How can we know if we are receiving Divine Mercy?

[in_servitude]

I spend time with people who are exiting the prison system. Most often, people say that their time in prison was a good thing - that they were heading the wrong way and that they needed the help that they received in prison to get their lives going in a new and better direction.

But, they also admit that they thought that God was blasting them with His justice when they were getting caught doing something bad. They thought they were receiving something bad when really, they were receiving a gift (a merciful gift!).

So, I veiw those as easy examples. But also, there are these cases when people might look back on some unpleasant event: an engagement broken, a lost job, a house burned to the ground, a car accident; in hind sight, it might be something that they wouldn’t want to go back in time and change! After reflecting on what came from these bad events, some people see the benefits they received.

This year of mercy is coming upon us, and I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily. But, something that is important to me is to make sure that I’m not missing the boat on this event. It could be that many unpleasant things happen this year, but that those things provide the necessary changes in order to make room for a Divine Gift.

Am I thinking about Divine Mercy the wrong way??

 

[littlestsouls2]

Sr. Jeanne Benigne Gojos - whose holiness was remarkable, according to St. Jane de Chantal, among others - said that she received such light about God’s justice that she adored it always and had a great attraction to it. She reminds us that mercy is over all of God’s works, and that suffering is a great gift (when accepted lovingly it gives us something to offer God, it detaches us from sin, it shortens our Purgatory, it gives good example to others, it glorifies God etc.).

So yes, according to Sr. Jeanne (and many others), you have a good understanding of Divine Mercy. Every grace, including the grace of suffering, ultimately comes to us in order that our union with God might ever become more intimate - especially by means of charity, which is kindled by sacrifice or “the wood of of the Cross” (St. Ignatius of Loyola, I think).

 

[ynotzap]

I spend time with people who are exiting the prison system. Most often, people say that their time in prison was a good thing - that they were heading the wrong way and that they needed the help that they received in prison to get their lives going in a new and better direction.

But, they also admit that they thought that God was blasting them with His justice when they were getting caught doing something bad. They thought they were receiving something bad when really, they were receiving a gift (a merciful gift!).

So, I veiw those as easy examples. But also, there are these cases when people might look back on some unpleasant event: an engagement broken, a lost job, a house burned to the ground, a car accident; in hind sight, it might be something that they wouldn’t want to go back in time and change! After reflecting on what came from these bad events, some people see the benefits they received.

This year of mercy is coming upon us, and I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily. But, something that is important to me is to make sure that I’m not missing the boat on this event. It could be that many unpleasant things happen this year, but that those things provide the necessary changes in order to make room for a Divine Gift.

Am I thinking about Divine Mercy the wrong way??

Yes, you are thinking right. We have to understand that God disciplines those He loves, and that His providence rules. It is a grace to understand that some personal tragedy or problem was meant for one’s good. But the opposite can happen, and a person can become bitter, hateful or resentful. If one does not understand that God is all loving, a loving Father and does allow painful events to happen in our lives for our own good, then one can experience negative results if left to one’s own thinking without grace. We all need the enlightenment from the Holy Spirit that comes with the gift of Faith. It takes humility to acknowledge that we did wrong and needed discipline to set us straight, and humility is a grace, as a matter of fact it is the base of all virtue.

 

[MaryHelp777]

I spend time with people who are exiting the prison system. Most often, people say that their time in prison was a good thing - that they were heading the wrong way and that they needed the help that they received in prison to get their lives going in a new and better direction.

But, they also admit that they thought that God was blasting them with His justice when they were getting caught doing something bad. They thought they were receiving something bad when really, they were receiving a gift (a merciful gift!).

So, I veiw those as easy examples. But also, there are these cases when people might look back on some unpleasant event: an engagement broken, a lost job, a house burned to the ground, a car accident; in hind sight, it might be something that they wouldn’t want to go back in time and change! After reflecting on what came from these bad events, some people see the benefits they received.

This year of mercy is coming upon us, and I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily. But, something that is important to me is to make sure that I’m not missing the boat on this event. It could be that many unpleasant things happen this year, but that those things provide the necessary changes in order to make room for a Divine Gift.

Am I thinking about Divine Mercy the wrong way??

Jesus told St Faustina.that trust was the bucket we go to His Mercy with. The bigger our trust and faith, the bugger the bucket we bring.

 

[Petaro]

I don’t believe for one moment that every bad thing that happens to you is an emanation of God’s Justice, Mercy or any other attribute of God. It is simply quite often nature at its indiscriminate worst, such as an earthquake or a bush fire, or illness due to our existence within a fallen world. I would like to believe God is behind everything pulling the strings, but if that were the case I would expect him to answer prayers; punish the evildoer and protect the innocent. None of these things can be found in my life. Running around looking for the acts of the angels is for the seriously deluded. Whether we are the subject to Divine Mercy will not be known until our death and I for one am hoping fervently that we are. But seeing His Will in the actions of a kingdom he refused to call His own is stretching our hope a little too far for me. Things happen due to the evil or good works of people and the course of nature. Miracles are few and far between. Just ask the millions eking out a living in most countries of the world. Better to be God’s hands in this world so that His Will can be done.

 

[petra22]

I don’t believe for one moment that every bad thing that happens to you is an emanation of God’s Justice, Mercy or any other attribute of God. It is simply quite often nature at its indiscriminate worst, such as an earthquake or a bush fire, or illness due to our existence within a fallen world. I would like to believe God is behind everything pulling the strings, but if that were the case I would expect him to answer prayers; punish the evildoer and protect the innocent. None of these things can be found in my life. Running around looking for the acts of the angels is for the seriously deluded. Whether we are the subject to Divine Mercy will not be known until our death and I for one am hoping fervently that we are. But seeing His Will in the actions of a kingdom he refused to call His own is stretching our hope a little too far for me. Things happen due to the evil or good works of people and the course of nature. Miracles are few and far between. Just ask the millions eking out a living in most countries of the world. Better to be God’s hands in this world so that His Will can be done.

Yes, because of our free will bad things happen. But the way I feel about it is God takes it and makes something good from it. Take for example an unexpected pregnancy…maybe out of wed-lock. It’s a sin, it hurts, it’s embarrassing for the family but the little one born is a child of God and eligible for eternal life. Maybe the newborn has handicaps…still he or she is a child of God and good can come out of it. Many times it brings the family closer together. Yes, I know the opposite can happen. We don’t know everything, but God does and he knows it is GOOD!
Even death to Him isn’t the same as it seems to us because he holds us all in his hands.