Abbey-Roads2

The novena.

Most Catholics who are familiar with the devotion to the Divine Mercy  know the novena began on Good Friday.  And most understand the conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence, which the Church grants to the faithful on the Feast of Divine Mercy, the Second Sunday of Easter.  Sadly, many also have a legalistic understanding regarding all of these things.

For instance - if someone decides today to join in the novena, they think it doesn’t “count” because they are starting 3 or 4 days late.  Or, they think their novena doesn’t “count” if they do not use the same prayers St. Faustina used.  No.  No.  No.  That is wrong.  As far as being late, remember the Gospel passage of the workers who were hired to work in the vineyard; some were hired in the morning, some at mid-day, and some late in the afternoon - at the end of the day, they all received the same wages from the landowner. (Matt. 20)  I think it is safe to assume it is much the same with our Lord regarding those of us who make novenas.

Freedom of spirit.

As far as the novena prayers, one is free to use St. Faustina’s prayers - in fact they serve as a wonderful instruction concerning the Divine Mercy.  Nevertheless, a person is free to bring whatever souls he chooses each day to the Lord.  (I bring all of you every day of the novena.)  Not everyone realizes that the novena of chaplets is what the Lord really desires.  He taught the prayers of the chaplet to Faustina, and His promises are especially attached to the chaplet… “unimaginable graces” is what he promised.

The great pardon.

Finally, there is the question of gaining a plenary indulgence.  A pleneary indulgence is the complete forgiveness of one’s sins committed since baptism, and the temporal punishment due to them.   So, if you died immediately after receiving the indulgence, you would not have to stop off in purgatory, but you would go straight to heaven.  And yes - there are precise conditions in order to gain a plenary indulgence.

The seemingly toughest condition requires the soul be completely detached from the least attachment to any venial or mortal sin.  This is most discouraging to many souls, especially since some pious persons have disseminated revelations our Lord supposedly made to other “chosen” souls declaring that few receive the complete indulgence because of their attachment to certain sins, venial or mortal.  Yet our Lord’s revelations concerning the pardon of the second Sunday of Easter to St. Faustina do not seem to be as strict as many would believe. 

Our Lord promised:  “ I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open.  The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (699)

Confidence and love.

So yes, always listen to the Church.  And yes, the Church defines the ordinary means to obtain a plenary indulgence.  Although implied, the original promises of our Lord says nothing about the normal prerequisite of complete detachment from sin.  As I said, the Church defines the requirements to obtain a plenary indulgence.  That said, I’m convinced the Lord is only limited by our level of confidence and hope.  Indeed, I believe the sinful soul can “will” to be detached from all attachment to sin, with the help of His grace.

“Pray and don’t worry”

In other words, if we find ourselves enslaved by a particular sin, mustering all of our confidence, we can pray like this: “Lord, my body, mind, and disordered affections are attached, enslaved to this or that sin(s), but my heart longs to be free of these chains, and I will, with the help of your grace, I will to be completely detached from these unlawful affections; yet I am powerless and even though I do not trust myself, Jesus, I trust in you.”

Never, ever under estimate or limit the Lord in his mercy - no one has ever been disappointed who trusts in Him.

Links:

Devotion to the Divine Mercy

Conditions for plenary indulgence.

Divine Mercy Novena