Fatima and the Divine Mercy Devotion๏ปฟ
The Message of Fatima and the Divine Mercy Devotion are really complementary and thus belong together. Just as Our Lady of Fatima promised peace for the world if true devotion to her Immaculate Heart became widespread, so Jesus told St Faustina that mankind would not have peace until it turned with trust to his mercy. This is a good example of the way that these twin devotions to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary are inseparable.
Divine Mercy Origins
On Friday, September 13, 1935, Jesus revealed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Sr. Faustina, as a means of obtaining God’s mercy for the world. She described what happened:
“In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath. He was clothed in a dazzling robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the cloud bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his hands;... When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to strike the earth, I began to implore the Angel to hold off for a few moments, the world would do penance. But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of the divine anger.
“Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity. The greatness of Its majesty pierced me deeply, and I did not dare to repeat my entreaties. At that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus’ grace, [and] When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. ... I found myself pleading with God for the world with words I heard interiorly.
“As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel’s helplessness; he could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then ..."
When Sr. Faustina entered the chapel the next morning, she heard an interior voice telling her to recite the prayer she had been taught the previous day every time she came into the chapel. Jesus said to her:
“This prayer will serve to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner. First of all, you will say one Our Father and Hail Mary and the I Believe in God. Then on the Our Father beads you will say the following words: “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” On the Hail Mary beads, you will say the following words: ‘For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.’ In conclusion, three times you will recite these words: ‘Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.’”
Jesus asked that this chaplet be said by Sr. Faustina’s community, and then spread throughout the world. The parallel between the above vision and part of the contents of the third secret of Fatima, as recorded by Sr. Lucia, and revealed in June 2000, is quite striking:
“At the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’”
Note also the date of Sr. Faustina’s vision – 13 September - the anniversary of the fifth apparition at Fatima on 13 September 1917.
In late September 1936, Jesus amplified the message about the Feast of Mercy:
“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. ... The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My mercy.”
Later on, she heard Jesus say: “I want to grant a plenary indulgence to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy.”
The official celebration of the Feast of the Divine Mercy by the Church, on the Second Sunday of Easter, was publicly declared by Pope John Paul II during the homily for Sr. Faustina’s canonisation on 30 April 2000, and an official decree to this effect was issued on 5 May 2000.
The substance of this message was repeated at least fourteen times to Sr. Faustina, indicating its importance, and again there seems to be a definite connection to Fatima, one which emphasizes the bond between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It will be recalled that during the apparition on 13 July 1917 the Blessed Virgin had said: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a of peace will be granted to the world.”
The Divine Mercy message and Russia
Regarding Russia, mention of this country is also found in St Faustina’s writings. In her diary entry for 16 December 1936, she writes, “I have offered this day for Russia. I have offered all my sufferings and prayers for that poor country. After Holy Communion, Jesus said to me, ‘I cannot suffer that country any longer. Do not tie my hands, My daughter.’
“I understood that if it had not been for the prayers of souls that are pleasing to God, that whole nation would have already been reduced to nothingness. Oh, how I suffer for that nation which has banished God from its borders!
Thus, we can see a clear link between the Divine Mercy revelations given to Sr. Faustina and the message of Fatima. Jesus said, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My mercy,” that is his Sacred Heart, while Mary emphasized that there would only be peace when devotion to her Immaculate Heart was world-wide.
Relevance for the future
It seems that Sr. Faustina had a clear premonition of the coming of World War II, and was aware that it would mean particular suffering for Poland, a thought which led her to redouble her prayers for her homeland. In May 1938, as she prayed, she heard these words: “I bear a special love for Poland, and if she will be obedient to My will, I shall exalt her in might and holiness. From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for My final coming.”
This prediction would seem to have been fulfilled in the pontificate of John Paul II, the Pope from Poland, but also in the Divine Mercy devotion itself, and in the example and sanctity of saints such as Maximilian Kolbe, the martyr of Auschwitz, and a great Marian saint in his own right, and also one of the many Poles who gave their lives for the Faith during the Second World War.
๏ปฟ
Canon Jason Jones, the WAF national spiritual director, maintains a Divine Mercy Shrine
at his parish Sacred Heart, Morriston, Swansea, South Wales.
