Be Our Guest / Paul Kachinski

Indulgence offered on Divine Mercy Sunday is a beautiful gift of grace

In the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska-Divine Mercy in My Soul, paragraph 699, Jesus gives us an extraordinary promise: “The soul that will go to confession and receive holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins be as scarlet.”

The extraordinary promise is, in fact, a special grace with no strings attached. The only requirements are that one make a good confession, have true sorrow for sins, and perform the penance given for sins in confession, and then receive holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, which is celebrated on April 23 this year, and bam—“complete forgiveness of sins and punishment!”

Divine Mercy Sunday is a beautiful day of grace. What a gift God has given us in the Divine Mercy message. The extraordinary promise has been compared to a “second” baptism because our first baptism left absolutely no sin on the soul, and therefore there was no punishment to eradicate. The extraordinary promise leaves absolutely no sin on the soul, and therefore no punishment of sin to eradicate.

The extraordinary promise is a special grace given to us by Jesus, and is not at all like the plenary indulgence offered by the Church. The plenary indulgence offered by the Church requires: 1) Confession; 2) Communion; 3) prayers for the Holy Father; and 4) no attachment to sin, even venial sin. The extraordinary promise requires only a good confession, and then holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday.

The extraordinary promise is only applicable to the person who goes to confession and holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday. It cannot be applied to others or to the holy souls in purgatory.

After confession and holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, we are brand new creations. We were dead and are now alive. We were lost, and now we are found by Our Father. Divine Mercy Sunday is a beautiful day of grace, tremendously exceptional graces, and a truly wonderful gift from Our Father.

My advice is to take advantage of this spectacular grace because “on that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins be as scarlet.”

Thank God and rejoice, praise God and celebrate!

Jesus, I trust in you!
 

(Paul Kachinski is a member of St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis.) †