COLLECT SERIES
The Mass: Collect Series Icon.
COLLECT
The Collect for Second Sunday of
Eastertide (Mercy Sunday) Year B reads as follows:
God of everlasting mercy,
Who in the very recurrence of the
paschal feast
Kindle the faith of the people You
have made Your own,
Increase, we pray the grace You have
bestowed,
That all may grasp and rightly
understand in what font they have been washed,
By whose Spirit they have been
reborn,
By whose Blood they have been
redeemed.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your
Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
In making this prayer tangible, the
following reflection questions emerged:
- How do I understand God as a God of mercy in my life?
- How can I kindle my faith this week/month/year?
- What graces has God bestowed on me over my life?
- What graces do I wish to receive from God?
- How important is my relationship with God- do I grasp and understand the meaning for my life the value of Baptism throughout my whole life?
- How will I thank God this coming week for His redemption for me?
GOSPEL REFLECTION
This Sunday is
popularly known as Mercy of God Sunday. Between 1930 and 1938 Christ appeared
to Sister Faustina, a Sister of Mercy in Poland who initiated the Divine Mercy
devotion. She was canonized on April 30, 2000, the Sunday after Easter, the
Feast of Divine Mercy. On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that Blessed
Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through
the following Saturday. Jesus also asked that a picture be painted according to
the vision of Himself as the fountain of mercy. He gave her a chaplet to be
recited and said that it was appropriate to pray the chaplet at three o'clock
each afternoon (the Hour of Great Mercy).
Jesus to Sr. Faustina
On one occasion, I heard
these words: "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.
On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow
are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as
scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be
able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come
forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation
to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. 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.
"[Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy.
They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My
daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an
appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they
ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My
compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and
inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the
door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass
through the door of My justice.
"From all My wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for
souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy. From
this fountain spring all graces for souls. The flames of compassion burn Me. I
desire greatly to pour them out upon souls. Speak to the whole world about My
mercy."
Excerpted from Diary of Sr. M. Faustina Kowalska.
It should be noted that the Church
permits that where it is not possible to go to confession on Mercy Sunday
itself, the same Divine Mercy promise applies provided the penitent receives
the sacrament within a week of the Feast either before the feast or after the
feast.
There
are many countries who are still suffering because of the restrictions of Covid
19. Attending a Divine Mercy Celebration therefore is not possible in
person. However, do not let this stop you
from celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday.
Where possible,
·
find a Divine Mercy Celebration online and/or
·
venerate the Divine Mercy Image yourself at
home.
·
Everyone can say the chaplet of Divine Mercy
personally or with other family members.
·
Say the 3 O Clock prayer.
On a
personal note, I booked in online for a Divine Mercy Celebration and was able
to get the last place. I was
delighted. However, this morning I have
a sore throat and although I have no temperature, I think attending a Divine
Mercy celebration with a sore throat would be, at least very
inconsiderate. I am so
disappointed. So I will be trying to make
the best of the situation and implementing the suggestions I have made
above.
The
important thing is that under whatever circumstances you find yourself, do your
best to honour Jesus as Divine Mercy.
Contemplate His mercy in our lives as well and express our gratitude to
Jesus for His great Mercy.
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