“ Fount of Life ” and the Source for the remission of sin and punishment , both in Confession 351 and in Holy Communion ( Mt 26:26-28 ) after Baptism . 352lxxxix Both of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confession are for those “ in full communion of the Church ” ( CCC , 1395 ).
4 . Practice Mercy toward the Neighbor ( Diary , # 742 )
My daughter , if I demand through you that people revere My mercy , you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My 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 ( Diary , # 742 ).
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor : the first by deed , the second – by word , the third – by prayer . In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy , and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me . By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy . Yes , the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy , but there must also be acts of mercy … By means of this Image I shall grant many graces to souls . It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy , because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works ( Diary , # 742 ).
The first documented public celebration of the solemnity of the Feast of the Divine Mercy was on Divine Mercy Sunday , on April 28 , 1935 ( Diary , # 420 ). It occurred at the close of the three-day celebration of another solemnity , the “ Jubilee of the Redemption of the World ,” at the Gate of the Dawn Shrine in Vilnius , Poland . 353 The Divine Mercy Image ( as noted above ) was also first publicly displayed and venerated on that day , as well ; and it seemed to have been placed strategically , close to the “ miraculous icon of Our Lady , Mother of Mercy .” 354 The Feast was attended by the Sisters of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy , including Sr .
351 Ibid ., Faustina , Diary , # 300 ; CCC , 1424-1425 , 1446 . 352 Ibid ., CCC , 1393 , 1436 , 1425 . 353 Ibid ., Faustina , Diary , # 420 , xxiii , Addenda : Info-Pictures on the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy ,
6 ; EWTN Internet , “ St . Faustina Kowalska : Feast of Mercy ,” Internet , 1 ; Odell , Catherine . Faustina , Apostle of Divine Mercy , 189 . 354 Ibid ., Faustina , Diary , # 47-50 , 420 , Addenda : Info-Pictures on the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of
Mercy , 6 ; Odell , Faustina , Apostle of Divine Mercy : The Divine Feast of Mercy , 189 .
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