Problems with Divine Mercy

[roveau]

I have no problems with accepting, being grateful for, and asking for God’s Divine Mercy of course but I just can’t get into any aspect of the Divine Mercy devotion, including that colourful representation of Jesus, the chaplet and the writings of St Faustina.

I get shocked sometimes when I read a quotation by Jesus and find it referenced to St Faustina instead of the New Testament.

We have just had Divine Mercy Sunday which brought this topic to mind and I wonder who is of the opinion that it’s obligitory to believe the St Faustina writings… and why?

 

[NHInsider]

Of course it is not obligatory to believe St. Faustina’s writings or any other private revelation.

 

[Julian0404]

St. Faustina has been investigated and approved by the Church and brought into sainthood. The devotion she has received from Jesus has been approved and likewise acclaimed as valid and worthy and brought into the Church. In keeping with Jesus request, the first Sunday after Easter is Mercy Sunday.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is described by Jesus as - parapharse - the last best hope for sinners who are destined for hell.

Now, to focus on the fact that Jesus delivered this wonderful act of forgiveness to the world through a woman, who has been declared a saint, and not the New Testament is moving deep into scruplous behavior which will only end badly for you and your faith.

Please reconsider your position on this, and while it is purley voluntary, you are in effect declaring that the words and acts of Jesus are invalid in your heart, because of the method HE used. Now, how is that going to sit with HIM?

I will tell how, HE will attribute someones prayer of Divine Mercy upon you.

 

[Monica4316]

it’s not obligatory but I think it’s a great gift to the Church, that’s been accepted by the Church, and proclaimed free of error

 

[RosalieM]

You should join my parish. They just mentioned it was Divine Mercy Sunday as an afterthought, and believe me, I was dismayed by this.
I fulfilled the Church’s conditions and then offered Divine Mercy vigil mass and Divine Mercy Sunday mass for the souls of my parents. This brings about plenary indulgence, which I believe fully and unequivocally. Now I may rest more assured my parents are in heaven. I will do more offerings in the future for the souls of those in my family. Divine Mercy Sunday is a wonderful opportunity, if only you’ll allow it to grace your life.
I’m going to get St. Faustina’s diary so I can know more about this wonderful and relatively recent event in the Church’s history. It’s a great blessing and heaven knows we need all the inspiration available to us in this cockamamie world.

 

[puzzleannie]

I
We have just had Divine Mercy Sunday which brought this topic to mind and I wonder who is of the opinion that it’s obligitory to believe the St Faustina writings… and why?

it is not obligatory in anyone’s opinion, including the Church, that anyone believe in any private revelation. you can find all you need to know about the Divine Mercy in the Gospels, but the meditations of several saints make the teaching more accessible to many people, and if they are helped by reading those things, fine, but nothing obliges you to read or heed any of Sr. Faustina’s writing, or the prayer based on them, nor the image painted on her instructions. I find it interesting that the most widely printed version of the image available in this country bears little likeness to the original I have seen reproduced by Polish sources.

 

[NHInsider]

St. Faustina has been investigated and approved by the Church and brought into sainthood. The devotion she has received from Jesus has been approved and likewise acclaimed as valid and worthy and brought into the Church. In keeping with Jesus request, the first Sunday after Easter is Mercy Sunday.

It is still true, and important, in fact, to remember, that the canonization of a saint does not mean that everything they taught or reported is true, and the approval of a devotion - any devotion - means that it is not contrary to the faith and may be valuable in developing piety, but does not make it part of the faith.

All devotionals are expressions of the faith, not content. And private revelation is ALWAYS private and is NEVER made part of the Deposit of the Faith. No matter how wonderful/devout/inspirational it is, or how saintly its proponents. The New Testament is a closed canon. The words of Jesus or our Lady that various saints have heard spoken in visions are NOT part of the Bible and one is not obliged to believe that they are genuine, even if they have been approved by the Church.

I think the teachings on the Divine Mercy are wonderful. I think the frequently-reprinted picture is tacky. Neither belief has any bearing on my standing in the Church.

What is important is that I rely on His mercy for my salvation! Thanks be to God.

 

[Bookcat]

I have no problems with accepting, being grateful for, and asking for God’s Divine Mercy of course but I just can’t get into any aspect of the Divine Mercy devotion, including that colourful representation of Jesus, the chaplet and the writings of St Faustina.

I get shocked sometimes when I read a quotation by Jesus and find it referenced to St Faustina instead of the New Testament.

We have just had Divine Mercy Sunday which brought this topic to mind and I wonder who is of the opinion that it’s obligitory to believe the St Faustina writings… and why?

No obligation. (not an opinion…this is the teaching of the Church)

of course…Test all things and hold fast to what is good as Paul says …but even then
there is no obligation in regards to private revelation.

Also remember various things can enter in…in regards to private revelations…from the person who receives it and their culture etc… ways of expressing things etc…as well as they are can make a mistake …

That being said…a private revelation that has been found worthy of belief is worthy of belief (not the belief of Faith that we give for example to the fact the Jesus is the Son of God…)…and can be helpful to living the Christian life…

 

[RosalieM]

This is all such good (name removed by moderator)ut.
Personally, I wanted more of the Divine Mercy after seeing a program about St. Faustina on EWTN, then doing the plenary indulgence conditions. Then I saw an EWTN Divine Mercy devotion (non-singing) led by one of their priests, whose name I didn’t get. Yesterday I sent away for the leather bound edition of St. Faustina’s diary and a small booklet on the devotion.
I think it can only enrich my spiritual life; even though it’s not mandatory that I believe in it. I also feel it is an extremely substantial help for all souls. I thought of sweet little St. Faustina and can’t wait to read her writings.
I hope you’ll reconsider looking into this spiritual treasure. Pax et Bonum.

 

[Yeoman]

For the past month or more there’s been the image that’s widely circulated down at our church, visible at each Mass. I have to admit that I’m in the tiny minority, maybe, of Catholics that are a bit put off by the image. I wasn’t even willing to admit this until I read an item posted by Father Z on his blog where he really went after it. Much of his criticism of the appearance of the image is what bothers me as well.

And then, just today, I learned that the commonly circulated image isn’t the one Sister Faustina originally had painted. Looking that one up, I find that it doesn’t bother me at all.

I wonder if I’m the only one who feels this way?

It’s tempting to say “what difference does it make”, but I think it might. The image that is circulating is so glitzy that I fear its off putting to more than might be suspected and it is the type of image that non Catholics use to sort of brush Catholicism off by thinking we’re all paintings and symbols. I wish the image that’s circulating was the original one.

As an addendum, please excuse this post if it offends. I don’t mean to criticize the devotion at all and I’m frankly not terribly familiar with it. Indeed, that’s part of the problem maybe with the current image. I have no problem with the messages from Fatima for example, but I have a hard time getting around portrayals of Jesus that are so glitzy. I guess in reading what he had to say, as related in the Gospels, and knowing that he was a Middle Eastern carpenter by trade, I imagine a Jesus who would have been virtuous (of course), loving (of course), but also fairly blunt and morally tough. A quite manly Jesus in other words.

My view and comments here will no doubt strike many as silly.