Divine Mercy and Protestants

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Nelka

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I love the Divine Mercy but it is slightly different talking to Protestants about this than it is talking about Marian apparitions.

They have a tendency to quote Matthew 24:23-27 'If anyone says to you then, “Look, here is the Christ,” or “Over here,” do not believe it; for false Christs and false prophets will arise and provide great signs and portents, enough to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. Look! I have given you warning. 'If, then, they say to you, “Look, he is in the desert,” do not go there; “Look, he is in some hiding place,” do not believe it; because the coming of the Son of man will be like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into the west.

So how do I explain that an apparition of this kind is different to a second coming of Jesus wandering around the world or being born a second time?

I am sure some of you have had some success with getting past this.

Thanks.
 
There are copious amounts of Protestants who have claimed to have heard the voice of the Lord or received a sign from God. Why would a more obvious/upfront instruction from Christ be any different?
 
Nelka said:
I love the Divine Mercy but it is slightly different talking to Protestants about this than it is talking about Marian apparitions.

They have a tendency to quote Matthew 24:23-27 'If anyone says to you then, “Look, here is the Christ,” or “Over here,” do not believe it; for false Christs and false prophets will arise and provide great signs and portents, enough to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. Look! I have given you warning. 'If, then, they say to you, “Look, he is in the desert,” do not go there; “Look, he is in some hiding place,” do not believe it; because the coming of the Son of man will be like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into the west.

So how do I explain that an apparition of this kind is different to a second coming of Jesus wandering around the world or being born a second time?

I am sure some of you have had some success with getting past this.

Thanks.
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The best way to talk to Protestants about things like Divine Mercy is to point out that the Catholic Church investigates very carefully and seriously these sorts of visions or apparitions. Divine Mercy was not immediately approved of at first. St. JP II was familiar with it being from Poland and he was the one that had it reinvestigated and approved. I think it would be better when talking with Protestants, especially those that don’t believe that God used these sorts of things for today is that the Catholic Church looks into and investigates visions, miracles and apparitions. They are not just accepted because someone thought they had a vision as in the case with a number of Charismatic/pentecostal churches. I would make that comparison instead.
 
TeenageConvert said:
There are copious amounts of Protestants who have claimed to have heard the voice of the Lord or received a sign from God. Why would a more obvious/upfront instruction from Christ be any different?
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Yes, but those in Protestant circles that believe ins visions and voices from God have no formal Church structure to investigate and approve what is genuine and what is fake. The Catholic Church has that authority and ability to do so. Likewise, there is a big fundamentalist/evangelical thinking that all miracle, visions etc. ended with the cannon of the Bible and since we have the Bible, these things have stopped. The Catholic Church does not put stock in private and personal revelation which is what things like divine Mercy fall under. Only after serious investigation into the vision and the visionaries life are these sorts of things “approved” and they are not required to be followed like dogma and doctrine are. They are just devotional tools which is what Divine Mercy is. This likewise can be pointed out to Protestants based on what camp they are from.
 
I can think of no reason why non- Catholic Christians should object to the Divine Mercy. Maybe they would object to the 1 Hail Mary in this devotion, or this idea they have regarding “vain repetition.” Who knows? I’ve heard that Rick Warren and his wife pray it on a regular basis.
 
I honestly don’t know the best way to approach this. As a protestant, I found St Faustina’s diary quite hard going, but I love the chaplet and often pray it as I’m on the school run. I have a number of friends who believe they’ve heard from God (I believe I have myself) and would see nothing wrong with sharing a ‘word’ they’d received so I don’t really see the difference, except, as others have pointed out, there are more checks and balances in the Catholic church for these sorts of things.
 
Peace be with you Brother/sister Nelka.

Check this:

In Acts 1:10-11
And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold, two men [dressed] in white robes suddenly stood beside them,
Who said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven, will return in [just] the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven.

We believe that Jesus will return in Glory to Judge the Living and the Dead.

If someone does not come “in Glory”, can he claim to be Jesus? Not if he was born of a mother’s womb.

Hope this makes sense.

Dominus vobiscum.

Andrew
 
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