TODAY is Easter Saturday, the First Saturday of the Easter Season,

[DemBones DemBones]

and since tomorrow is Divine Mercy Sunday, I was trying to find out when that began as a feast -- because I think it was begun by John Paul II, who also (I think) canonized St. Faustina. (I don't carry all this info around in my poor limited brain, you know! I'm smart but not THAT smart!) Maybe someone else will tell us?


Anyway, all I found so far at EWTN is that some Catholics (but not yours truly!) began praying the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday, making this the last of the nine days. So here's today's prayer, since I liked it:


"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm,

and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." 

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen. 

O8)

We all know John Paul II is not a lukewarm soul and I'm thinking he won't die before the beginning of Divine Mercy Sunday, which, in Italy, is in a little more than three hours.