Monday Oct. 5 - Divine Mercy

For the next few days we'll be reading the story of Jonah, a story most of us became familiar with as children. In fact, today we hear about the famous whale that swallowed Jonah who had fled from doing God's will, was caught in a violent storm, and was thrown overboard by the sailors when they discovered "that he was fleeing from the Lord." But why was Jonah fleeing?

At first one might think that he was simply afraid to carry out God's command that he "set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it [because of] their wickedness...." Perhaps he was afraid of how his message would be received. Perhaps he was afraid they would kill him.

But the truth is very different. On Wednesday we'll hear why Jonah fled: "This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish." Jonah wanted God to destroy Nineveh and he chose not to take the chance that after his preaching the Ninevites might repent and be forgiven. Which is what indeed happened.

On this day in 1938 a Polish nun named Faustina Kowalska died. Jesus had appeared to her and revealed to her that the greatest attribute of God is mercy. This was the beginning of devotions to Divine Mercy. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina, the first saint of the new millennium, and her feast day is celebrated in many parts of the world today.

What a contrast! Jonah who opposes God's mercy on his enemies, the people of Nineveh, and St. Faustina who prayed and suffered for God's mercy to come upon all. Which was more like Christ? Obviously St. Faustina. And as members of the Body of Christ we are called to do the same.

Our first inclination may be to hate our enemies and to pray for their destruction and ultimate condemnation. But this isn't what God wants for them, nor for us. God is merciful and as His beloved children who are growing more and more into the image of Christ, we are called to be like God. It begins in our hearts, the place where the thoughts and feelings of resentment and revenge begin. We pray today that we may not be like Jonah, but like Faustina. May we be instruments of God's mercy in the world.

By Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.
Apostleship of Prayer