Questions on the Divine Mercy

[Epistemes]

With my new strong devotion to the Divine Mercy, I have a few questions:

First, concerning the veneration of the sacred image: Jesus tells St. Faustina,

“Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You … I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory” (47, 48) …"I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ " (327)

Not only does Jesus ask for an image to painted, but he also asks that this image receive special treatment on the first Sunday after Easter. I have nothing against images, icons, etc. (one should see my workspace at the office!), but I have to agree with the Reformist tradition in stating that the true image (of Divine Mercy) is in the heart! So, what is so special about this image compared to other images of Jesus?

No doubt, someone will say, Because St. Faustina was commissioned by Jesus himself to produce this image and have it blessed. This gets to my next question:

The Magisterium has never stated that any visions, apparitions, etc. received by saints are articles of faith - but it seems to me that, with JPII’s pontificate, St. Faustina’s visions of the Divine Mercy are becoming just that: articles of faith. By celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy, where the image of Jesus is venerated and blessed in accordance with St. Faustina’s visions, in addition to the movement to have Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated in every parish, it seems to me that the Divine Mercy is slowly becoming the first vision received by a saint to be completely supported by the Church.

For an iconoclast, the special attention which the image of Divine Mercy receives (for those who have a devotion to it) may truly border on idolatry. What other image is paraded, venerated, and blessed on the first Sunday after Easter? or any Sunday?

 

[LilyM]

With my new strong devotion to the Divine Mercy, I have a few questions:

First, concerning the veneration of the sacred image: Jesus tells St. Faustina,

“Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You … I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory” (47, 48) …"I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ " (327)

Not only does Jesus ask for an image to painted, but he also asks that this image receive special treatment on the first Sunday after Easter. I have nothing against images, icons, etc. (one should see my workspace at the office!), but I have to agree with the Reformist tradition in stating that the true image (of Divine Mercy) is in the heart! So, what is so special about this image compared to other images of Jesus?

No doubt, someone will say, *Because St. Faustina was commissioned by Jesus himself *to produce this image and have it blessed. This gets to my next question:

The Magisterium has never stated that any visions, apparitions, etc. received by saints are articles of faith - but it seems to me that, with JPII’s pontificate, St. Faustina’s visions of the Divine Mercy are becoming just that: articles of faith. By celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy, where the image of Jesus is venerated and blessed in accordance with St. Faustina’s visions, in addition to the movement to have Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated in every parish, it seems to me that the Divine Mercy is slowly becoming the first vision received by a saint to be completely supported by the Church.

For an iconoclast, the special attention which the image of Divine Mercy receives (for those who have a devotion to it) may truly border on idolatry. What other image is paraded, venerated, and blessed on the first Sunday after Easter? or any Sunday?

Epistemes, have you ever heard of a little devotion called the Sacred Heart of Jesus? It started PRECISELY the same way - visions and messages from Christ to St Margaret Mary Alacoque.

She described them in detail, images of the Sacred Heart were made, Jesus promised special graces to those devoted to it, the devotion spread … and the Sacred Heart has its own feastday as well, in June. In fact the whole month of June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart much as May is to Our Lady or October to the Rosary, November to the Holy Souls etc etc.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart goes well beyond anything practiced yet in regards to the Divine Mercy. There’s the still-sometimes-practiced ritual of Enthronement of images of the Sacred Heart in homes. The members of the household consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and pay special respect to the image, making a special ‘altar’ for it in the home, holding an evening Holy Hour before it once a month, things like that.

But think about this - churches all over are named after, dedicated to, and venerate the Sacred Heart, and different apparitions of Our Lady as well. These also are not public revelation. Do you have problems with churches named after Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Holy Rosary and so on?

All of these devotions, although not required belief, have been, trust me, as thoroughly investigated prior to public promotion and recognition as the life of any saint who’s ever had a feastday or a church named after them. And should be accepted in the same spirit as the saints who’ve promoted them.

It would seem too odd that St Bernadette of Lourdes or St Margaret Mary can and do have churches named after them all over the place, and no doubt St Faustina and St Juan Diego of the Guadadalupe apparition will in time too, and feastdays celebrated in their honour. And yet that the Lord and Lady to whom they devoted their lives, and who reached out to them in such special ways, are ignored.