Saturday, April 10, 2010

Oh God!

If only you recognized the gift of God.
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I enjoyed the movie "Oh God!" partly because it depicted God as someone totally kind and merciful and human - and full of common sense.  It also demonstrated how men fail to recognise him, or believe in him - just as the people of Israel (and all men) failed to recognize him throughout Salvation history.  Haven't you heard contemporaries say, "If only God world perform some sign, or appear to us as he did to the disciples after the Resurrection."?  Or, "I wish God would do something about this or that - to make the whole world convert - maybe a warning or something?" and so on.  You know what I'm saying - human nature is slow to believe, and in our day especially, nearly unable to trust.
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Our Lord knows us, which is why he compares us to kids at the mall hoping to be entertained, "We piped you a tune but you did not dance.  We sang you a dirge but you did not wail" - [Luke 7: 32]
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In the last 10 years, especially since John Paul II promulgated the devotion and feast of the Divine Mercy, the popularity of the devotion seems to have blossomed.  Although this year it seems to me not that many Catholics are speaking about it online.  I may be wrong of course, and admittedly, many parishes locally will be hosting special devotions this weekend - which is wonderful - but is the message continuing to spread?  That said, despite the fact Catholics are not required to practice this or that devotion, I'm surprised so few blogs mention or promote the Divine Mercy devotion.  Although I'm more surprised so many people seem to think the devotion is out of place, or an intrusion upon Easter Week, especially the celebration of the Second Sunday of Easter as the Feast of Mercy - a request made by Christ himself.  I must admit, I find it sad that many priests do not promote this devotion, while some even criticize it.
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I think these good people fail to understand that the devotion and the message of Divine Mercy emanate from the depths of the Heart of Jesus - opening all the treasures of his merciful love in a prodigious and ineffable manner.  Perhaps it is too simple and ordinary for well educated sophisticated persons to believe.  Or as Christ gently rebuked his audience in the synagogue at Capernaum for their disbelief;  "Let me remind you... the many lepers in Israel in the times of Elisha the prophet, yet not one was cured except Naaman the Syrian." - [Luke 4:27]  In case you forgot, Naaman was only cured after his servants convinced him to do as the prophet instructed - "Wash seven times in the Jordan".  Reasoning with their master they contended; "...If the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it?" - [2 Kings 5:13]
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Our Lord told St. Faustina that on the Feast of Mercy, "...are opened all the floodgates through which graces flow."  It is as if Jesus, "on the last and greatest day of the festival" cries out:  "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me; let him drink who believes in me.  Scripture has it: 'From within him rivers of living water will flow.'" - [John 7: 37-38]
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"If only you recognized the gift of God, and who it is that is asking for a drink... Whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life." - [Jn 4: 10-14] 
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Can anyone of us ever be satiated and refuse to come to him?
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"Blood and water flowing forth from the side of Christ, I trust in you."
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Divine Mercy links:
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This Sunday Is A Very Special Day
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What is Divine Mercy?
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The Divine Mercy Devotion

2 comments:

  1. Every year my pastor comes a little closer to the DM. This year he actually attended the novena twice (he never attended at all in previous years.) Baby steps...baby steps...

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  2. I love the Divine Mercy devotion. It's funny but it makes me think of when I was a kid, and we were playing tag; and it was getting dark and about time to go inside. Someone would yell "Olly, olly, in free!"
    One would be a fool to stay out alone in the dark. (If that makes any sense!)

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