In the year 2000, St John Paul II canonised St Faustina, a humble sister who had little education, and took on the humblest tasks for her community. Our Lord appeared to her, revealed an image of Himself which is now popular worldwide, and asked for the observance of a feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter. St John Paul established the feast and granted a plenary indulgence.

The devotion to the Divine Mercy is not a new message but a new presentation of something taught by Christ and by the Church from the beginning: that God is merciful and that He calls us to be merciful and forgiving to one another. He also invites us to trust in Christ without reserve.

The Divine Mercy devotion reminds us that our faith must be fruitful in good works, especially in mercy to others. This is especially needed today when broken relationships cause so much long-term resentment, leading to a vicious circle of further hurt.

Our Lord is also shown as the refuge and shelter for souls that trust in Him, especially for poor sinners who might despair of forgiveness or feel that they are not worthy to receive the mercy of God. By His mercy, God can take human frustration, self-loathing, and disgust, and forge a deeper sorrow which is supernatural, motivated by the love of God, and genuinely healing, accompanied by a firm and effective resolution to change one’s life and become truly a disciple of Christ.

The risen Lord who appeared to the disciples, sent the Holy Spirit upon them and gave them the power to remit sins through the sacrament of Penance as the first gift of His mercy to the nascent Church.