Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel

12 Divine Mercy: The Heart Of The Gospel throughout North America for many years, and holds a masters degree in Biblical Spirituality from Saint Mary University in San Antonio, Texas. In chapter two, Fr. George W. Kosicki, C.S.B., shows us how the life and writings of Pope John Paul II have been permeated with the procla­ mation of God’s Mercy. Fr. Kosicki is one of the leading authors on the message and devotion flowing from Blessed Faustina. His many books include, Now is the Time fo r Mercy, Special Urgency o fMercy, Tell My Priests, and Study Guide to the Diary o f Blessed Faustina Kowalska. Robert Stackpole, STD (Can.), the Research Director of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy, traces in chapter three the theological and devotional compatibility between the new forms of devotion to The Divine Mercy stemming from Blessed Faustina, and the traditional devotion to the Sacred Heart o f Jesus. He shows how these devotions, although distinct, are not only compatible, but, in fact, inseparable, given that the primary characteristic of the Heart o f Jesus is that it is the source of merciful love for us. Fr. Raymond Gawronski, S.J., assistant professor of Theology at Marquette University, has graciously allowed us to print the full text of his essay which appeared in the journal Communio p. 24, winter issue, 1997: ‘“My name is sacrifice’: the Mission of Blessed Faustina Kowalska”. At the symposium he delivered an abridged version o f this essay. Fr. Gawronski has devoted much of his work to the study o f the theology of Hans Urs Von Balthasar, and its implications for dialogue with the spirituality of the Far East. In this essay he shows how a prop­ er understanding o f vicarious suffering, as expounded by Von Balthasar, can be a key that unlocks for us the mystery o f Bl. Faustina’s own voca­ tion as an apostle o f Divine Mercy. My own work on the theology o f the Divine Mercy has centered upon the issues surrounding the proposed Feast o f Divine Mercy for the Octave Day of Easter. In order to help us appreciate the liturgical impor­ tance o f an octave day - and in particular, the Octave Day of Easter - we include here the text o f my own offering to the symposium entitled “A Contribution to the Discussion on the Feast of The Divine Mercy.” In chapter six, Fr. John Horgan, STL draws upon his own work as a