The Gift of Mercy, The Gift of Hope
By David Burkey
On the Sunday following Easter, the Church recognizes Divine Mercy
Sunday, a day that carries an even greater emphasis during the Year
of Mercy as announced by Pope Francis. Divine Mercy Sunday 2016 is
a day that carries a special significance to my family.
My family will mark the tenth anniversary of the passing of my
grandfather, known best to his grandchildren as “Pop-pop.” He was a
man of great generosity both to his family and to each of his patients,
who he spent his career serving as a cardiologist. He was also a man
of great faith, who in his passing left his family with the greatest gift,
one of faith in God’s infinite mercy.
In the months before his death, as he gradually grew weaker and his
cancer spread, he found a great peace in praying the Divine Mercy
Chaplet. He was especially fond of praying the chaplet in song and
even when he was too weak to say it himself, family and friends
would pray it with him. It was widely known that at 3pm each day the
television would be tuned to EWTN so he could recite the chaplet.
Providentially, a local Catholic film producer was filming a new
production of the Divine Mercy Chaplet in song, entitled Generations
Unite in Prayer and they were looking to film someone elderly with a
devotion to this prayer. Despite concerns over my grandfather’s
declining health, he was insistent on being a part of this project and
doing whatever he could to help spread the message of Divine Mercy.
Also known for his sense of humor, on the day of filming,, Pop-pop
remarked, “It’s a good thing Jesus is the star of this show, because I don’t look so good” as the crew captured scenes of our family praying the chaplet at his bedside. Following the filming, my grandfather felt a renewed sense of determination: he wanted to live to see one more Divine Mercy Sunday. Although this was still many weeks away, by the grace of God he lived to see that day. In fact, on Divine Mercy Sunday he insisted on getting out of bed and kneeling before the image of Divine Mercy that hung by his bedside to offer a prayer of thanksgiving with the intercession of St. Faustina. He passed away two days later.
I was first introduced to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy when my grandfather was ill and still today I take great comfort in its words, particularly the words to the closing prayer:
Eternal God, in whom Mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase your Mercy in us that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to your holy will, which is love and mercy itself.
When facing personal trials I’ve found a great sense of hope in this simple prayer. Hope that whatever challenges I may be facing, God will grant me the peace and perseverance to see it through. Hope that despite my imperfections as a sinner, that I too may share in the glory of the resurrection. And the prayerful hope that death did not have the final word on that April day ten years ago, and that one day our family will join Pop-pop in his eternal reward.