Jesus told Saint Faustina that His greatest attribute was His Divine Mercy. Saint John Paul II revealed that the happiest day in his life was the year 2000, Mercy Sunday. The Reason? Three reasons for this overflowing joy. First, because it was mercy Sunday. Second, was because he canonized the first saint in the new millennium—saint Faustina Kowalska. Third, was because the Pontiff officially announced that the Second Sunday after Easter would be Divine Mercy Sunday! His joy had no limits.
In this article we would like to present a catchy acronym of the ABCs of Divine mercy in which we will give a separate idea on how to understand and live out Divine Mercy for every letter of the alphabet. However let us start out by a quote from the text Divine Mercy in my soul, of St. Faustina Kowalsksa. These are the passionate words of Jesus who desires all of humanity to love mercy and to TRUST Him totally:
“Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from my mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is— trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is my desire to give much, very
much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts.” (Diary #1578)
A– Always ready to forgive! God is slow to anger and quick to kindness and always ready to forgive! So should we!
B— Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful. MERCY is a two-way street and not a dead-end alley. God
will forgive us and deluge us with His mercy only if we show mercy to others!
C— Charity and mercy are almost synonymous. Charity is supernatural love, the love that God has for us and the love we should have for God. Mercy is God’s abundant love forgiving the sinner.
D— “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” This is the Golden Rule. Apply it to mercy!
E– EUCHARIST AND MERCY. To be able to forgive our offenses we need God’s abundant graces and they come to us through the Eucharist, the Bread of Life…
F—FORGIVE. Jesus said: “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Forgive immediately, if not the heart grows hard and calloused toward the offender!
G—GIVE! “Give until it hurts!” These words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta refer to mercy. It is not always easy, but possible with God’s grace.
H—- Hope for heaven! God has His heavenly award waiting for those who have begged for His mercy and freely given His mercy. The Good thief died a thief because he stole heaven .(Fulton Sheen)
I— INSTANT FORGIVENESS. Jesus instantly forgave the good thief because he trusted totally in the merciful Heart of the Savior! Do you? God can forgive sinners in a mere heartbeat, if their sorrow and trust is total!
J— JESUS is the center, essence, totality, ocean of mercy in His very Person. JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
K—-KNOW His mercy in your mind, but translate it into your life. God calls us to study and know divine mercy. Why not read the “Diary of Mercy in my soul” by St. Faustina Kowalska?
L— LOVE! St. Augustine said: “Love God and do what you will”. Mercy and love are twin sisters. Why not read the magnificent hymn of love of St. Paul—I Corinthians 13!
M— MISERICORDIA. This is mercy in Latin. It is composed of two parts: “miseria”—sin is moral misery; “cordia”—meaning heart! God’s loving heart is always willing and ready to embrace our misery like the Father and the Prodigal Son. Read and meditate the Parable of the Prodigal Son: Lk. 15: 11-32.
N— NO TO REVENGE! We should never seek out revenge, but rather to forgive and be merciful. Leave the judgment to Jesus who will come to judge the living and the dead. (Creed)
O—OVERFLOWING IN KINDNESS AND MERCY. Jesus said to St. Faustina that His mercy is an infinite abyss, like an immense ocean. Even the highest realm of angels cannot understand or comprehend the depths of the mercy in the Heart of Jesus!
P— PEACE! One of the extraordinary fruits of living out mercy to its very core is interior peace of mind, heart and soul! The peace-makers are also merciful of heart!
Q—- Queen of Mercy is Mary. We pray in the Hail Holy Queen: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope…”
R— REFUGE! In all times and all places we should seek refuge in the merciful hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sacred Heart of Jesus I trust in you. Sweet Heart of Mary be my refuge and salvation!
S—SALVATION! Our salvation will come about, more than anything else in the world, by trusting in the infinite mercy of the Heart of Jesus. Let us pray: “Merciful Lord be not my judge but my merciful Redeemer.”
T– TRUST! Jesus said to Saint Faustina that the worst sin was that of a lack of TRUST in Him! The greater the sinner the more he has a right to God’s mercy. Jesus said to Saint Faustina that the greatest sinners in the world can be the greatest saints if they simply TRUST! May we pray all the days of our lives and even on our death bed: JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
U— UNIVERSAL IS HIS MERCY. The word “Catholic” actually means universal. The mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not limited to time, place nor circumstance, but is open to all if only—JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
V- VANQUISH AND VICTORS! If we have truly understood mercy, loved mercy, and lived out to the full the message and doctrine of mercy then we are VICTORS! We have conquered and the well- merited prize of eternal life awaits us! Long Live Christ the King of Mercy. “Viva Cristo el Rey de la Misericordia!”
W—- WASHED CLEAN! Confession is the Sacrament of God’s infinite mercy. Every time I have recourse to this infinite font of mercy, which is the Precious Blood of Jesus, then I am immersed in His Infinite mercy in the Sacrament of Mercy par excellence!
X— X! Jesus told Saint Faustina to make an x and to cross out her sins, by the mercy of God and to start and new life. By confession we start anew; we are new creatures. On Mercy Sunday, having confessed and receiving Holy Communion our soul becomes white as snow; it is like being baptized a second time. We return to baptismal innocence. Praise God’s mercy to the skies!
Y— YES to God like the “Yes” of Mary in the Annunciation. Nobody experienced the love and grace better than the Blessed Virgin Mary. In her Magnificat, hymn of praise, she exalts God’s
mercy: “My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior….. He has mercy on all those who fear Him…”
Z—Zeal! We should all be set on fire with zeal to spread the Good News of the mercy of Jesus. Why not start this very day to become an ardent Apostle of the Mercy of Jesus. Jesus will bless you abundantly in this life and in the life to come. Our Lady of mercy pray for us!
