(Divine Mercy Image © Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. www.thedivinemercy.org)

Divine Mercy Sunday – This Feast of Mercy is celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. The Feast of Mercy has an important place among all of the elements of devotion to The Divine Mercy requested by our Lord through Sr. Faustina Kowalska. The Lord made 14 revelations concerning the desired feast.

In fact, Jesus Himself dictated the intentions for each day of the novena which he desired to be celebrated as a preparation for the solemn observance of this feast. Once after insisting, “Do all you possibly can for this work of mercy,” Jesus added: “My Heart rejoices on account of this feast.” Sister Faustina concluded: “After these words, I understood that nothing can dispense me from the obligation which the Lord demands of me”.

The “First Sunday after Easter” ‑ which is designated in “The Liturgy of the Hours and the Celebration of the Eucharist” as the “Octave Day of Easter” ‑ was officially called the Second Sunday of Easter after the liturgical reform of Vatican II. Now, by the Decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the name of this liturgical day has been changed to: “Second Sunday of Easter, or of Divine Mercy.”

Pope John Paul II made the surprise announcement of this change in his homily at the canonization of Sr. Faustina on April 30, 2000. There, he declared: “It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church, will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.’ “

By the words “the whole message,” the Holy Father was referring to the strict connection between the “Easter Mystery of the Redemption” ‑ the suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, followed by the sending of the Holy Spirit ‑ and this Feast of Divine Mercy, the Octave Day of Easter.

By what the Holy Father continued to say, it becomes clear why Jesus insisted that the sacred image of Himself as The Divine Mercy is to be venerated throughout the world in connection with the observance of this Sunday (see Diary, 49, 88, 299, 341, 570, 742). The Holy Father said: ”Before speaking these words, Jesus shows His hands and His side. He points, that is, to the wounds of the Passion, especially the wound in His Heart, the source from which flows the great wave of mercy poured out on humanity.

“From that Heart, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, the blessed whom from now on we will call a saint, will see two rays of light shining from that Heart and illuminating the world: ’The two rays,’ Jesus Himself explained to her one day, ’represent blood and water’ (Diary,299).

“Blood and water! We immediately think of the testimony given by the Evangelist John, who, when a soldier on Calvary pierced Christ’s side with his spear, sees blood and water flowing from it. Moreover, if the blood recalls the sacrifice of the Cross and the gift of the Eucharist, the water, in Johannine symbolism, represents not only Baptism but also the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3:5; 4:14; 7:37‑39).

“Divine Mercy reaches human beings through the Heart of Christ crucified: ’Tell, My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself Jesus will ask of Sr. Faustina. Christ pours out this mercy on humanity through the sending of the Spirit who, in the Trinity, is the Person‑Love. And is not mercy love’s ‘second name’, understood in its deepest and most tender aspect, in its ability to take upon itself the burden of any need and, especially, in its most immense capacity for forgiveness?”

Our Lord’s words to Saint Faustina about this requirement to be merciful are very strong and leave no room for misinterpretation:

“Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy … I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it”.

To fittingly observe the Feast of Mercy, we should:-

1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter;

2. Sincerely repent of all our sins;

3. Place our complete trust in Jesus;

4. Go to Confession, preferably before that Sunday;

5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;

6. Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy;

7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf.

To know more on Divine Mercy Sunday, goto website http://divinemercysunday.com

How might Good Friday lament look in practice?

Psalm 22

First, consider using Psalm 22 prominently, the very psalm that Jesus quoted on the cross. When Jesus spoke the words of Psalm 22, he identified with the sufferings of all the people of Israel who had spoken or sung that psalm before him. When we speak the words of Psalm 22, we identify with our Lord and Savior.

Many churches read Psalm 22:1-18 as a Scripture reading for Good Friday. Others sing a version of Psalm 22 following the traditional Good Friday Old Testament reading from Isaiah 53. (For musical settings of Psalm 22, see Psalter Hymnal 22, Trinity Hymnal 79, Methodist Hymnal752).

Alternatively, consider using Psalm 22 as part of an extended intercessory prayer. Begin Good Friday intercessions with Psalm 22:1-21, followed by extemporaneous prayers of intercession and lament. Then conclude the prayers with verses 22-31, a decisive song of hope that anticipates Easter praise (see also the example that follows on pp. 14-15).

Prayers of Intercession and Lament

In some congregations, an extended time of congregational prayer is the first thing to be cut in planning Good Friday worship. It actually should be one of the most important acts of Good Friday worship.

Prayers of intercession and lament on Good Friday should allow for two things: for those who suffer to express their honest lament and for all worshipers to identify and express solidarity with those who suffer, both in the congregation and in the world at large.

In part, Good Friday lament can be practiced through the use of the full traditional intercessory prayer for Good Friday, just like the one used by the medieval church. This is an example of a medieval liturgical practice that never should have been given up. If you look in most prayer books, you will find a long “solemn prayer” or “solemn intercessions” or “solemn prayer of the faithful” indicated for Good Friday (see, for example, Book of Common Worship [Presbyterian], 283-286 or The Book of Common Prayer [Episcopal], 277-280.) This is the modern-day version of this traditional medieval prayer. Some congregations may wish to use this same prayer in their Good Friday worship. Others may wish to use the comprehensive pattern of this prayer to structure more spontaneous prayers of lament and intercession.

Preaching

Many Good Friday sermons are—appropriately— sermons about salvation, about the way that the cross achieves victory from sin and death. But it’s also appropriate to preach about suffering, both Christ’s and ours. Consider, for example, sermons on the words of Paul that confer mysterious significance on the suffering of those who are united with Christ in death (Col. 1:24; 2 Cor. 1:5, 4:10; Phil. 3:10; also 1 Peter 4:12-16). Some sermons are intended to help people think correctly. But on Good Friday, consider preaching sermons that help worshipers pray more profoundly.

Songs and Hymns

Finally, look for hymns and songs not only about Christ’s passion, but also about the world’s pain and suffering. Many hymn texts explore the link between Christ’s suffering and ours in unforgettable ways. Consider this example:

No pain that we can share
but he has felt its smart.
All forms of human grief and care
have pierced that tender heart.

—O Perfect Lifee of Love, PsH 380, st. 3

Good Friday Texts or Verses are all given below. These are the entire verses on the Bible on Good Friday.

Paul

The epistles of Paul are a rich source of biblical Good Friday material.

■ Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 5. These passages provide profitable insight on how the death of Christ results in the justification before God of all who believe.

■ 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. In this passage Paul presents the cross as either nonsense or the ultimate answer.

■ 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. This passage from the apostle Paul fairly begs to be preached on Good Friday. Explore what reconciliation means, how it was accomplished through Jesus Christ, and move on to talk about our responsibility in sharing the good news by being “ambassadors for Christ.”

■ Philippians 2:5-13. This passage deals with the humiliation and subsequent exaltation of Christ.

■ Colossians 1:15-23. The subject of these verses is the reconciliation to God of the created order—both the natural world and sinful human beings.

Isaiah

An obvious Old Testament text that lends itself well to Good Friday preaching is Isaiah’s Messianic description of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. When combined with the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, this Old Testament passage comes alive in a strikingly evangelistic way.

John

The apostle John shows unusual depth of understanding in interpreting the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross. Such well-known texts as John 3:16,1 John 4:10, and the Good Shepherd passage of John 10 make excellent Good Friday sermons.

One of my favorite passages from John is the word of Christ to Nicodemus in John 3, especially verses 14 and 15. Preach this against the background of Numbers 21:4-9, where God sent fiery serpents to punish the grumbling Israelites. Moses was instructed to make a bronze serpent and lift it up in the midst of the Israelite camp so that anyone who looked at the snake in faith would live and not die. Jesus uses this Old Testament story as a simile of how he will accomplish his redemptive work. A possible sermon title would be “Life for a Look!” The passage speaks powerfully of justification by faith.

Luke

While all four gospel writers offer a wealth of material, Dr. Luke records an incident on the Via Dolorosa that no other gospel writer includes. A large company of women who followed Jesus were lamenting his plight as he carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem on the way to Golgotha. Jesus turned to them saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28, rsv). Christ did not desire pity.

On Good Friday what is needed is not the quick tear of sentiment but the deep sorrow of conviction over sin. Jesus of Nazareth was more than a noble person facing an excruciating death. He was the Lamb of God offering himself for the sin of the world. This text calls for deep contrition and genuine repentance.

Hebrews

Hebrews 9:6-15 and 20:11-25. A curious event that occurred immediately after the death of Christ and is recorded by all three synoptic gospels is the tearing of the heavy curtain or veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Jewish temple. Only Matthew speaks of an accompanying earthquake with the rending of the veil of the temple (see Matt. 27:51). The writer to the Hebrews alludes to Jesus opening a “new and living way” into the heavenly sanctuary and into the very presence of God. The symbolic meaning of the torn veil of the temple is a worthy Good Friday theme.

Peter

In his first letter the apostle Peter explores how Christ died both as our example and as our sin-bearer. The exemplary aspect of Christ’s death is set in the context of Peter’s instruction on how Christian slaves of the first century were to behave when treated unjustly (1 Peter 2:21). But certainly the crucifixion of Jesus is much more than just an inspiring example of how a brave man faced harsh and unfair treatment. Christ’s identification with humanity also resulted in his being our sin-bearer. In your sermon seek to plumb the depths of what Peter meant when he said, “By his wounds you have been healed” (2 Peter 2:24 RSV).

Other Passages

The passages above are just a sampling of the many suitable texts you might select for Good Friday. The atonement of God’s Son is a major scriptural theme, and the Bible is an inexhaustible treasure house in its treatment of this subject. The meaning of Good Friday is central to understanding redemption.

Paul said it so well: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scripture” (1 Cor. 15:3,4 RSV).

We hope these verses or texts on Good Friday will help you all to have a more blessed Good Friday today.

See this article also –  Good Friday