Divine Mercy Sunday + The Divine floodgates which graces flow are open today

Today is the Feast of Divine Mercy, the first Sunday after Easter. 

Jesus I trust in You.

Jesus promised extraordinary graces on Divine Mercy Sunday when He said: 
"On that day are open all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow."

"My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy…the soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion (on the Feast of Mercy) shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are opened all the divine floodgates through which graces flow. Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins be scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come from the very depths of my most tender mercy." Diary of Saint Faustina 699

Divine Mercy Sunday + Fr. Chris Alar, MIC + How to receive the extraordinary graces of this day

Act of Contrition
My, God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things. With Your help, I firmly intend to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid those things that lead me to sin, our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His Name, my God, have mercy on me.

Spiritual Communion Prayer
I wish, my Lord, to receive You with the purity, humility and devotion with which Your Most Holy Mother received You with the spirit and the fervor of the Saints.

Fr. Chris tells us to ask for these graces for ourselves and for a plenary indulgence for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and to pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, You promised Saint Faustina that the soul that has been to Confession (I have or if I'm unable to go to Confession, but I made an Act of Contrition) and the soul that receives Holy Communion (I have or if I'm unable to receive Holy Communion, but I made a Spiritual Communion) will receive the complete forgiveness of all sins and punishment. Please, Lord Jesus, give me this grace.

In 1931, Jesus appeared to Saint Faustina in a vision and said, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You...My gaze from this Image is like My gaze from the Cross.” Jesus described the Image as a “Vessel of Graces” to which people could come and seek His love and mercy, as a source of grace, comfort, solace, hope and miracles. Jesus told Saint Faustina the two rays denote Blood and Water. 

O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.  Jesus I trust in You.

As I gaze at the Image of Divine Mercy, I think about confession. During the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we confess our sins and the priest extends his hand and gives the beautiful words of Absolution, I imagine Jesus standing over me pouring out the rays of Blood and Water from His Heart. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is God’s Mercy to us. He knows we are all sinners and He loves us so much. During confession, Jesus forgives our sins and He pours out His sanctifying grace upon us which helps us to sin no more and strengthens us to be the person He created us to be. 

Confession is where Grace and Mercy meet. Jesus told Saint Faustina to bring her miseries to this Throne of Grace. Once you receive God’s mercy, you have a great desire to share it with other people.  Divine Mercy is a great miracle in the soul. God can take our sufferings, hurts, sins, failures and faults and transform us into something beautiful for Him. God has called you to be His witness, his chosen instrument. In the darkness of the world today, you will be called to stand up and speak the truth, to be His witness. His mercy endures forever.

Jesus is the One we meet in confession and He comes, not just to forgive, but to heal, to free, to strengthen and to transform us through the power and grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Run to confession, especially on this Feast Day of The Divine Mercy or within this week. Jesus is waiting for you.