Divine Mercy Sunday: How to get 1) the Extraordinary Graces and 2) the Plenary Indulgence, during COVID shutdown

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Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, a day on which Catholics can receive both
  1. extraordinary graces promised by Our Lord directly, and
  2. a plenary indulgence offered by the Church.
Note they are two separate things. If anyone is confused by this, refer to this very good article from the Marians apostolate. The graces cannot be given away, while the indulgence can be given to a soul in Purgatory, so I generally try to get both and give the indulgence away.

First, you need to be in a state of grace. Typically, we go to confession some time before Divine Mercy Sunday. If you went to confession before Easter and you’re still in a state of grace as of Divine Mercy Sunday, then you don’t need to go again.
If you have fallen out of the state of grace, then if there are confessions in your area and you can go without it being a big worry or hardship for you, you should go again before Divine Mercy Sunday. But if there are no confessions available, or the government is not letting you out of your house, or you don’t feel you can go without putting yourself or others at risk, then just make an act of perfect contrition, resolve to go to regular confession as soon as possible when youa re able, and trust in the Lord.

Second, one would normally have to receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday or at its vigil. Obviously that’s not going to be possible for many of us this year. So, to receive the Extraordinary Graces, we follow the directions normally in place for those who are homebound and can’t get anyone to bring them Communion. Simply make a Spiritual Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday with great trust in Jesus.

Third, for the Divine Mercy Plenary Indulgence, normally we would get it by going to a church and either saying the Our Father, the Creed, and “Merciful Jesus, I Trust in You” in front of the Blessed Sacrament, or alternatively by participating in a Divine Mercy Devotion, which usually consists of praying the chaplet as a group. But the Vatican also provided, even way before this shutdown, that people who can’t get to church on Divine Mercy Sunday, such as the sick, their caregivers, those at sea or performing an essential community function that can’t be postponed, and anyone who for “just cause” can’t leave their home, can get the plenary by saying the Our Father, the Creed, and “Merciful Jesus, I Trust in You!” in front of a Divine Mercy image. If you can’t get to confession or Communion, then the Manual says you should just resolve to do these things as soon as possible.

In addition, this year the Vatican has also decreed that you can get a plenary indulgence for reciting the Divine Mercy chaplet for the specific virus-related intentions stated in their decree (to ask God for an end to the pandemic, relief for all those afflicted, and eternal salvation for those who have died).

Please note that none of the above requires you to watch Divine Mercy devotions on TV or streaming. You can if you want, but it’s not required.

In my next post I will put Step by Step instructions.
 
Step By Step Instructions for How to Get your Divine Mercy Sunday Extraordinary Graces and Divine Mercy Sunday Plenary Indulgence:
  1. Before Divine Mercy Sunday:
    Examine your conscience to see if you’re in a state of grace. If you went before Easter and you’re still in a state of grace, then you don’t need to go again.
    If you’re not in a state of grace, and you can go to confession without it being a big risk, then go.
    If you need to go to confession but can’t get there because it’s not available or would be a big risk, then just make an act of Perfect Contrition and resolve to go to confession as soon as possible when it’s available.
  2. On Divine Mercy Sunday or its vigil: get the Extraordinary Graces from Jesus for yourself, by making a Spiritual Communion with great trust in Jesus.
    You can do this during a streaming Mass if you’re watching anyway for Sunday Mass, or you can do it separately from Mass.
  3. On Divine Mercy Sunday: get the plenary indulgence from the Church, for yourself or to give away to a soul in Purgatory, by making a Spiritual Communion (can be the same one as in (2)), being detached from all sin, and reciting out loud in front of a Divine Mercy image (holy card, picture, or image on your electronic device screen) the Our Father, the Creed, and “Merciful Jesus, I trust in You!” Also recite out loud some prayers of your choice (such as Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be) for the Holy Father’s Intentions.
Here is a Divine Mercy image you can pray in front of, so it’s all here in one post for you:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Alternatively, you can get the Plenary Indulgence this year under the Vatican’s special decree, by reciting the Divine Mercy chaplet for the Vatican’s stated intentions regarding the coronavirus (to ask God for an end to the pandemic, relief for all those afflicted, and eternal salvation for those who have died), and also reciting out loud some prayers of your choice for the Holy Father’s intentions. Note that you can get the same plenary indulgence for the Chaplet on any other day as long as the Vatican decree is in force, not just on Divine Mercy Sunday. Please note that we are limited to one Plenary Indulgence a day, so if you do more than one plenary indulgenced work on the same day, only one will be plenary and the others will be partials.

For the plenary indulgence, if you have not been to confession within 20 days before or after, resolve to go to confession as soon as it is available again. Also resolve to go to Holy Communion again as soon as it is available.

I hope this is helpful to you in obtaining your annual Divine Mercy extraordinary graces and plenary indulgence.
 
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This is a great opportunity to grow our faith while we are stuck at home. The conference is Divine Mercy themed!

The 17th annual Ignited By Truth Conference will be streamed online on April 18, 2020, 10am-5pm EST!

Speakers: Fr. Michael Gaitley, Fr. Donald Calloway, Fr. Chris Alar, Matthew Leonard, Jesse Romero, and Dr. John Bergsma.

IBT 2020 Virtual Catholic Conference - Free Premiere Event

 
Even in quarantine and many other problems we are never alone and always have access to graces and God’s love and mercy!
 
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Bumping this as the Vigil for Divine Mercy Sunday starts tonight.

Here are a few optional other activities you can participate in, if you are observing Divine Mercy Sunday from home:

8 pm Eastern Time tonight, Saturday - Documentary on the original Divine Mercy image, on EWTN. Check your local EWTN schedule to make sure of time in your area.

5 am Eastern Time, Sunday - Papal Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday, celebrating the 20th anniversary of St. Faustina’s canonization; Pope Francis will be celebrating from a church in Rome that contains relics of her and of St. Pope John Paul II both. Pretty exciting that the Pope will be out of the Vatican and actually in Rome! This Mass will be rebroadcast on EWTN at 7 pm Sunday. Check your local EWTN schedule for time in your area.

1:30 pm Eastern Time, Sunday - Divine Mercy Mass from Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on EWTN, broadcast live from the main Divine Mercy shrine for the USA that normally has a very large gathering on this day. Check your EWTN schedule for local time in your area.

Some local churches will also be livestreaming Divine Mercy Devotions, of course. I am happy to see my parish here is doing it for the first time in years, probably due to our new pastor having more interest in Divine Mercy than the previous one did.
 
Happy Divine Mercy Sunday!

Bumping my step-by-step “how to” for getting the Extraordinary Graces from Jesus and the Plenary Indulgence from the Church.
Hope you all will get these today, I’m getting started on mine right now.
 
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