Devotion to the Divine Mercy

It is now a week since I began to explore the devotion to Divine Mercy. I began a novena ( is it only Catholics who say novenas??) ; I have said the Divine Mercy Chaplet; and try to say a special prayer at three o’clock. I have to confess that this devotion has been largely dependent on an iPod app! I think that the iPod is a rather good piece of spiritual kit, as you can carry it round with you everywhere. In my pocket I have Universalis – (HERE ) which is SO good, as well as prayer books a Bible and rosary beads ( and much else beside) ! I find it is a great way pray wherever you are; I much prefer to say the rosary with my iPod than with my beads! My feeling so far is that the devotion does place a great emphasis on understanding that God is full of mercy and that is - of course - a central message of the Sacred Heart. The Divine Mercy directs our attention to the importance of seeking God’s mercy for ourselves and for the world. In turn, the more we reflect that God is merciful, the more do we understand that we are called to be merciful. Reflecting on this, I recalled that in the Beatitudes Jesus says ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.’ And in the next line : “ Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.’ The more we ask for God’s mercy for ourselves and for the world, the more do we realize that without a merciful heart, we cannot and will not see God. I do not think I have ever really reflected on the mystery of God’s mercy and God’s call for humanity to exercise mercy until now. In the image of the Divine Mercy God’s loving mercy is flowing out from the heart of Jesus: we have to open ourselves to that flow of divine mercy. I think I now appreciate why it is such a powerful devotion which complements but does not replace the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Indeed, the more we meditate on the Divine Mercy, the closer we get to the heart of Jesus.