Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

One powerful channel of the Mercy of God is friendship with another.  But friendship can be lived on various levels.  Sometimes this bond is based on superficial and unimportant things, and at other times it’s deeply grounded in our Lord.  A sign of a deep spiritual friendship is mutual prayer.  If you have been blessed with a faith-filled friend, seal and deepen that friendship through a commitme...

One common human tendency is to talk excessively and to explain ourselves to others, especially to justify our actions in their minds.  This is especially the case when we sense that others misunderstand us.  But Jesus experienced this to the greatest degree as He stood before Herod and Pilate.  In these cases, He remained silent.  This is a lesson for us in that there are many times when our Lord...

Nothing in life has to be dreadful.  Even the greatest struggle and suffering we endure can easily be transformed by God to become a source of His Mercy and our sanctification.  But there is one thing that would be truly dreadful if it were to come upon us.  And that one thing is the Day of Judgment if we were to remain closed to the Mercy of God through our obstinance and refusal to humbly repent...

There are days when you most likely feel overwhelmed on account of one thing or another.  It may be that you find yourself with much responsibility and are anxious about being able to properly fulfill your duties well.  Or you may feel overwhelmed for the opposite reason, finding that life seems to be at a standstill and you are not sure what to do next.  In these moments, of feeling overwhelmed,...

Sometimes, those who are quite “religious” speak of many “religious” things.  They speak pious language and talk about holy things.  But in the end, it may be that all they say and do is actually said and done as a way of glorifying themselves in the sight of others.  This is the struggle of the Pharisees.  Sadly, those who struggle with this, just like the Pharisees, may even be fooling themselve...

Some people feel deeply tormented in the depths of their souls.  Sometimes this is caused by sin, sometimes it is caused by a special Mercy of God which enables the soul to experience the sufferings Jesus went through.  Whatever the case may be, if you encounter any torment, whatsoever, in the depths of your soul, know that you have a special right to the Mercy of God.  Why do you have this “right...

If you commit yourself to a full embrace of the Mercy of God in your life, you will be transformed beyond your wildest dreams.  But you will also have another experience.  You will encounter great difficulties in your attempts to live and proclaim Mercy to a fallen world.  The world does not understand the Mercy of God.  The world only knows harshness and judgment.  It seeks revenge and honors pri...

It is important to understand God and His ways, but understanding is not the same as knowing.  Knowing God means we encounter a Person.  We do not only understand what this person says; rather, we engage, meet, experience and enter into a relationship with this Person.  In fact, one of the greatest blessings we can ever receive in this life is to obtain even a single perception of God.  Even one s...

We please the evil one when we allow our souls to become lazy and idle in the things of God.  An idle soul is one that does not seek to engage the life of God.  An idle soul is one who is passive in spiritual things rather than active.  Being “passive,” means that the person is somewhat indifferent to matters of faith and morality.  There is little interest in these areas and, as a result, very li...

Our Church sets before us many teachings that can only be understood by grace.  Some teachings are about morality, calling us to a life of great virtue.  Some teachings are about God, His very being and essence.  Some teachings are about humanity and bring clarity to who we are.  What’s important to understand is that nothing that the Church teaches can be fully understood without love.  Love is l...

In one sense we can say that God imposes upon us an obligation to turn to Him with our whole being and receive His Mercy.  He also imposes upon us the obligation to spread His Mercy to others.  But we must understand that this is no ordinary “obligation.”  It’s an obligation of love.  This means that the “imposition” of this obligation is no imposition at all.  It is something that God gives us co...

Imagine that you were guilty of a serious crime and faced life in prison.  You were sorry for what you had done and fully confessed to it.  On the day of your sentencing you came in handcuffed from where you were being held knowing that you would soon return.  Instead, the judge ordered that your shackles be removed, that you were to receive a full pardon and that you were being granted a complete...

Do you understand the mysteries of God?  Imagine that you were a theologian who studied the faith of our Church for many years.  Would knowledge of all the theological disciplines of our Church necessarily produce in you an authentic understanding of these mysteries that were studied?  No, it wouldn’t necessarily produce understanding.  In fact, it is entirely possible that while knowing all about...

What is “doubt?”  To doubt is to lack faith, and to lack faith is to lack trust in the perfect revelation and plan of God’s Will.  First and foremost, a doubt, resulting from a lack of faith, means you are not listening.  When we doubt God, His plan and all that He reveals to us, we are left on our own.  But when we listen, hear, understand and believe, we are covered in the protection of His Merc...

A mother’s love could be described as “fierce” in the sense that she would willingly give her life for the protection of her children.  A motherly instinct kicks in when her child is in danger, hurting, or in need, and she loses all sense of her own well-being in favor of the protection of her child.  So it is with the Mother of God.  You are her child by grace and by the Will of Jesus her Son.  A...

Do you work hard?  Do you strive to be good?  Do you want to make a positive difference?  It is certainly good to try to be good.  But in so doing, we must never think that our “goodness” is truly good in the eyes of God, unless it is Divine Love that has become the source of all activity in our lives.  Humility enables us to turn our eyes to the One and Only source of goodness in our lives.  And...

Overcoming sin requires the Mercy of God.  Too often we attempt to overcome sin through our own effort.  This is a futile exercise in that you will never overcome your own sin through your own effort.  There is one way and one way only to rid yourself of the sin you struggle with, and that is done by turning to the transforming power of God poured out through the Mercy of the Cross of Christ.  It’...

Normally, an arrow wounds and kills.  Arrows have been used throughout history for war and for hunting.  But a spiritual arrow of Mercy is much different.  Recall the words of Simeon the Prophet spoken to our Blessed Mother, “And you yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35).  And at the Crucifixion, recall that, “One soldier thrust his lance into [Jesus’] side, and immediately blood and water flo...

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A real danger to the spiritual life could be termed “spiritual hoarding.”  This would be the person who attempts to make themselves the end of God’s Mercy rather than become an instrument of God’s Mercy.  By attempting to be an end of God’s Mercy, a person becomes spiritually greedy, seeking spiritual things for their own purpose.  This is a form of pride.  Praying becomes an act by which one seek...

The peace of the Lord is like a fortress in which we must take refuge from all the outer attacks from the evil one.  Outside of this fortress we are exposed to all of these malicious attacks.  The darts of anger, oppression, deceit and envy can do us great damage without the sacred protection of the Peace of God.  But within the walls of this fortress, the Lord protects us from all that seeks to d...

The calyx of a flower is the outer leaf surrounding the forming petals, keeping them safe as they develop.  It forms a sort of “nursery” for the tender petals to grow.  As they grow within this hidden place, the calyx keeps them safe.  And once they become developed, the calyx opens and reveals the beauty within.  So it is with your soul.  The “calyx of your soul” is a gift from God protecting you...

Imagine being given the task of counting every grain of sand in the world.  It would obviously be an impossible task.  In fact, all the people in the world could not accomplish such a task together.  Some things are simply beyond us.  Another task that would even be more difficult to accomplish is to fully fathom the Mercy of God.  This is impossible.  The Mercy of God is completely beyond us.  It...

Anniversaries are blessed opportunities for reflection and gratitude.  Some anniversaries are joyous, such as the anniversary of spouses celebrating a long and holy marriage.  Other anniversaries are difficult, such as the anniversary of the death of a loved one.  Yet even in the difficulty of reliving the loss, it is a yearly reminder of your love for that person.  There are many annual celebrati...

Imagine what it would be like if you could somehow be mystically transported to the night of Holy Thursday.  And imagine if you could somehow see and experience everything that Jesus went through.  Imagine the Agony in the Garden, the ridicule and harsh treatment, the mockery, the night alone in prison, the trial, the scourging, the carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion.  This would be too muc...