How to prepare and celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy.
Saint Faustina wrote in her diary on Good Friday 1937:
Jesus is commanding me to make a novena before the Feast of Mercy, and today I am to begin it for the conversion of the whole world and for the recognition of The Divine Mercy...so that every soul will praise My goodness. I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy. (Diary entry 1059)
To observe this wonderful feast on Sunday, April 8, and receive holy grace and full forgiveness, do the following:
- Ask Jesus to help you place all your trust in the Divine Mercy of His Most Sacred Heart.
- Start a Novena to the Divine Mercy, using the Chaplet, on Good Friday, March 30, in preparation for the feast.
- Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance on Sunday, April 8, or seven days before or after, with the desire never to sin again. Be contrite and humble as you pray in front of the tabernacle.
- Receive Holy Communion on Sunday, April 8.
- Venerate the image of Divine Mercy.
- Practice works of selfless love and mercy, by helping others and offering prayers to save souls.
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My daughter, look into My Merciful Heart and reflect its compassion in your own heart and in your deeds, so that you who proclaim My mercy to the world, may yourself be aflame with it. (Diary entry 1688)