By Marc Massery
Turn to any page of St. Faustina’s Diary and you’ll find spiritual gems. Like this one:
Once, as I was going down the hall to the kitchen, I heard these words in my soul: Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (Diary, 687).
Do you ever get frustrated by your own tendency to sin? If you’re like me, you’ve tried again and again to cut certain sins out of your life only to end up falling the next chance you get. If you let it, frustration can turn into hardness of heart. If you have ever felt like this, you might've found it difficult to pray and a struggle to avoid sin.
Well, I have good news. Jesus has given us a prayer that is guaranteed to soften our hearts: the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Jesus says that even if the most hardened sinner recited the Chaplet of Divine Mercy once, he would receive grace. How much more then would we receive grace, we who go to God every day?
Maybe you’ve said the Chaplet hundreds of times and you’re still frustrated. Try saying it especially slowly, from the heart, trusting that no matter what, God has nothing but plans of love and mercy for you. Remember, He loves you even in your weakness and sinfulness. In the midst of your trials, He only needs your trust.
By the way, since many are stuck at home and away from the Sacraments as a result of the pandemic, the Holy See has amended the conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence. They've also included the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as an indulgenced prayer:
This Apostolic Penitentiary also willingly grants a Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions on the occasion of the current world epidemic, also to those faithful who … [recite] the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. …” as long as the faithful have “the will to fulfil the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father's intentions), as soon as possible.
All the more reason to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet!
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Photo by Raychan on Unsplash
