On the Second Sunday of Easter of the Jubilee Year 2000, at the Mass for the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul II proclaimed to the world that “from now on throughout the Church” this Sunday will be called “Divine Mercy Sunday.” Our Lord insisted that it be celebrated on a specific day – the Sunday after Easter!

Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina His desire to literally flood us with His graces on that day. Just consider each of the promises and desires that He expressed about Mercy Sunday, which are recorded in the main passage of the Diary — passage 699 — about Mercy Sunday:



“On that day the very depths of My tender Mercy are open.
I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon these souls who approach the Fount of My mercy [the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist]. The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.”


“Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity…tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near.” (965) Wake up people of the World, and repent of your sins, this just might be our last hope of salvation!
“Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy … I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it” (742).

“And who knows anything about this feast? No one! Even those who should be proclaiming My mercy and teaching people about it often do not know about it themselves. That is why I want the image to be solemnly blessed on the First Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it.” (Diary 341)

Thus, to fittingly observe the Feast of Mercy, we should:

1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter;
2. Sincerely repent of all our sins;
3. Place our complete trust in Jesus;
4. Go to Confession, preferably before that Sunday;
5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;
6. Venerate* the Image of The Divine Mercy;
7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf.

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Requirements for the Divine Mercy Sunday:

* To observe this feast we should commence a Novena to the Divine Mercy on Good Friday, the Novena includes special intentions for each day and is concluded with the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

* Celebrate the feast on the first Sunday after Easter.

* Come to Jesus with a humble and contrite heart, repent of all your sins.

* Firmly trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus.

* Go to confession (with a priest) on that day if possible, otherwise seven days before or after the feast, as approved by the Church..

* Receive Holy Communion on the Day of the Feast.

* Venerate the image of Divine Mercy.

* Be merciful as God is merciful. Practice works of Mercy, physically by helping others or spiritually by prayers of intercession.

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Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday

In a decree dated August 3, 2002, the Apostolic Penitentiary announced that in order “to ensure that the faithful would observe this day (Divine Mercy Sunday) with intense devotion, the Supreme Pontiff himself established that this Sunday be enriched by a plenary indulgence…so that the faithful might receive in great abundance the gift of the consolation of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they can foster a growing love for God and for their neighbor, and after they have obtained God’s pardon, they in turn might be persuaded to show a prompt pardon to their brothers and sisters.

Requirements for Divine Mercy Sunday Plenary Indulgence:

1. Attend the holy sacrifice of the mass on the Sunday after Easter or its Saturday vigil

2. Have completed a sacramental confession (within a reasonable amount of time, specified as 8 days for the regular plenary indulgence)

3. Receive Eucharistic Communion (of course, in the state of grace, no mortal sin)

4.A prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff

5. Ask for Divine Mercy
The special indulgence is earned when they meet the

basic requirements and then, “with a soul totally

detached from affection to any sin, even venial,

participate in the pious practices undertaken in

honour of divine mercy, or at least recite in the

presence of the Blessed Sacrament, the Our Father,

the Creed and a pious invocation to the merciful Lord

Jesus,” such as “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you”

Jesus asks us that we be merciful so it is desireable but not necessary that the person perform an act of mercy on this Sunday, such as visiting those in need or difficulty, such as the sick, elderly, lonely, handicapped or imprisoned, praying for the needy, or penance as an act of mercy.

If someone is physically unable to attend mass and receive communion on that day through no fault of their own they can make a spiritual communion and that will suffice.

Approved Prayer for Spiritual Communion:

“Oh Jesus I believe you are in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I long for you in my soul. Since I can not now receive you Sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You had already come, I embrace you and unite myself entirely to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

Source: http://www.francismary.org/divine-mercy-sunday-feast-of-divine-mercy-all-you-need-to-know/

For his sake of his sorrowful passion