Genuine acceptance of the Mercy of God is reflected in serenity
and joy.
Now if we are children,
then we are heirs—heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings
in order that we may also share in his glory. (Rom 8:17)
In this Year of Mercy it is helpful to take note that since
the early decades of the 20th Century the Holy Spirit has been
announcing something essential for us, something new and yet as old as Christianity
itself.
As far back as the 17th
Century, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received revelations of the Sacred Heart
and Jesus’ desire to make his love for all men and women known to the whole
world but shortly after her death her writings and message were embargoed. It
was not until the very end of the 19th Century that they became
available to the faithful which soon resulted in the canonization of St.
Margaret Mary in 1920. Five years later the immensely popular St. Thérèse of
Lisieux was canonized. She also had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart and
God’s merciful love. These two have played a large role in propagating the
message of God’s mercy but the Holy Spirit called on two other instruments to
further the message.
The French Connection
Maria Teresa
Desandais was a 26-year-old nun in the monastery of the Visitation of Dreux in
France when she began receiving revelations about the Merciful Love in 1902.
Regarding these revelations she wrote, “Love is not Loved because it is not
known. Before this situation, Merciful Love wants to reveal itself to this
world. To know God is also to know Merciful Love. Merciful Love is not a new
thing; the Church has taught it from the beginning. It is the love of the
Savior, his manifestation of the new Law. I do not want you to embrace this
devotion hoping to find in it some new form of spirituality.”
