Pope Francis leads prayer vigil for Divine Mercy
(Vatican Radio) Pope
Francis on Saturday lead a prayer vigil for Divine Mercy, in which he spoke of
the many faces of the mercy of God.
The prayer vigil took place
on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday and coincided with the 11th anniversary
of Pope St. John Paul II’s death.
Thousands of people gathered
in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday in the Octave of Easter for the celebration
of a prayer vigil for Divine Mercy.
In remarks prepared for the
occasion, Pope Francis reflected on the ‘vast ocean’ that is the mercy of God,
saying “so great and infinite is his mercy, to the point that it is greatly
challenging to describe it in all its entirety”.
Turning to the testimony of
Scripture, Pope Francis noted that the Bible expresses God’s mercy as nearness
to His people and in the expression of tenderness, especially in the prophet
Hosea.
The Holy Father went on to
name the many faces of God’s mercy.
“How many expressions there
are of God’s mercy! This mercy comes to us as closeness and tenderness, and
because of this, comes also as compassion and solidarity, as consolation and
forgiveness. The more we receive, the more we are called to share it with
others; it cannot be kept hidden or kept only for ourselves. It is something
which burns within our hearts, driving us to love, thus recognizing the face of
Jesus Christ, above all in those who are most distant, weak, alone, confused
and marginalized.”
The prayer vigil coincided
with the 11th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death on Divine Mercy Sunday,
2 April 2005.
Pope Francis himself will
visit the Shrine of Divine Mercy during the 28th World Youth Day to take place
this summer in Krakow, Poland.
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