Divine Mercy Icon—Explanation

Kathy Weekly message

You may recall on the First Sunday of Advent we had unveiled an image of the Divine Mercy Icon and placed it on the side of the Baptismal Font in the Sanctuary of our Church for this Year of Mercy.

I am pleased to introduce this special Icon entitled “the Fountain of Divine Mercy Icon” in honor of this Extraordinary Jubilee Year in the life of the church. It draws one into the message that Pope Francis hopes to bring to the world. God is a merciful Father. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who will lead the 99 sheep to go in search of the one lost soul. If you take a closer look at this Icon you will discover various symbols associated with what the Divine Mercy is all about.

The Cross

 “Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time, this will take place shortly before the last day.”  (St. Faustina’s Diary, 83)

First we see the symbol of Mother Mary’s virginity, the eight-point star, placing it on the points of Christ’s wounds where He was nailed to the cross. It seemed fitting to me that through Blessed Mary’s fiat our Lord was made flesh and therefore, vulnerable to pain for our sakes and for our salvation. The eight point star is also the symbol for eternity. Jesus brought this forth for us through His sacrificial death.

 The World

 Jesus is standing upon the world with His hand in the gesture of absolution (Diary, 309). His mercy is flowing forth from His wounded heart, in the form of Blood and Water pouring from the flesh in His side where the soldier pierced Him as He hung on the cross.

 “These rays of mercy…Will go out through all the world”. (St. Faustina’s Diary, 441)

 Because of the Rays denoting Blood and Water, which symbolize the Church emerging from the side of Jesus Christ with sacraments that cleanse the soul (Baptism and Penance) and give life (the Eucharist and others), can be considered an excellent exposition on the liturgy of the first Sunday after Easter.

 Jesus is depicted wearing a white robe.

“Like a doctor in hospital; He is walking the earth, healing sick mankind.”

Jesus I trust in you (‘Jezu ufam Tobie). (St. Faustina’s Diary, 327)

 The Blood and Water

In the Divine Mercy Icon, the Blood and the Waters of Baptism flow out for the whole world to experience. (St. Faustina’s Diary, 344)

 The two rays pass through the body of Jesus (The Eucharist) out and over into the chalice. The pale rays represent the water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the blood which is the life of souls .(St. Faustina’s Diary, 299)

 The Eucharist has the orthodox inscription written on it.

 Inline image 1

 The Chaplet

 You will find an Orthodox Cross on the Chaplet Medal. It reveals that we have received through prayer the importance of respecting one another’s traditions and supporting each other in our walk of faith.

 

The Epiphany of the Lord

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Today is the feast of the EPIPHANY – the arrival of the wise men – the manifestation of God to all peoples of the world. Until now, God revealed His Son to shepherds and townsfolk – all Jews – but now, “foreigners” were shown the King and revered Him. Tradition tells us that there were three Wise Men.

Melchior – Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, GOLD I bring to crown Him again. King forever, ceasing never, Over us all to reign.

Balthazar – MYRRH is mine: its bitter perfume, breathes a life of gathering gloom. Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

Caspar – FRANKINCENSE to offer have I; Incense owns a deity neigh. Prayer and praising gladly raising, Worship Him, God on High.

Following the star, they reached Bethlehem and upon entering the house, they found the Child with Mary. They prostrated themselves and did Him homage and presented Him with their gifts.

WHAT GIFTS DO WE BRING TO CHRIST TODAY? The Magi seek Christ but do not seek Christ empty handed. They each bring a gift to offer to Jesus as a sign of humility and as an act of worship.  Each one of us has unique gifts and talents that God has given us. We can use those gifts and talents to glorify ourselves, but this glory fades. On the other hand, when we lay our gifts and talents down at the feet of Christ we become a part of something greater. This is what the Magi did and this is what this feast invites us to do. 

At Mass, we are given an Epiphany each week when we receive Christ in the Eucharist. If we approach the altar as the Magi approached the crib and lay down our gifts and talents – and give them to Christ to glorify him, we will truly be blessed and we will not be the same. May this New Year be a special one for us – let us make an effort to grow in a closer encounter with Christ.

Blessing Your Home – Because this was the day the Three Kings visited the house of Jesus, the custom of blessing homes on Epiphany Day developed. After the blessing, the following was written in chalk on the back of the door: 20 + C + M + B +16.  The letters are the initials of the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) and are also shorthand for Christus mansionem benedicat, Latin for “Christ bless this house.” The numbers declare the new year, 2016, and the four crosses represent the four seasons. Bless your home by inscribing 20 + C + M + B + 2016 on the back of your door using the following prayer:

“Lord, Jesus, the three kings followed the star that led them to Your home. Help us to find You in this house through the love we share. Bless our home and all of us during this year ahead. Amen.”

 

A special Thanks:

At this time of the year Fr. Henry and myself would like to thank everyone who has treated us so kindly with love, greetings, gifts, prayers and best wishes. We also extend our thanks to all those who have contributed to make our Advent and Christmas liturgies so meaningful.

The simple beauty of our parish celebrations comes together because of the rich personal gifts, talents and dedication of many in our parish, including decorators, musicians and choir members, ushers and altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and sacristans. Thanks to parents for encouraging their children to take part in the Nativity Play and the children’s choir. We are always so appreciative of all those who attend our celebrations and make it so lively by actively taking part in it. Sincere thanks to all who have so generously contributed towards our 2015 Christmas offertory collection. May God bless each and every one of you, granting you joy and peace in your hearts and in your families always.

 

God Bless you.

Fr. Socorro