Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 269: A Twofold Gaze at Mercy and Misery

If you could pick two things to gaze at, what would they be?  Ideally, the two greatest things to gaze at are the Mercy of God and your own misery.  Most likely, it immediately makes sense that the Mercy of God would be one of the most important things to gaze at, but the wisdom of gazing at your own misery may not be immediately apparent.  What we need to understand is that there is danger in seeing only one or the other.  If you were to focus in on the Mercy of God without also seeing your misery, then you would not be in a position to invite that Mercy into the parts of your life that need it the most.  And if you were to gaze at your misery without also seeing the Mercy of God, you would be led into despair.  The Mercy of God is given so that every sin, hurt, confusion, struggle and the like will have a remedy.  Our Lord longs to heal us and lift our burdens.  Allow His Mercy to meet all that burdens you and His Mercy will achieve its end (See Diary #1345).

Try to take some time to quietly and reflectively gaze at both God’s Mercy and your own inner burdens.  As you look at both, try to imagine them meeting within the sanctuary of your soul.  Let the Mercy of God fuse with any misery you experience in life and, in that act, you will be allowing God to do what He longs to do.

Lord, please have Mercy on me and heal me.  Help me to see the areas of my life that are in grave need of Your Mercy.  As I see them, help me to also fix my eyes upon Your Sacred Heart from which Mercy and grace flow.  In this gaze, may I discover Your unending compassion and love and so be healed of all that burdens me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Frederick Arthur Bridgman - The Prayer [1877], by Gandalf's Gallery, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 268: Pondering Death

Perhaps thinking about your death is frightening.  It may not be something that you actually consider very often.  But it is a grace to be able to look at one’s death directly and with full confidence.  And this is only possible to do with full confidence if your life is in order and given completely to God.  If you can honestly look into your soul and see that you have made holiness your ultimate goal, then you can also look directly at death with peace and calm.  What is there to fear in that case?  What is there to fear if you have dealt with the sin and regrets you have?  There is nothing to fear in this case.  Death, to the holy soul, is a reward and a journey to look forward to with delight and anticipation (See Diary #1343).

Try to do this simple exercise today of imagining this as being your last day on Earth.  Perhaps you immediately think about family or other tasks that you need to complete first to prepare.  Or perhaps you are filled with fear because you are aware of your sin.  First, try to set aside the practical tasks that would be left unfinished and even try to set aside your concern for your family and friends.  Though these are good and holy concerns, it is helpful to look at death only in regard to the condition of your soul.  If you were to die today, would you be able to look at the merciful Heart of our Lord and tell Him, honestly, that you die with Him as your greatest love?  Could you say to Him that His Will is your primary goal in life?  If not, reflect upon any obstacle you see and use this meditation to take an honest inventory of your life.

Lord, I know that Heaven must be my goal and my focus in life.  Help me to put my eyes upon You and all that awaits.  Help me to also look honestly at the condition of my soul and to identify any obstacle in the way of my holiness.  I love You, dear Lord, help me to make You the central focus of my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Jesus and Mary at the deathbed of St Joseph, by Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 267: Justice or Mercy?

It is proper to speak of both the Justice of God as well as His Mercy.  They are not opposed to each other.  His Justice will be dealt to those who refuse to repent just as it was dealt to the angels who refused to serve God.  But, for now, is it more proper to say that God is Merciful.  In fact, the evil one would love for us to become consumed with the idea that God is only Just and that He imposes His judgment upon us continually.  When this idea is accepted, it is hard to understand that God actually withholds His Justice as long as we are open to His Mercy.  Seek His Mercy, believe in it and run to it.  Do not doubt it for a moment.  Know that God offers it day and night and never tires of lavishing it upon you.  When you are faced with the fear that comes with facing His Justice, turn your eyes to His Mercy and you will be able to easily turn from all sin as you bask in the rays shining forth from His Heart (See Diary #1338).

Which of these two images of God do you reflect upon more often?  Are you frightened by God’s Justice?  Or are you consoled by His Mercy?  Both can be useful but never at the expense of the other.  We should never presume on God’s Mercy and we should never become fixated on His Justice without immediately remembering His Mercy.  Ponder His Mercy today more than anything and you will have no need to fear His Justice.  Let your heart experience His love and turn to Him with full confidence and trust.

Lord, I am aware that You are Just and will issue Your Justice upon me if I fail to turn to Your Mercy.  Therefore, I do turn to Your Mercy.  I seek it with all my heart.  I love You, Lord, and I desire to love You more.  Give me the grace to open my eyes to Your radiant Heart and to be open to all that You wish to bestow.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Christ Weeping Over Jerusalem, by Ary Scheffer

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 266: Discouragement in the Face of Sanctity

Do you want to be a saint? Hopefully the answer is “Yes.”  But what about this question: Do you think you can become a saint?  This may be more difficult to answer.  It’s easy to dream of sanctity and to desire it, but when faced with the task of achieving it, discouragement can easily set in.  Discouragement comes when you see the high call of holiness and conclude that you will never be able to achieve it.  You may become fixated upon a certain fault and give up, thinking that you are destined to remain lukewarm and that’s it.  You may feel as though you are a nice person and that will have to suffice.  But God has great plans for you!  He not only calls you to be a saint, He knows you can become one.  The key is to allow His Mercy to become so clear to you that you begin to realize sanctity is possible.  Holiness, or sanctity, is not achieved because we are good; rather, it’s achieved because God is merciful and we have chosen to fix our gaze upon that Mercy.  Never doubt the truth that you are both called to be a saint and that you can become a saint (See Diary #1333).

Reflect upon these two questions today.  Do I want to become a saint and can this be achieved in my life?  Look for ways that you get discouraged at the thought of holiness.  Whatever it is that is causing discouragement in you is false.  It’s not the truth.  Let the Mercy of God appear before your eyes and realize that His Mercy is able to be received by you.  And when you are open to receiving the Mercy of God, you will begin your journey to true sanctity.

Lord, I do desire to become holy as a result of Your abundant Mercy.  Remove my struggles with discouragement and help me to have hope in Your power to change me.  I give myself to You, dear Lord, and I trust that You will make me a saint.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image via Needpix

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 265: The Danger and Blessing of Passions

God created us with passions.  These can be either great blessings in our Christian walk or they can become great snares.  It all depends on what controls each passion.  Passions of anger, for example, can either be used for good or ill.  When anger takes over and the source of this anger is a wound or lack of mercy toward another, then we become bound by this sin.  But holy anger is a gift from God in that the Lord may inspire us to be “fierce” in one act or another.  A parent protecting an innocent child from danger or the direct confrontation with evil may require a certain holy anger as a supporting force.  Sexual passions are the same way.  When they are used for marital union in accord with God’s design, they are holy.  When they are the source of adultery, self-gratification, or any other form of lust, they do us great damage.  Seek to be free from unruly passions and allow the Mercy of God to so consume them that these natural gifts are given over to the service of love and the Will of God (See Diary #1331).

Are your passions under the control of the powerful Mercy of God or do your passions control you?  This is an important question to honestly answer.  Passions, when they become strong and untamed, can be hard to control.  But when properly surrendered to God, they become a great motivating source of love.  Reflect honestly upon your struggle with your passions.  Know that God wants to turn them into a great blessing and a source of much mercy in your life.  Turn them over to Him, over and over, through prayer, fasting and Confession and the Lord will bring order and stability to these natural gifts.

Lord, I offer You my heart, my soul, my body, my mind and my passions.  Please bring order and stability to me in every way and use me as an instrument of Your holy and passionate Love.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image via Getty

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 264: A Retreat With Jesus

Have you ever made a retreat?  Some are privileged to take time away from the busyness of life so as to spend an extended time listening to our Lord and being in His merciful presence.  Others find it hard to find even a day to enter such a retreat.  Regardless of whether you have or have not had this opportunity, know that you need time alone with Jesus.  It is not possible to speak to Him only during your busy day and maintain a proper relationship with Him.  The depth of the relationship desired by Jesus requires time set aside solely for Him.  Seek these opportunities and do not neglect them.  It is through moments of extended prayer and reflection that life is clarified and the Will of God is made manifest (See Diary #1326-1327).

When is the last time you spent an extended amount of time alone with our Lord?  Perhaps it was only an hour in the chapel or in your room, or perhaps it was longer.  Think about how much time you give to Him.  We often can find plenty of time to watch a movie, go shopping, or engage in some other recreational activity.  The truth is that if we make time alone with our Lord a priority in life, it will happen.  We will find the time and our time with Him will be abundantly fruitful.  Ponder the level of priority that you give to these moments of quiet reflection with our Lord and recommit yourself to making them the most important part of your life.  If you do so, all else will fall into place as His Mercy is poured forth.

Lord, I desire to make You the number one priority in my life.  I desire to make time for You on a daily basis and to find an extended period of time for You regularly.  Help me to have the will to do this so that I may bask in Your presence and allow You to sort through the difficulties I face in life.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Okkisafire, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 263: God as Your Helmsman in the Storm

Imagine being a small child on a small boat in the middle of the sea.  A storm sets in and you cannot see land in any direction.  You are tossed and turned in the waves as they cover the bow with each crash and you wonder how you will survive.  Now imagine that your dad is also on the boat with you.  He tells you to sit and hold on and that all will be well.  He is confident and in charge and shows no fear.  The confidence that your father exudes calms you and you trust that he will keep you safe.  This is an image of our lives.  When we face a crisis we must realize that we are but a child in the midst of the stormy sea in need of our Merciful Lord.  It would be foolish for a child to try to take charge of the boat.  It would also be foolish for us to try to direct our own lives.  We need the steady confidence of Jesus to put our hearts at rest.  The Lord must be your Helmsman whenever the waves begin to rise.  Do not doubt His ability to handle everything in life (See Diary #1322).

What do you do when the storms of life set in?  Do you panic?  Do you try to take control and handle things on your own?  Or do you turn your eyes to the strength and confidence of our Lord and let Him take control of the situation?  Turning to Jesus is not simply a matter of sitting back and doing nothing.  Rather, turning to Him in abandon is an act of the greatest trust.  That trust, when all seems chaotic and overwhelming, opens the door to His peace and keeps you safe and still no matter what comes your way.  Reflect upon the way you handle difficulties in life and make the conscious choice to turn to the Divine Helmsman to direct your life through the storm.

Lord, I turn to You in confidence and choose to put my full trust in You.  I know that You can handle all things and that Your love and care will keep me safe.  Increase my confidence in You, dear Lord, and help my heart to always remain at peace.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, by Ludolf Bakhuizen

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 262: The Rule of Love or Justice

We cannot escape the Hand of God.  He is the one who sustains the Universe and keeps all things in being.  Without His constant care we would cease to exist.  But we remain under His providential Hand in one of two ways.  Either we are guided by the “rule of love” or by the “rule of justice.”  The rule of justice is God’s way of guiding our lives when we turn away from Him.  We cannot escape His justice here or at the time of death.  When we sin, especially in a serious way, we become slaves to our sin on account of the justice of God.  He leaves us to experience the imprisonment of sin on account of His great Mercy.  It is Mercy in that the ill effects of His justice are imposed so as to call us to repentance.  But those who live under the rule of love are blessed to live on a whole new level.  These holy souls bask in the Mercy of God and are freed from the effects of sin.  They experience the numerous fruits of the Spirit and act in accord with the holy Will of God (See Diary #1315).

Which rule do you live by?  Are you regularly falling from grace and encountering the justice of God in your life?  Or are you striving to live by His rule of love?  Wherever you find yourself today, know that it is a gift of God’s Mercy.  Allow His justice to redirect your life when you fall, and seek to embrace the full outpouring of His Mercy.  The Lord will never leave you, but it’s up to you how you will experience His Mercy.

My Lord, I desire to be filled with Your merciful presence in my life.  I pray that I will daily turn from my sin and experience the freedom and joy that comes from living by Your rule of love.  Help me, dear Lord, to always make the right choices in my life so as to be drawn into the abundant life You have in store for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image via Pixabay

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 261: Jesus Hidden in Others

Imagine if Jesus came to you in poverty, hunger and cold and He asked you to care for Him.  This experience might startle you and cause you to question if this person really was Jesus.  But it is Jesus.  Jesus comes to us every day in the person who is in need.  It may be that we encounter someone who is homeless, hungry and in need of clothing.  If this is the case then this is Jesus.  But there are many whom we encounter every day who have a different form of hunger and thirst.  Many are starving for love, understanding, compassion and attention.  They may present an exterior that is unwelcoming, but inside they are our Lord, seeking to receive mercy from your heart.  Do not hesitate to see our Lord present in every person you encounter.  Lavish the mercy of your heart on them, especially the most pitiable soul, and you will have lavished your love on Jesus Himself (See Diary #1312).

How do you treat the poor and the beggar?  Start by thinking about those with physical needs but move deeper to consider all those who carry other needs.  Think about the hard of heart, the sinner, the proud, the arrogant, the person filled with anger, etc.  Every person you call to mind is our Lord coming to you for a taste of the mercy of your heart.  Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Christ.  Do you believe this?  If you do then this belief must have the practical consequences of you showing mercy to everyone, especially those whom you find most difficult to love.  Ponder this practical question today and make a commitment to seek out our Lord in the next “beggar” that you meet, no matter how undesirable they appear.

Lord, I love You and I realize that I must seek You out in each person I encounter.  Give me the eyes to see You and a heart to love You.  As I love You in others, dear Lord, allow the mercy in my heart to give you a sweet delight.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Beggar with a Lyra, by Svishchev-Paola

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 260: The Enormity of Small Acts of Love

Do you want to do amazing things in this world?  Do you sometimes have grandiose ideas and dreams?  Sometimes we have more secular dreams of wealth and fame, and sometimes we may have dreams of doing extraordinary things for God and for the Church.  But these do not have to be dreams because each and every one of us is called to extraordinary things.  The problem is that we often misunderstand what “extraordinary” is all about.  So what is it about?  It’s especially about doing small things with extraordinary love.  Every one of us can do this every day all day.  Our lives are filled with opportunities to do “small things.”  It may be cooking or cleaning, shuttling kids here or there, caring for the yard, completing tasks at work, or daily casual conversation with others.  Every one of these tasks offers us an opportunity to love with extraordinary love.  And if you do every small act with great love, then your love will be great and God will do extraordinary things through your life, bestowing His Mercy on many (See Diary #1310).

Think about the small things you have to do today.  How can you do these simple tasks with exceptional love?  Many things we do are done with distaste or indifference.  We can fail to see value in the small monotonous activities of our day.  This is a mistake.  Look for ways to do everything as an act of love and as an offering to God.  Be devout and intentional in each opportunity you have and your dreams of greatness will become a reality on account of the Mercy of God shining through your life.

Lord, I give to You, this day, every small act I perform.  Help me to find value and meaning in even the smallest service.  I pray that my love for You will increase in countless small ways so that I may be a holy instrument of Your abundant Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The Seven Acts of Charity, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.