THE EXERCISE OF MERCY

The Merciful Lord made it clear that people cannot simply glorify the Lord's mercy, but must also put it into practice in their own lives.  He told St. Faustina that “I demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere.  You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.” (Diary, 742).

Then, Jesus instructed her in the ways of exercising mercy.

“I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third— by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works." (Diary, 742).