Have Some Mercy; It’s Free!

I sat transfixed, motionless really, in the pew as our Pastor spoke of the great gift of Divine Mercy this past Sunday. His words—as always—seemed to be written for me and me alone. Of course I know this isn’t the case but I am constantly amazed at how my Pastor’s words—almost without fail—address a particular need, concern, or issue in my life. So I practically skipped to Church on Divine Mercy Sunday because I couldn’t wait to hear what Father was going to say to me about Divine Mercy.

I was like a kid going to the candy store because I so wanted some of that Divine Mercy!

And I was not disappointed.

Sometimes I think I really do forget how generous and loving God is and how He continues to welcome all of us back to His fold—no matter how many times we get off track, or how far off we may have wandered. While Father spoke of Divine Mercy, he also spoke of the ways in which God’s mercy is never-ending and is given without strings attached. I was mesmerized by this an unbelievable concept as if I had never heard it before! No strings attached.

After all, nothing in life is really free. Right?

No matter how you try to spin it, health care will not be free.

Regardless of the radical-feminist agenda, there is no such thing as sexual “freedom.”

People that try to say “free will” is all about choosing whatever they want have completely missed the point of the “free” part of that phrase.

But Divine Mercy is free! As Father spoke of the Divine Mercy given to us by God, my heart kept leaping in my chest. At one point I repeatedly murmured to myself, “Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.” I was overwhelmed by the knowledge that God’s love for us is so immense that He freely gives us His Divine Mercy.

I was at the candy store and everything was there for the taking but I was so spellbound by the knowledge of all the goodies that I could not move. What should be grabbed first? Where to begin?

In that moment everything about that Divine Mercy crystallized for me. If I were a kid in a candy store I suddenly knew where I would begin! My thoughts would be: what can I get for my family?; my friends?; my classmates?; and my neighbors?

And I realized that Divine Mercy is like that. While it is seemingly all about an incredible gift that we each receive, it is also all about what we do with that gift. Would any of us really choose to become a glutton in the candy store? And if we did, wouldn’t we just end up miserable and sick to our stomachs? Would it really be fun sitting with piles and piles of candy and not sharing? How, then, could any of us receive this great gift of Divine Mercy and not give it to others as well?

I quickly called to mind Matthew 18:23-35 and understood, as clear as the sun’s rays shining through the Church windows, that Divine Mercy is an anointed opportunity for all us to work for God’s kingdom in a way that we create a little bit of heaven right here on earth.

Avatar photo

By

Cheryl Dickow is a Catholic wife, mother, author and speaker. Cheryl’s newest book is Wrapped Up: God’s Ten Gifts for Womenwhich is co-authored with Teresa Tomeo and is published by Servant (a division of Franciscan Media); there is also a companion journal that accompanies the book and an audio version intended for women’s studies or for individual reflection. Cheryl’s titles also include the woman’s inspirational fiction book Elizabeth: A Holy Land Pilgrimage. Elizabeth is available in paperback or Kindle format. Her company is Bezalel Books where her goal is to publish great Catholic books for families and classrooms that entertain while uplifting the Catholic faith and is located at www.BezalelBooks.com. To invite Cheryl to speak at your event, write her at [email protected].

Subscribe to CE
(It's free)

Go to Catholic Exchange homepage

MENU