Mercy

I’m terrible at remembering novenas. I’ve really wanted to pray the Divine Mercy novena but of late I’ve been sound asleep at the hour of mercy. God knows I probably need the nap more than the prayer. (I know you can say it at other times; but that’s when I usually think of it.)

But God who is all loving sometimes reads the wishes of our hearts and grants them in unexpected ways.

This morning Bella and Sophie were playing at singing. They hold open board books and belt out songs at the top of their lungs. Some real songs, some they make up on the spot. Except for the times when it devolves into screaming, I really love it.

Then Bella started singing bits of the Divine Mercy chaplet: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world…. For the sake of his sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the whole world. I smiled and told her that was the divine mercy prayer.

“Can you help me say it, mama?”

Oh dear girl, yes. Yes I can.

I surfed over to my favorite recording, from the the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, Stockbridge Mass. .  This is the very first version of the divine mercy prayers I ever heard, when some of the beautiful sisters came to the Proud 2B Catholic concert and prayed along with us. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find this version on cd or in any downloadable format.

The girls listened along with me to all fifteen minutes, praying along for almost all of it.

I sometimes have trouble remembering that I can still pray a part of the Novena even if I’ve forgotten the first few days. I let my perfectionist tendencies get in the way of doing what I can when I can. Fortunately my girls are not yet slaves to that mentality.

What a wonderful gift on this rainy morning.