Blessed John Paul II – tireless promoter of the Divine Mercy of the Lord Jesus

What a glorious day it is today for all those who truly believe and carry the name of Roman Catholics not in name only, but throughout their life.

Way back in 1962, Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, began the informative process relating to the life and virtues of Sr Faustina Kowalaska, a Polish nun, from whose diary – with the first entry dated July 28, 1934 – we learn about the many visions she had of Jesus expressing his constant wish to have the Feast of Divine Mercy celebrated on the Octave of Easter, not only in Poland but throughout the world. By 1968 her beati-fication process was formally inaugurated.

On April 18, 1993, the same Karol Wojtyla – now Pope John Paul II – beatified Sr Faustina and on April 20, 2000, declared her a saint. It was on this occasion that he established the second Sunday of Easter as ‘Divine Mercy Sunday’.

Throughout his papacy John Paul II never tired of speaking about the Divine Mercy of Our Lord. And here we are today, on Divine Mercy Sunday, witnessing his own beatification. John Paul II was so close to his people and lived his suffering so publicly because his whole life was his badge of faith.