The celebration of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday is quickly approaching! Our Lord wants to shower an abundance of graces upon you on this feast day. 

He told St. Faustina that He wishes to "pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened" (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 699). So, don't you want to be fully prepared to receive this ocean of graces from our Lord?

Here's how.

As we bring this season of Lent to a close, recommit yourself to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It's never too late in the season to dedicate yourself to extra time in prayer, offering small or larger sacrifices to the Lord, and serving others through corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

On Good Friday, begin the Divine Mercy Novena and Novena of Chaplets. You can visit TheDivineMercy.org/novena to follow along.

Sincerely repent of your sins and go to Confession sometime before Divine Mercy Sunday. As long as you remain in the state of grace (having committed no mortal sins) after Confession until Divine Mercy Sunday, you do not need to go to Confession on Divine Mercy Sunday itself. 

Place your complete trust in Jesus, and if you feel like your trust is lacking, ask Jesus for the grace to trust in Him completely.

Celebrate the Feast of Mercy on the Sunday after Easter and receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday (or the Vigil Mass).

Venerate the Image of Divine Mercy, whether it be displayed in your parish or your home. To venerate a sacred image or statue simply means to perform some act or make some gesture of deep religious respect toward it because of the person whom it represents — in this case, our Most Merciful Savior.

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

Also, consider joining us at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy for Divine Mercy Sunday.

Attend our annual Mercy Weekend Conference at the Saint Faustina Welcome Center, on Saturday, April 27, here on the grounds of the Shrine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Register at TheDivineMercy.org/mwc or by calling 1-800-462-7426 (box lunch included). Doors open at 9 a.m. Talks begin at 10 a.m. Visit TheDivineMercy.org/Mercy2019 later that day for the video recordings of the conference.

Featured speakers will be Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, director of the Association of Marian Helpers, and Teresa Tomeo, acclaimed Catholic talk show host, author, and journalist. She will be sharing her testimony of her reversion to the Catholic Church, entitled, "From Secular Anchor to Media Evangelist: How Mercy Made all the Difference." 

Following the conference, you may participate in all the activities planned for the weekend, including Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross, the Divine Mercy Novena, music, presentations, and Holy Mass. Everything you need to do to spiritually prepare for this great Feast will be available here at the Shrine. 

This year's celebrant for Divine Mercy Sunday will be Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Diocese of Albany, New York. 

Wear good, waterproof walking shoes, and dress in layers, so you will be prepared for any kind of weather!

If you are unable to join us at the Shrine, tune in to the live broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) on Sunday, April 28. The show begins at noon EST, followed by the Solemn Liturgy at 1 p.m. 

Buses must register in advance, and you can do so by visiting TheDivineMercy.org/shrine/busregistration/mercysunday_form.php to apply for registration. You can also email [email protected] or call (413) 298-1119 for more information. 

Perhaps you may even feel called to volunteer for Divine Mercy Sunday? To sign up, visit ShrineOfDivineMercy.org/volunteer or email [email protected] and for more information, call (413) 298-3931 ext. 114.

Finally, please know of our prayers for you as you prepare for this great Feast. Let us give thanks to our Merciful Lord who has given us this great Feast of His mercy and desires for us to be washed clean of every stain of sin, and be with Him forever in Heaven!