Divine Mercy: Where Hope And Healing Are Found

On June 7, 1997, on a visit to the Shrine of Divine Mercy, in Krakow, Poland, St. John Paul II shared these thoughts on the Divine Mercy:

Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears.

There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God.”

To him, these were not just words or a nice sentiment to share with those in attendance. He is the epitome of living a life filled with Divine Mercy. Before the age the 21, he had experienced the loss of his siblings and both parents. His brother passed away after treating a patient with scarlet fever, which was at an epidemic level at the time. On May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Agca attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square. Praise God, he survived the attempt. In 1983, he visited Agca and conveyed his forgiveness to him. It was an earthly display of the merciful heart of Jesus. Pope John Paull II lived a life soaked in Divine Mercy. It was no coincidence that he passed away on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, 2005.

We often go through life, defining ourselves by our worst sin. This can continually keep us down. God loves us with his divine mercy. Every part of us that feels condemned, our Heavenly Father wants to turn into a fountain of life.

Hope and Healing

In times where I feel fearful or uncertain, the simple prayer of Jesus, I trust in you brings me peace. This is a peace that can only be provided by invoking the holy name of Jesus and placing my complete trust in him. In my 40 years of life, I have experienced a sudden loss of a loved one, a foot amputation, endured End Stage Renal Failure, dialysis, and blessed with a Kidney Transplant from a Living Donor. Through these moments, I felt pain, sadness, anxiety, fear of my own death, as well as a feeling of blessed beyond my worthiness. In each of these moments, Jesus, I trust in you helped me rise above and proceed without fear. It has never failed me.

I will share one of these moments with you. The morning of my Kidney Transplant, I was asked to check-in at the hospital at 9:00am. It was midday when they called me to the back area to be prepped for surgery. For one reason or another, I was in the Pre-Op area for a longer period of time than expected. I was there long enough for several family members and friends to visit and pray with me. Then the moment arrived, the nurse informed my wife and I, it was time. As I said goodbye to my wife, I glanced at the clock as the nurse wheeled me towards the operating room, it was 3:00pm. I thought to myself, Jesus, I trust in you. As the anesthesiologist began to administer the cocktail of medication into my veins, I thought to myself, Jesus, I trust in you. Thanks be to God; the transplant was a success! I learned later, that when my wife walked back to the waiting area, my parents and friends were already praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy for my intention.

It has now been 15 months since my transplant. Looking back through the physical suffering and uncertainty, I am thanking for it. These experiences have brought me closer to God and to love him with all that I have. I recall the words St. Faustina wrote in her Diary (entry 57),

Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering the purer the love.

Call To Action

God is calling you to be an ambassador of mercy. I invite you to open your heart to the person you resist the most with open hands of faith and mercy.

Why you may ask?

God wants more for you.

How could I do this, you may ask? Try this simple pray before you do so:

Lord, help me receive your mercy, so I can bring it to the world. Amen

Answering Christ’s call, Pilgrim Center of Hope guides people to encounter Him so as to live in hope, as pilgrims in daily life.