Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Every time we pray the “Hail Mary” prayer, we pray for the sacred hour of our death. In so doing, we entrust that hour to our Blessed Mother so that she will intercede for us at the moment we need it the most. Another holy prayer to pray in preparation for that hour is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Too often we fear the moment of our death. And though this is understandable to a certain extent, we...

The content of your daily speech is a clear reflection of the content of your soul. So what does your speech reflect? Very often you may find that your conversations throughout the day have been about superficial and worldly matters. Though some casual conversations of this sort are normal and healthy, you should also be able to point to regular conversations that speak of the glory of God and you...

Do you ever struggle with making the right moral decision? This happens as a result of our fallen human nature. We are easily confused in life and can easily fail to grasp the Mind and Will of God. So what should you do? Know that your conscience is a sanctuary to which the Lord must be invited. When invited, He will come and dwell there to teach you all things. When facing decisions in life, pray...

There are times in life when fear enters into your life. You may have some daunting task before you, or may be walking down a path of the unknown. These, and many other experiences in life, can become a cause for fear and anxiety. Fear of the unknown can especially become all consuming. But it need not be if the Lord is with you and is your constant Refuge. Jesus desires that you turn to Him in ch...

One painful experience you may face is that of the rash judgment by another. At times, others will look at you with judgment and disdain for reasons out of your control. Perhaps they will identify some small fault and magnify it in such a way that they use it as the lens through which they see your whole life. This can be quite painful and can evoke much disordered emotion. But it doesn’t have to....

Imagine the scene of our Blessed Mother in the humble state of the Nativity. She had no home at that moment other than this place where animals gathered. Yet in the stillness of that holy night, she was at home as she gazed upon her Child with the deepest adoration and love. She gazed in silence as He lay sleeping on the hay . This must be an image of your soul. You are called to enter into the hu...

Little children can’t wait to grow up. When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older. And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways. The same is true of us in a spiritual sense. We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God. And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still ch...

Human suffering is one of the greatest mysteries of life. The Diary of Saint Faustina, as well as the whole spiritual tradition of our faith, reveals much about this profound mystery of suffering. First, from a purely secular point of view, suffering is far from desirable. In fact, it is typically avoided at all costs and seen as the greatest of tragedies. However, from a Christian perspective, su...

In order to be truly close to someone else, and to understand them on a deep level, is it necessary to speak continually and to share every detail of your mind and heart? Not if both souls are intimately united with God. In that case, very little has to be said in order for each person to recognize a shared unity and to understand the other. When God is alive in each person, it is His presence tha...

Does it matter what others think of you? In other words, should you be concerned about the “opinions” of others? Yes and no. No, we should not be concerned in the sense that the only “opinion” that matters is that which is true. And the Truth is that which is in the Mind of God. And that Truth is not an opinion, it is the Truth. So, no, we ought not worry about opinions that do not reflect the Min...

There are countless opportunities all around us to share the Mercy of God with those in need. But it is all too easy to miss these opportunities to do so. One primary way that we allow ourselves to become instruments of Divine Mercy is by seeking to continually be attentive to the many interior inspirations sent to us by the Holy Spirit. It’s not so much a matter of looking for these opportunities...

When a loved one dies, it is easy to instantly presume they are in Heaven and are no longer in need of our prayers. But one of the greatest gifts we can offer to those who have gone before us is our prayers. It’s true that every person who dies in a state of grace (meaning they do not have unrepented mortal sin), will enter into the glories of Heaven, eventually. However, what we may often forget...

Do you want to become an instrument of the unfathomable Mercy of God? If so, you do this by your deeds, your words and your prayers. First, you must constantly be on the “lookout” for opportunities to show Mercy by your deeds. Too often, when given the opportunity (such as to forgive another), we turn the other way. But we must be vigilant and committed to seeking these opportunities out and rejoi...

All of us are aware of the sacred Passion of our Lord. But few are able to gaze upon His Passion with true feeling and love. In our prayer, we must learn to meditate upon the Passion of our Lord with great devotion. This is not so much something we do by our own effort; rather, it’s something that we allow our Lord to do in us. We must allow Him to reveal to us the great suffering He went through...

Jesus deeply desires to pour forth His Divine Mercy into your soul. He desires to transform your sin and make you His perfect dwelling place. This is a gift beyond what we can grasp, but one we are invited to accept. Accepting the countless graces from our Lord is not only for our good, it’s also for the good of others. Jesus wants you to become holy in every way out of love for you, as His precio...

Falling in love can leave one “spellbound.” This form of human love may leave you speechless to a certain extent, not finding it necessary, or even possible, to accurately express what you feel. But the love of God is beyond any experience of human love and, thus, when experienced on a profound level, you will find yourself sitting back in awe and admiration of the God whom you love. No words will...

Every reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.” But do you? Trust is not only a one time act. It’s not something we do or do not do. It’s something we must do on a continually deepening level. There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called. The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn...

It is important to recognize the existence of the evil one, satan. And it’s important to realize his anger and hatred. His hatred is of greater intensity than we may be able to understand. It is beyond his control to cease hating us and seeking to destroy us with all his powers. Why is it important to know this? Because when we receive some attack from the evil one, either directly or through the...

Only in Heaven will we understand the gift of the angelic hosts. These magnificent spiritual beings were created by God out of love. Some were created for the sole purpose of eternal worship and adoration of the Most Holy Trinity. They never tire of this calling and worship God with an ever deepening love and communion. Other angelic beings were created to bring the love and Mercy of God to us. Th...

In your relations with others, do you sometimes feel misunderstood? It could be by a close family member, a friend, a coworker, etc. The problem is that the content of your mind, heart, will, intention, and all of your past experiences are what go into directing your actions. And no one understands all of this except God. We do not even fully understand what we do and why we do it most of the time...

Sometimes we tend to push the Will of God faster than God has chosen to move. As a result, we end up doing our own will and not that of God’s. The key is patience. We must patiently wait upon the Lord for Him to act in us so that He is the one doing all things through us. In fact, the act of patience is something that God desires greatly in our lives. Through patience, we are able to let go of our...

Perhaps it’s no surprise to hear it said that the Mercy of God is infinite. But “infinity” is quite a concept to grasp. In fact, some would argue that it is impossible to grasp. Delving into something that is infinite and has no bounds is beyond what we could ever fathom. So it is with the Mercy of God. Being infinite, we should realize that we will spend eternity, an infinite existence, seeking a...

When you pray, do you ever sit and gaze upon the crucifix? From an outside perspective, the crucifix is a puzzling reality. Why would we lift high and honor such a horrific event? The brutal murder of the Son of God may not be, at first, something we are attracted to. Yet, the crucifix has a power and a draw for those who gaze upon it in faith because it is not only a horrific and brutal murder, i...

If you were to examine the content of your prayer life over the past month, what would you see? Hopefully there would be many moments of surrender, intercession, praise and adoration. And hopefully there were also many moments in which your prayer consisted of deep thanksgiving to God. Being grateful, truly grateful, and expressing that gratitude in prayer is powerful. We have so much to be gratef...

Do you converse with Jesus? This is a form of prayer that is most fruitful. “Conversation” with God is not the highest form of prayer, but it is a form of prayer that we often need to begin with. Conversation with God is especially fruitful when we carry some form of burden or confusion in life. When this is the case, it can be helpful to speak about this openly and honestly with our Lord. Speakin...