Abbey-Roads2

The memorial of his passion and death. 

Legend has it Our Lady retraced the steps of our Lord’s passion every day she remained in Jerusalem.  Many saints and devout people have likewise meditated daily upon the Passion, even during the week of Easter. 

I mention this, because another objection I’ve heard from priests regarding the devotion to the Divine Mercy within the Easter season is that the prayers focus one on the passion of Christ, at a time when the faithful ought to be contemplating the resurrected Christ.  I disagree, especially since our Lord, when manifesting his risen body to the disciples, “showed them his wounds” - nothing less than a sign of his suffering and death.

I also think some people may fail to recognize the Eucharistic aspect of the devotion to the Divine Mercy.  Indeed, the prayers of the chaplet seem to me to unite one specifically to the offering of the holy sacrifice of the Mass.  (As we know, the sacrifice of the Mass is the sacrifice of Calvary, and the Eucharist is the memorial of his passion.  That is just basic Catholic doctrine.)

Meditate the prayer of the chaplet: “Eternal Father, we offer you the most precious body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.  For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

It is easy to recognize this is a perfect prayer of union with all the Masses being celebrated throughout the world, as well as our Lord’s silent loving action in the Holy Eucharist, the memorial of his passion.  Never let anyone tell you it is an inappropriate devotion - it is a Paschal feast for the entire Church.