Mercy – God’s love gift

Annual devotions to the Divine Mercy will be held at various locations today, from Diego Martin to Arima, from Santa Cruz to San Fernando. Catholic faithful can have their pick.

The Missionaries of The Divine Mercy hosts ‘Feast of Divine Mercy’ at the Green Meadows Estate, Santa Cruz, from 10 a.m. The programme includes Mass with the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Eucharistic Adoration, Music Ministry, healing session, confession and talks. Attendees can also venerate first-class relics of St John Paul II (drop of blood) and St Faustina (bone fragment).

This year’s special guest is US Catholic singer and songwriter Annie Karto, recipient of several Unity Awards from Catholic Music Video Awards, UCMVA.  A CD on Divine Mercy titled ‘Fix Your Gaze Upon the Face of Mercy, Meditations for Healing, Gazing upon the Divine Image of Divine Mercy’ will be launched.

During last Tuesday’s Breakfast with the Deacons on Trinity TV, Mona Rahael said an easy way to remember what Jesus asked in the Divine Mercy message, was ABC—Ask For mercy; Be merciful as the merciful Father; and Completely trust in God’s mercy. She said the country is in need of mercy and mercy not revenge is needed.

She told the Catholic News, “God is Love and Mercy itself…He extends His Mercy to us as a free gift–we don’t deserve it but we need it like we need air to breathe and our hearts to beat in order to live. In spite of our misery and sinfulness and also because of it, God stoops down to lift us up from this state if only we turn to Him with repentant hearts and trusting in His Love and Mercy for all.”

In the Gran Couva/Tabaquite Parish, several activities occur at The Divine Mercy Shrine, La Vega Estate, Gran Couva, also from 10 a.m.

There will be praise and worship, Benediction, recitation of the Rosary and Mass with Msgr Julien Kaboré, Charge d’Affaires, Apostolic Nunciature and concelebrants Frs Robert Christo and Meenuga Prabhudas MSFS. At 10 a.m. seminarian Paul Ramlogan delivers a talk on ‘The abundance of God’s Mercy’ and at 1 p.m. Fr Christo will speak on ‘Mercy Me’.

Fr Christo said, “The resurrection is about mercy and the Divine Mercy novena attaches a special outpouring of mercy. This raises another question: why do I need to do a novena to receive God’s special outpouring of mercy? You don’t but God enters the physical world to trigger grace. God did not have to suffer on a cross to redeem sinners but He did….Christ promises mercy and forgiveness through devoting attention to the Divine Mercy novena.”

Eucharistic Apostles of Divine Mercy, St Finbar’s Parish and St Anthony’s Parish invite the public to ‘Mercy for Sinners’ at Church of the Nativity, Crystal Stream, Diego Martin 1.30 to 3.30 p.m. Fr Harold Imamshah will deliver a talk on ‘Mercy for Sinners’.

Angela Faustin of the St Anthony’s Parish told the Catholic News, “The message of Divine Mercy is that God loves us—all of us. And He wants us to recognise that His mercy is greater than our sins so that we can call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy and letting it flow through us to others. It gives us the ability to forgive those who have hurt us and the desire to be merciful to others. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Zion Community and southern parishioners host a Mercy March from the Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church, San Fernando to Presentation College, and the celebration in the Arima/Malabar Cluster starts with Holy Mass at 9 a.m. at Santa Rosa RC Church followed by a procession to the Church of the Annunciation, Santa Rosa Heights, Arima, ending with Benediction. The afternoon session will have a feature speaker and the day will close with the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m.