One Whole Ocean of Grace

April 16, 2023

Sunday of Mercy of God (Year A)
Di Eighth Day for di Octave of Easter

Saint Faustina tell us for her Diary wetin Jesus tell her about Sunday of Mercy of God:

“My daughter, tell di whole world about My mercy wey nobody fit understand finish. I want make di Feast of Mercy be place of refuge and shelter for all souls, especially for poor sinners. For that day, di deepest part of My tender mercy dey open. I dey pour one whole ocean of grace on di souls wey come near di fountain of My mercy. Di soul wey go go Confession and receive Holy Communion go receive complete forgiveness of sins and all di punishment for dem. For that day, all di gates of God wey grace dey flow pass dey open” (Diary #699).

Na today be that day! Na di Feast of Mercy of God! Today feast dey among di newer feasts for our Church. Even though Jesus tell Sister Maria Faustina Kowolska since 1931 say E want make dem celebrate this feast for di eighth day of Easter, na for di year 2000 dem officially establish am with solemn ceremony. For April 30 of that year, Saint Pope John Paul II declare Saint Faustina a Saint and establish di Feast of Mercy of God as feast for di whole Church. Because this Feast still new for di Church, we fit dey sure say we still get plenty to learn about di message of this Solemnity and di many messages about God mercy wey dey revealed for Saint Faustina Diary.

Among di many messages wey dey inside her Diary, Jesus reveal to us say this Sunday, di eighth and last day of di Octave of Easter, na day wey no other day be like. Even though grace and mercy dey continue to pour from Heaven on us, Jesus make am clear well-well say today different. Today, “one whole ocean of grace” dey pour on souls wey come near di fountain of His mercy. Stay with this picture for your mind for some time. “One whole ocean of grace.” Wetin that one mean?

As symbol, one whole ocean dey represent wetin no get limit. Try imagine how e go be if dem pour di whole ocean on you—na something wey mind no fit understand finish! So, God dey talk say today, E dey give grace wey no get limit. Di question wey all of us suppose think deep about na this: How ready I dey to receive all that grace wey no get limit?

To use comparison, imagine say your life be like di small cap wey tailor dey wear for finger, and dem pour one ocean of water on you. As that small finger cap, you no go fit hold everything wey dem give you. So, make we understand say God want increase how much of His mercy we fit receive, so that we go fit receive am more abundantly. What if your soul be like one big pond? Even then, di water for di ocean no go fit enter that pond finish. Wetin fit receive one whole ocean of mercy? Na only ocean fit hold ocean. Na why God first want prepare our souls to receive mercy wey no get limit, by changing us to vessels wey no get limit to wetin dem fit hold.

Saint Teresa of Ávila, for her well-known spiritual book, “Castle Dem Wey Dey Inside,” teach us say truly, di soul fit get capacity wey no get limit, simply because God dey live inside am. Di soul be like castle wey dey inside person, with many dwelling places wey join one another, and we must pass through dem to reach di room wey dey di centre. She teach say di aim of spiritual life na to pass through these different dwelling places reach di centre of our souls where God wey no get limit dey live, so that we fit dey with Am there. So, we must understand say our souls truly fit receive di water of mercy wey no get limit, because God create us with this ability when E choose to live inside us. Di key to receive this fullness of mercy completely na to seek God wey no get limit, wey dey live inside us. How we fit do this?

Di main thing for di path wey Saint Faustina lay out for her Diary na this: Go Confession and receive Holy Communion so that you go receive complete forgiveness of sins and all di punishment for dem. But as many great spiritual writers, like Saint Teresa of Ávila, explain, plenty levels dey wey we must pass for our spiritual journey before we fit encounter God in all His fullness. This one, of course, include to encounter God mercy wey E dey give us for Holy Communion and Confession. For example, people wey receive these Sacraments while dem still dey live only for di first dwelling places no go ever benefit from dem reach people wey dey live for di seventh mansion wey dey di centre, where di King dey live in all His fullness. So, God dey give mercy in all its fullness, but unless we make di journey wey dey change us as we turn to God and our souls dey purified, we no go ever fit receive di ocean of grace wey God dey give.

Today, think deeply about this ocean of mercy wey dey pour upon you. How much of this mercy you fit receive for your life right now? As you humbly admit say you never fully open yourself to God grace, know say God dey patiently wait for you. E dey live deep inside you with all Im fullness, dey wait make you begin the journey to meet Am. Commit yourself to this journey through prayer, fasting, penance, reading Scripture, celebrating the Sacraments and spiritual reading. One ocean of life in all im fullness dey wait for you. Dive inside and allow Im mercy make your soul fit receive Am more fully.

My Lord, na You be Divine Mercy, the source of all grace and the One wey dey give this grace without measure. I thank You because Your generosity no get end, and I pray make my soul ready more fully to receive You. Abeg, as I continue my journey of becoming pure and turning to You, make my soul fit receive more, so that I go receive everything wey You want give me. Jesus, na You I trust.

+++

Prayer to Trust for di Divine Mercy of God

Jesus wey get mercy pass all,

I turn to You for this my time of need.

You deserve make I trust You completely.

You dey faithful for everything.

When confusion full my life, help me see clearly and give me faith.

When temptation come make I lose all hope, fill my soul with hope.

Jesus wey get mercy pass all,

I trust You for everything.

I trust Your perfect plan for my life.

I trust You when I no fit understand Your divine will.

I trust You when e be like say everything don lost.

Jesus, I trust You pass how I trust myself.

Jesus wey get mercy pass all,

You know everything.

Nothing dey wey You no fit see.

Your love no get limit.

Nothing dey for my life wey You no care about.

You get all power.

Nothing dey wey Your grace no fit reach.

Jesus wey get mercy pass all,

Na You I trust,

Na You I trust.

Make I trust You always and for everything.

Make I surrender myself to Your Divine Mercy every day.

Virgin Mary wey get blessing pass all, Mother of Mercy,

Pray for us as we turn to you for our time of need.

Amen.

Reflection Dem wey Resemble This One: