“The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall
obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (II.138). *Our Lord
does not explicitly say we have to get confession on the Feast itself.
(1.130, II.138) St. Faustina herself, made it on the Saturday before
Diary II.19 This extraordinary grace promised by Jesus in connection
with the Feast of Mercy is something greater by far than a plenary
indulgence. A plenary indulgence consists only in the forgiveness of
temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, it is never the
forgiveness of sins themselves. The remarkable grace of the Feast of
Mercy is also very much akin to the grace of Baptism. The Sacramental
grace of Baptism received by an adult is not only the removal of
original sin but is also the forgiveness of all personal sins and any
punishment due to them so the soul cleansed on the Feast of Mercy is
like the soul of one newly baptised in the promises mentioned, however,
Christ joined the forgiveness of all sins and punishment to the Holy
communion received on the Feast of Mercy. In other words so far as that
matter is concerned He raised it (the Holy Communion on the Feast of
Mercy) to the rank of a second Baptism” It is obvious that in order to
effect the complete forgiveness of sin and punishment the Holy Communion
on the Feast of Mercy must not only be a worthy one, but in fact, must
also be the expression of the fulfilment of the basic requirement of the
Divine Mercy Devotion. Unworthily received, or not accompanied by trust
in the Divine Mercy and by some deed of mercy toward one’s neighbour,
it would be a contradiction of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy. Instead
of the most singular grace, it would draw divine wrath upon the head of
the recipient. The spiritual good of the faithful demands that they
know what great graces they can obtain by the Holy Communion received on
the Feast of Mercy, and under what conditions they can obtain them.
Jesus did not limit His generosity on the Feast of Mercy exclusively to
this most extraordinary grace. On the contrary, Jesus declared that “on
that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open; I pour out a whole
ocean of graces upon those souls who will approach the fount of My
mercy … On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow
are opened”. Therefore, Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though
its sins be as scarlet,” (11,138). From these words of Christ it is
evident that he fervently desires the Feast of Mercy to be an unusually
effective refuge for all people, especially sinners incomparably more
effective than all the other forms of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy.
The incomparable effectiveness of this refuge is manifested in three
ways: Firstly, through its universality. All people, even those who
hitherto never had devotion to the Divine Mercy (even sinners who repent
on the day of the Feast itself) can participate to the fullest extent
in all the graces which Jesus prepared for this feast. Secondly, on
this day Jesus not only wishes to shower people with saving graces for
eternal life, but also with temporal blessings for this life; and this
refers both to individuals as well as to communities of people, since He
said: “ Mankind will have no peace until it turns (as to a source of
help) to the fount of My mercy” (II.138) Thirdly, all graces and
benefits, even in their highest degrees, are this day accessible to
everyone so long as they are asked for with great trust. Christ did not
attach such an extraordinary abundance of benefits and graces to any
other form of the devotion. (This Analysis by Canon Ignacy Rozycki,
Doctor of Dogmatic Theology was approved by John Paul II and the Sacred
Congregation for the faith.)
