Living with Divine Mercy

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER - Jesus’ wounds and a priest’s disappointment were used to point out God’s mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday last weekend.
The setting was Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, which was filled (with socially distanced people) for a 3 p.m. service of adoration, Benediction, music, and prayers and homilies in Polish and English. Afterwards, some worshippers knelt in front of the altar, where there were relics of St. Faustina, who received revelations of Jesus’ mercy, and St. John Paul II, who canonized her.
Their images and images of Jesus, King of Divine Mercy, were displayed on a large screen. Father Richard W. Polek, the pastor, told The Catholic Free Press that he scanned these images from postage stamps from Poland which commemorate the 90th anniversary, being celebrated this year, of one of St. Faustina’s visions.
He said the Chaplet of Divine Mercy used during the service was a recording made years ago of students from St. Joseph Elementary School in Webster singing, under the direction of Robert Wojcik, then director of music at St. Joseph Basilica there.
Preaching in English at the service, Father Tomasz Gora, associate pastor at Our Lady of Czestochowa, said Jesus’ wounds remain forever a symbol of God’s merciful love, ready for suffering and death. Showing his wounds, like in the Divine Mercy image and the day’s Gospel about “doubting Thomas,” (John 20) Jesus says: “Look how I love you! What hurts you hurts me too.” Jesus told St. Faustina, “When it seems to you that suffering passes your strength, look into my wounds,” Father Gora said.
God cannot be encountered by bypassing the cross, he said. There is no Jesus Christ without wounds; the marks of his Passion are evidence of love of the highest price, love to the end. We too will take into eternity the “evidence” of the suffering we’ve endured out of love for others, he said.
He encouraged listeners not to exaggerate the small favors they do for someone. Works of mercy include giving drink to the thirsty, correcting sinners and praying for the living and the dead, he said. But, he said, he doesn’t feel like he’s shown mercy when he offers such prayers; he just did what he should have done. Our showing mercy can be seen as a reflection, and gift, of the mercy of God, to whom the glory belongs.
Mercy is sometimes exhibited through tenderness, and sometimes through firmness and severity, Father Gora said. As an example of the latter, he used a story about Jesus challenging St. Faustina when she hesitated to respond to his call to enter a religious order. She gave up everything and did so.
Father Polek also experienced God’s mercy by living out his vocation. He shared with The Catholic Free Press something from his homily, preached in Polish at Sunday’s afternoon service.
He registered for the Chrism Mass, held during Holy Week at St. Paul Cathedral, he said. But he couldn’t go, as someone he needed to talk with about church renovations said that was the only time they could meet.
Five minutes after that man left, Father Polek received a telephone call telling him a priest was needed to anoint a dying woman. It was hard to find a priest, as so many had gone to the Chrism Mass.
“I understood: God made me to stay here for that lady,” instead of going to the Chrism Mass, Father Polek said. “How merciful is Jesus ... that the priest can come with sacraments at your last moment!”