How to Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday in Australia
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If Easter is the greatest feast of the Church…
Divine Mercy Sunday is its crown.
This feast day is so important that it was requested by Jesus Himself when He appeared to St Faustina Kowalska during the 1930s.
In the year 2000, St John Paul II fulfilled that request and officially established Divine Mercy Sunday for the whole Church. Since then, the message of Divine Mercy has spread across the globe. Parishes across Sydney to Perth hold special devotions on this day.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, we are offered specific graces and called to enter deeper into the heart of Christ.
Yet, not everyone takes advantage of this day. The majority of Australians simply ignore it and the graces offered to them.
So how exactly do you celebrate this feast in a way that’s faithful and meaningful? Here’s a list of 11 practical ideas that you can choose from:
1. Go to Confession
This is the whole purpose of Divine Mercy Sunday.
Divine Mercy Sunday was made so that we can turn to God, despite our sins. And there is no better place for a sinner to go than confession.
In the Diary of St Faustina, Christ assures her, saying that “When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you…The torrents of grace inundate humble souls.” (Diary, 1602)
2. Get a Plenary Indulgence
The Church offers a unique plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday. A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment due to sin.
Requirements:
- Go to confession (within 20 days before or after)
- Receive Holy Communion worthily (on Divine Mercy Sunday or the vigil)
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father
Plus, specific to this feast:
- Participate in prayers and devotions honouring Divine Mercy in a spirit completely detached from sin, OR
- In the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Our Father and Creed, adding a prayer to the Merciful Jesus (e.g., “Jesus, I trust in You”).
A partial indulgence is also granted to anyone who sincerely prays to the Merciful Lord with a contrite heart and meets the requirements.
3. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
This short prayer (<10 minutes) is one of the simplest ways to enter into the devotion. Using rosary beads, the Chaplet focuses on Christ’s Passion and His mercy for sinners.
Many Catholics set alarms for 3pm, the “Hour of Mercy”, to stop and pray the Chaplet. It’s a beautiful habit to begin on Divine Mercy Sunday. This practice doesn’t get rid of the need for confession, but better prepares us to cooperate with God’s grace.
[Pray] “... the Chaplet that I have taught you.” (Diary 687)
4. Venerate the Image of Jesus
Have you ever seen the image of Jesus with rays of red and white light streaming from His heart?
That is the Image of Divine Mercy shown to St Faustina. Jesus told St Faustina that this image was to be venerated worldwide and deeply encouraged those who honour it.
Some families have a painting or framed picture of The Divine Mercy. But you can even do something small, like having a little prayer card or making it your phone background.
5. Do a Work of Mercy
Mercy in prayer must lead to mercy in action. The Church gives a list of loving actions that we can do to help people physically and spiritually.
The corporal works of mercy help people physically. These include feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead.
Similarly, the spiritual works of mercy include admonishing the sinner, instructing the ignorant, counselling the doubtful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving offenses willingly, comforting the afflicted, praying for the living and the dead.
Pick one thing from the list and focus on that.
6. Forgive Someone
In the Our Father, we pray “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Christ forgives us. But he calls us to forgive, too. This can be really difficult, but nevertheless, it's what Jesus did himself.
One practical way of letting go of unforgiveness is to simply pray for the person who hurt you. Even if you don’t feel better, that small act of love towards your enemy means a lot in God’s eyes.
7. Attend Eucharistic Adoration
There is no better way of loving Jesus than spending time with him.
In spending time with Jesus, we grow in love and trust him more. St Faustina would spend hours at a time during adoration. St Teresa of Calcutta, St John Paul II, and Carlo Acutis all did Eucharistic adoration.
Many parishes have adoration scheduled at a particular time across the week. However, even if the Eucharist is reserved in the Tabernacle, there is nothing stopping you from adoring him there.
8. 3’ O Clock Prayer
Jesus told St Faustina that the hour of His death, the Hour of Mercy, was especially powerful. At 3pm, pause to pray:
“O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!”
It is the holy hour, where Christ died so that we might be forgiven.
9. Make a Pilgrimage
Did you know Australia has its own Divine Mercy Shrine? Located in Keysborough, Victoria, it’s a hub for pilgrims each year. If you’re within traveling distance, this is the place to be on Divine Mercy Sunday.
If you’re elsewhere in Australia, you can still create a mini-pilgrimage based on parishes you know that have a devotion to the Divine Mercy.
10. Do A Divine Mercy Novena
The Novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day has a special intention revealed to St Faustina by Jesus, covering the whole world. It’s a beautiful way to prepare for the feast day and intercede for people.
Even if you didn’t start on Good Friday, you can still pray it anytime to deepen your devotion.
11. Read Diary of St Faustina
Jesus asked for this feast day himself.
In the Diary of St Faustina, you can hear Christ speak about His mercy in His own words.
St Faustina records her visions, struggles, and encounters with Christ, giving you a raw and intimate look at how God transforms an ordinary person into a saint.
As someone who has read this book in full, entering into the mind of a saint changes the way you think. It helped make me a better person.
Divine Mercy Sunday is not just another Sunday.
Whether you’re going on a pilgrimage or cooking for the homeless, we hope that you get the most out of this day.
If you’re looking to grow your appreciation of God’s mercy, you can get a copy of the Diary of St Faustina here. Through prayer and reading, your love and understanding of God can deepen.
Let this feast transform not just one Sunday, but your entire year.
May the mercy of the Lord be upon you,
God Bless