RCIA Session 23: “Grace and Mercy”
(August 5, 2008: Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica)
Opening Song:
Scripture:
“Have Mercy, Lord, on Us” (St. Michael Hymnal, #339)
interspersed
Summary: “God reveals His fatherly omnipotence by the way He takes care of our needs; by the filial
adoption He gives us (‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord
Almighty.’): finally by His infinite mercy, for He displays His power at its height by freely forgiving sins.”
(CCC 270, cf. CCC 210-11, 2040)
1.
The basic sin against the virtue of hope come in two “flavors”: “_______________________”,
which assumes that God’s mercy will handle everything, whether you repent or not; and “______________”,
which rejects all belief that God can (or will, or wants to) save you.
Temptations can come before, during, and after we’ve sinned:
 Before we’ve sinned, temptations usually try to entice us to sin by exaggerating the potential pleasure
and minimizing the potential harm.

During the sin, temptations usually try to keep us focused on the “pleasure” and to distract us from
recognizing the harm or disillusionment (i.e. pleasure not being as good as “promised”).

After the sin, temptations usually try to get us to despair, or to escape from the guilt and
disappointment by plunging into new sin (or by leading us into denial of the harm, guilt and
disappointment that we feel after the sin).
Names of importance in the “Saga of Divine Mercy”:
 Bishop Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638, 53 years): heretic (reformed before his death)
 St. Margaret Mary (1647-1690, 43 years): fostered devotion to the Sacred Heart
 St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716, 43 years): fostered total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary
 St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1936, 31 years): fostered devotion to the Divine Mercy
- image (painting) of the Divine Mercy
- chaplet (prayer) of Divine Mercy
2. According to the Catechism: mercy is the loving kindness, compassion, or forbearance (i.e. holding off
punishment) shown to one who ________________ (see revised CCC, index).
3. Mercy isn’t the ____________________ of a debt, as such; mercy is when someone __________ willingly
accepts the debt that he didn’t incur, and doesn’t deserve.
4. Grace, in its general sense, means “something freely ____________, without compulsion or cost”
(includes actual, or “for action”, grace; and sanctifying, or “holy-making”, grace).
Song: “My Divine Mercy” (David Burke, performed by “Ascent”)
Jesus once appeared
while Faustina prayed so faithfully.
He said to her, “My daughter,
go and paint the vision that you see.”
She saw His heart so full of light,
bright as a star upon the night.
Rays of love were flowing outward
like a fountain in the sky.
[refrain]
And Jesus said, “My divine mercy
shall heal the souls in need.
I'll grant all My grace and My forgiveness
to those who trust in Me.”—
Faustina prayed, “I trust in You.
I shall obey Your sacred words.
My holy Lord, I'll be the shepherd
of the message I have heard.”
As Faustina prayed
Jesus appeared to her again.
He spoke the words that she would say
about His mercy for our sins.
The Lord would say, “Have faith in Me.
Be not afraid, I'll set you free.
I'll cleanse your soul and guide you
on your way to My eternity.
[repeat refrain]
Discussion Questions:
1. What is mercy? How does it differ from the modern idea of being “lenient”?
2. What is grace? What’s the difference between “sanctifying” grace and “actual” grace?
3. How do we get sanctifying grace? If we lose it through mortal sin, can we regain it?
4. What are the two main sins against the virtue of hope? (CCC 2091-2092) Why are they wrong?
5. What is the only unforgivable sin? What does this mean about all other sins, no matter what kind and
number?
6. What is Jansenism? Can you think of any examples of Jansenism in the world today (or in your lifetime)?
7. What were two devotions, in addition to the devotion to the Divine Mercy, which God raised up to
counteract Jansenism?
8. The Church calls Divine Mercy “the greatest attribute of God”; how so? Why is it so much greater than
even His power, knowledge, etc.?
9. Why doesn’t God’s mercy entitle us to sin freely?
10. Name at least one or two ways through which God extends mercy to us.
11. What do the two rays—the red and the pale—represent, in the image of Divine Mercy?
12. Given God’s priorities, can you see any way that God’s Divine Mercy could allow suffering?
Closing Prayer: (Chaplet of Divine Mercy)
Leader:
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.
Leader: You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and an ocean of mercy opened up
for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty
Yourself out upon us. (St. Faustina’s Diary, 1319)
All:
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I
trust in You! (Diary, 84)
Leader:
Our Father, Who Art in heaven, …
Hail, Mary, full of grace, …
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, …
All:
All:
All:
Give us this day our daily bread, …
Holy Mary, Mother of God, …
I believe in the Holy Spirit, …
[on each large “Our Father” bead, once at the beginning of each decade]
All:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
[on each smaller “Hail, Mary” bead, ten times through the decade]
Leader: For the sake of His sorrowful passion…
All: Have mercy on us, and on the whole world.
[after 5 full decades, repeat the following prayer three times]
All: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole
world. (x3)
Leader:
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.
Take-Home Activity: During your normal prayer time (try to aim for at least 15 minutes per day, at this
point), or at any time you like, try to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every day, for the following week.
It’s a powerful prayer that draws down many graces needed to resist sin, to turn your mind to God, and to
strengthen you to make Godly choices; so if you develop the habit of saying the Chaplet every day, you’ll
have an easy and powerful spiritual weapon that’ll probably make a noticeable difference in your life!
For more information on the Divine Mercy, check out the following website:
http://www.faustina.org/