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‘Sweet glow of mercy’ comes from a loving GodPosted: 04.10.09 Some 15 years ago, singer-songwriter Gary Chapman brought a message about the “Sweet Glow of Mercy” to a contemporary Christian music audience. “I’ve seen the darkness / And it saw me. / But here in the light, / Where the dark can’t see, / There is a sweet glow of mercy / that covers me.” So many great images come within those few lines: coming out of the darkness of sin into the light of the Lord, and having the glow of God’s mercy envelope you. As Catholics we know that this mercy is available to us, especially, in the sacrament of reconciliation. Many of us have seen people with a “glow” about them as they emerge from the sacrament, absolved of their sins, and relieved of burdens they may have carried for years. Songwriter Chapman is not the first or only one to have put a vision of God’s mercy to paper. St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, wrote in her diaries in the 1930s of her experiences as Jesus appeared to her and asked her to share his message of mercy with the world. According to her diaries, on Feb. 22, 1931, which was the first Sunday of Lent that year, Jesus appeared to her. “In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand (was) raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord: my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy. After a while, Jesus said to me, ‘Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: “Jesus I trust in You.” I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel and (then) throughout the world.’” The image is reminiscent of images of Jesus as the Sacred Heart, except what emanates from his heart is the glow of his divine mercy, rather than Christ’s redeeming love. We can be washed and saved – and healed – by both of these aspects of Christ’s love, and it is helpful to envision both redemption and mercy coming from the same heart. Eventually, the Lord told Faustina he wanted the Church to celebrate a Feast of Divine Mercy on the Second Sunday of Easter (that is, the Sunday after Easter). In the Divine Mercy Chaplet, we pray (using standard rosary beads): “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” We must humbly accept God’s mercy knowing that we cannot earn his compassion, although he freely gives it, because he desires to show mercy to sinners. The church does not need to set aside a specific Sunday to provide mercy for sinners. We’re all sinners, always in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. But this feast may help call attention to God’s infinite mercy, especially just after Lent and Easter, when we have seen the great love of God poured out in his Son’s Passion, death and Resurrection. At this time of the liturgical year, we can see most clearly how deeply God loves us and wants us to be reconciled to him. We know he wants to pour a sweet glow of mercy all over us. We should take full advantage of this feast. Resources are available online for those who wish to learn more, including how to pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy: divinemercysunday.com and faustina.org. Also, those so inclined can search for various sung versions of the chaplet to guide your meditations.
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