Divine Mercy Sunday is observed on the second Sunday of Easter and is primarily a Catholic religious observance. This year’s event occurs on April 16. It is a significant time for Christian faith reflection. According to Pope John Paul II, “it is a time when divine mercy reaches us through the heart of the crucified Christ.” Divine Mercy Sunday focuses on the gifts that flowed from Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection: his mercy and love freely given to humanity after such betrayal. Divine Mercy Sunday concludes the Easter season and celebrates the ultimate gift that Christ bestowed upon the world after his crucifixion.
HISTORY OF DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
The history of Divine Mercy Sunday, also known as “the Feast of the Divine Mercy,” dates back countless centuries. However, the Vatican did not officially recognise the day until the year 2000. Pope John Paul II designated the Sunday following Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. Since that time, Catholics all over the world have noted it as a religious holiday on the General Roman Calendar.
St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who received visions from Christ himself, is responsible for the significance of the day. She was born in 1905 and served her parish well. On multiple occasions, she communed with Jesus, who told her that he desired to be “a refuge and a shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.” St. Faustina, also known as the “Secretary of Divine Mercy,” died of Tuberculosis in 1938 at the age of 33 in Krakow, Poland.
Divine Mercy Sunday is a day for those who feel unworthy of God’s love and Jesus’ acceptance. In a vision, he told St. Faustina, “I bestow a vast ocean of graces on those souls who approach My mercy.” Divine Mercy Sunday has been a source of reconciliation with faith and God’s mercy since its inception. It provides a specific day for people from all walks of life to humble themselves before God and ask for his mercy, love, and forgiveness, which he grants to all who are willing to ask. It is also about forgiveness and mercy, how Jesus extended them to us and how we should live our lives in response.
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Five Interesting Catholicism Facts
The Vatican is both a nation and a city.
The Vatican was officially recognised as a nation in 1928.
The largest Christian faith group
Catholicism is the largest Christian denomination, with more than 1.3 billion adherents.
The Devil’s Advocate is legitimate.
There is an official position within the Catholic Church known as “Advocate Diaboli,” which translates to “Devil’s Advocate.”
Catholics were not kind to heretics.
In 1536, William Tyndale translated the Bible into English and was tried for heresy, suffocated, pierced, and burned at the stake.
The highest per capita crime rate
With a population of approximately 500, the Vatican has a crime rate of 133.6%, indicating that more crimes are committed than there are “citizens” who can commit them.
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | April 24 | Sunday |
| 2023 | April 16 | Sunday |
| 2024 | April 7 | Sunday |
| 2025 | April 27 | Sunday |
| 2026 | April 12 | Sunday |
