By Lynda MacFarland
Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. ~ Psalm 33:20-21
Mercy and Love
Today’s Responsorial Psalm (33) speaks of God’s mercy and how we can trust in Him because of this great gift. As a Divine Mercy devotee, it is no surprise to me that the Bible is full of prayers and examples of God’s mercy. There is nothing in St. Faustina’s diary, particularly the prayers concerning the Divine Mercy that cannot be found in Scripture.
The closing prayer of the Chaplet contains the assertion that God’s will is “love and mercy itself.” And we recall that God is love. His mercy is poured out because of the love in Jesus’ Sacred Heart, His pierced human heart. We are the blessed recipients of that mercy, that love, that grace when we trust and open up to receive it.
There Will Be Times
Bishop Robert Barron says that God doesn’t want us to fall in love with consolations. He wants us to fall in love with His Will. Consolations are those moments in life when we can feel the grace of God stirring in our hearts—those times we witness His grace in our lives. However, there will be times of trial, dark valleys, when we may not experience God’s consolations. It is then, when we’ve already fallen in love with His Will, that we can persevere, trusting Jesus is with us. That walk through the valley of death isn’t always physical; sometimes it’s the loss of a dream, of a relationship, of a plan. In those moments, look to Jesus on the cross, at love and mercy itself, hanging there for us.
Trust Him
As we learn to accept God’s merciful Will, we can trust that Jesus is beside us—weeping with us. He, who knows to suffer, like us in all things but sin, never abandons you. Look to the cross; let Love in. Trust Him.
Prayer
Dear Lord of all Creation, in all humility, knowing that You are God and I am not, I ask for Your Will to be my guiding light. May I trust Your light that leads me where You desire me to go, even when I can’t see the path clearly. Help me to trust as Jesus, Mary, and Joseph trusted You in all things. I beg this in Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.
Call to Action
Learning to trust God with everything can be a challenge, though God never asks the impossible. It is about giving up control and surrendering to the Perfect Will of the Father. Read the accounts of Mary’s fiat in Luke’s Gospel, Joseph’s acquiescence to the angel of the Lord, and Jesus’ prayer to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then pray for that kind of trust in God’s will, which is “love and mercy itself.”
© 2021 WINE — All Rights Reserved
Beautifully written!
Thank you! All praise to our Lord!
Thank you! I give all glory and praise to God!
Beautiful message – thank you! Jesus, I trust in you!
As always you hit the proverbial nail right on the head, Lynda! Thank you for your thoughtful reminder of God’s will being Love & Mercy itself. You know that I am a Divine Mercy devotee as well, and I’m always grateful for our MCCW group in Heidelberg going to Ettal and hearing the sisters from Krakow teach us about the Divine Mercy Chaplet. One of my best memories of our time in Germany… God’s blessings to you and yours, Chris
I love the closing prayer to the Chaplet, especially ” that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself”