Pillars of Fire In My Soul

Breviary only seem, on the surface, to exclude such a feast on the first Sunday after Easter. In fact, there exists a rule which precludes the liturgical celebration of any feast day or solemni- ty on the Sunday after Easter. If, however, we examine closely the post-conciliar Missal, we will notice that the Mass formu- lary for the second Sunday of Easter already says very much and with such clarity about the greatness of Divine Mercy, that with only slight changes it can serve as a Mass dedicated to Divine Mercy. Also, the post-conciliar Breviary reading for this Sunday can easily become a public and a liturgical meditation and veneration of Divine Mercy. For instance, we could take the second reading from the Office of Readings and replace it with a reading from the papal encyclical of John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia . The appropriate section which discusses Divine Mercy as manifested in the Cross and Resurrection could be used. Since the writings and homilies of Pope Paul VI have found a place in the post-conciliar Breviary, by this same token there is also room for the encyclicals of John Paul II. As we have said, Jesus demands that the Feast of The Divine Mercy be preceded by a novena, and He required Sister Helen Faustina to prepare for its celebration by means of a novena consisting of the recitation of the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy. The novena of Chaplets of The Divine Mercy unites within itself, on the one hand, the promises of Jesus dependent on the recitation of this Chaplet and, on the other hand, those attached to celebrating the novena prior to The Feast of Divine Mercy. Referring to the novena, Jesus said: “Through this novena, I will bestow all possible graces upon souls” (Diary §796). The words “all possible graces” mean that the person saying the novena to the Divine Mercy will obtain all the benefits of God he asks for, regardless of whether he requests these graces for himself or for others. Jesus demands that the Feast be celebrated solemnly, as a liturgical feast of the universal Church. As to the means of celebration, He expressed two wishes. In the first place, the 112 Pillars of Fire in My Soul