Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday. It’s kind of a newer devotion, even for Catholics.
Here’s your background: in the 1920’s, a nun from Poland (Sister Faustina) started receiving visions of Jesus who urged her to spread this particular message that Jesus wanted to pour mercy, mercy, mercy upon his people. (My favorite elements of the visions she received are (1) if you implore Divine Mercy for someone else who is dying, then Jesus stands before the dying person and the Father at the hour of death “not as the Just Judge but as the Merciful Savior” and (2) even if a “sinner most hardened” prayed the chaplet only once, Jesus would attend to Him with all mercy. Kind of makes you want to pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy in front of a hardened dying sinner, doesn’t it? And mix the two elements? No? That’s only me? Fair. Fair enough).
More background: there was a Polish man who became Pope. Maybe you’ve heard of him? St. John Paul II? Helped bring down communism in Poland? Ring any bells?
Most of all background: Then-Pope John Paul II knew about St. Faustina and promoted her message…to the point of assigning the Sunday after Easter “Divine Mercy Sunday,” a day where we celebrate and implore Christ’s mercy.
In the spirit of the nun and the Pope and the spirituality from a certain nation:
[INSERT ROUGH TRANSITION HERE]. [SHAMELESSLY].
I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and, if you want, we can talk about them.
And, if you don’t want, YOU GUYS! There’s an entire world of internets out there! Yours for the taking!
Anyway.
I’m in training for work for the next few days (pray for me), so my coping methods are (1) pray and (2) exercise and (3) talk to friends and (4) FIND SOME FABRIC TO TOUCH, apparently.
Today, after training, I was like, “Should I go home and collapse…or should I go to the fabric store? I can touch the fabrics and see the colors.”
The plan is to attend a wedding in May. And my mom said, “What dress are you wearing for that wedding?”
And I said, “I don’t know, maybe my navy one?”
And my mom said, “Why don’t you make a new dress?”
And I said, “WHY DON’T I MAKE A NEW DRESS?”
(Caution: maybe it’s a bad idea to look up vintage yellow dresses on Pinterest. It probably is. Don’t fall into the temptations I have fallen into).
Alas. I have yet to find material that speaks to my heart. Pray for me.
OH, WAIT, I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE.
Remember the block prints I’ve been working with?
GUYS. I researched a bit of inks and I test-printed this weekend. Do you want to see?
WELL, LOOK NO FURTHER.
Does the littler one look pensive and suspicious in the photo? Because she kind of does in real life, too.
Ha!! Anyway. That’s that. I have more ideas for incorporating this into my life, of course. OH, AND A MILLION OTHER IDEAS. Pray for me. 😉
(MAYBE EVEN A CHAPLET O’ DIVINE MERCY.)
I would highly suggest you and anyone else who reads this read, The Diary of Saint Faustina!! This Prayer/Devotion CAN heal this broken world. <3