Divine Mercy Sunday is a Christian observance that is also known as Feast of the Divine Mercy. The occasion is celebrated on the second Sunday of Easter and has links to both private revelation and the Bible as per Church's Calendar. Divine Mercy Sunday 2022 will mark the end of the octave of Easter which is an eight-day period that begins on Easter and ends the following Sunday. This year the feast of Divine Mercy falls on Sunday, the 24th of April. The pious occasion also has other monikers like Low Sunday and Domenica. The origin of the day is related to the canonization of Maria Faustyna Kowalska and a series of apparitions with Jesus in the 1930s. Continue reading the piece, to know about the history, importance and traditions that are followed by Christian families to commemorate Divine Mercy Sunday. When Is Orthodox Good Friday 2022? Know Date, History, Traditions and Significance of the Day Marked by Greek Orthodox Christians.

History & Significance Of Divine Mercy Sunday

The Divine Mercy devotion started with Maria Faustyna Kowalska, who is known as Saint Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament. The Polish Roman Catholic nun and mystic, Faustina reported her encounter with Jesus Christ and told that the Messiah asked her to spread the message of his great mercy toward the world. The apparitions were later confirmed as true by the Church. Afterwards, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina on April 30th, 2000. Faustina told that the Lord told her to paint the vision of his clemency divinity being poured from his Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is Catholic devotion wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind".

Christ also asked Saint Maria Faustyna for a feast of Divine Mercy to be established on the first Sunday after Easter Sunday, so that mankind would take refuge in him. The message St. Faustina received from Jesus is recounted in “The Diary of Saint Faustina.” Thence, on the day of the canonization of Faustyna, Pope John Paul II also instituted Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast for the universal Church. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is performed during the day which is a special prayer recited on rosary beads asking God to have mercy on the world.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2022 03:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).