predicament, and then the predicament became an opportunity to dispense our Lord's mercy and graces through the receiving and giving of Divine Mercy.

As she was going to Mass, she had a flat tire. As most people would do, she reached for her cell phone to call for help only to discover she had left her phone at home. Now on the side of the interstate with no phone and unable to change her tire, she decided to start walking. Being a person of prayer, she started to talk with our Lord and ask Him - "Please" - to send help. "Maybe one of those people who works for the city and helps stranded people on roads would be nice."

Our Lord told St. Faustina:

Entrust everything to Me and do nothing on your own, and you will always have great freedom of spirit. No circumstances of events will be able to upset you (Diary, 1685).



To her excitement, that very person suddenly pulled up and asked if he could help. They went back to her vehicle, and he proceeded to change her tire. As they were talking, she explained that she was going to Mass. She told him she was so thankful for his help and that she was going to offer the Mass for him and pray for him. Now with much thanks to our Lord and the helpful man, she was on her way with his name, remembering to offer her Mass and prayers for him and, as usual, add him to our 24-hour Chaplet of Divine Mercy continuous prayers.

Our Lord told St. Faustina:

I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls (Diary, 1074).



Much to her surprise, within 24 hours, this same man who had helped her on the interstate, was tragically killed in a major auto accident as he was helping another person broken down on the side of the road.

He was loved by all that knew him. This good Samaritan's life was tragically ended as he was doing what he loved to do - showing mercy to others. Reflecting back on what had taken place, we discovered that maybe Lauren's decision to go to a different church that day wasn't just a coincidence and maybe her flat tire and forgetting her cell phone was not an inconvenience or hardship, but a blessing. Maybe, just maybe, this good Samaritan in showing mercy needed mercy shown to him in the way of a Holy Mass being offered up for him and continuous Chaplets of Divine Mercy being said for him before he passed on to God.

An opportunity to dispense God's mercy even in a vulnerable situation can appear out of nowhere as we remember that Divine Mercy is a way of life and we should always be ready to pray and sacrifice for others.

Saint Faustina wrote:

And I saw the other road, or rather, a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness, and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings (Diary, 153).



We will continue to pray for this man, this good Samaritan's soul, and for his family and friends during these difficult times. Remembering that even on the most difficult of situations, God's graces and mercy are always available to us for our journey to heaven.

Our Lord tells St. Faustina:

Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness. (Diary, 1541)




Jay Hastings of Bartlett, Tenn., is the founder of a growing group of Divine Mercy devotees who ensure that the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is being prayed every hour of the day. The 24-hour Chaplet members now consist of more than 1,200 people from across the United States, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Canada, Philippines, Bolivia, India, Iraq, Australia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Tanzania, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Panama, Uganda, Haiti, Aruba, Burma, Singapore, Columbia, Botswana, Zambia, Malaysia, South Africa, Kenya, Africa Germany, Holland and Italy who pick an hour each day in which to pray a Chaplet. They pray for three things: the promotion of The Divine Mercy devotion; the sick and dying in the hour they pray; and people about to commit mortal sin. To join the 24-Hour Chaplet, contact Jay via e-mail, DM7772@msn.com or via phone, 901-438-7772.

chj

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