I call it Thomas Sunday because as Wendi points out, DM is a new feast. I guess Jesus had mercy on St. Thomas but he also kind of embarrased him by making him put his finger in his hand. Is that divine mercy?

As I was saying in another thread, I always use O Sons and Daughters since it tells the story based on the Gospel reading for the day.

I've always liked Thomas. I can relate to him.

It is the Octave Day of Easter, and in the OF, the Easter Sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes (Christians to the Paschal Victim) is optional before (or after, if you prefer the traditional, and technically correct, schema) the Alleluja.

Hence it was perfectly chosen as Divine Mercy Sunday. Nothing added, nothing needed.

Trads might disagree with me, but I think placing the feast on the octave day of Easter rightly connects glory of Easter with mercy for the world.
What the world (and my soul) needs now,
is mercy, sweet mercy.

I'm so terribly excited about our soon-to-be saints!!!

I can tolerate those two "saints" since they seemed to be holy people. Whether or not either of them had much administrative ability is another matter. However, if they ever canonize Paul VI I will seriously consider becoming Orthodox.

I am not doing anything special for Divine Mercy Sunday. It is the second Sunday of Easter for us.

The idea that all popes since Vatican II were/are saints is something I find unbelievable. Pius XII was a better man than any of them. His cause has languished for years. Paul VI caused a greater loss of faith than Luther, I am sure.

Charles W, This may help...

http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/is-act-of-canonisation-infallible-is-it.html

The Sunday of Many Names

Second Sunday of Easter
The Octave Day of Easter
Low Sunday
St. Thomas Sunday
Quasimodo Sunday
Divine Mercy Sunday

Did I miss any?

matthewj

Clarification... I call it St. Thomas Sunday mainly to myself. Mine is not an official title and don't really throw it around, so to speak.

o wow. i am flattered.

I managed to ban "O filii et filiae" on Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday in exchange we sing it today... The other extra has yet to be decided, but will be from Zyma Vetus a former Easter Sequence, Hic est Dies an Ambrosian Easter tide Hymn, we will decide later.

We may also sing the processional Hymn Salve festa at the beginning, before the Vidi...

N.B. This is for the E.F. No vernacular Hymns of course. We follow the English tradition of singing the Marian Anthem after the end of Mass, after the sung prayer for the Queen.

Divine Mercy exists independently of the chaplet and the devotion described in the diary of St. Faustina. The title should be understood as drawing our attention not to the devotion, but to the Mercy itself of God, as manifested by Jesus Christ risen from the dead and described in the Gospel of the day.

Divine Mercy Sunday came and went while we sang Second Sunday of Easter hymns. I believe Divine Mercy Sunday is a Polish thing established by a Polish Pope. Maybe you have to be Polish to truly appreciate it.

There is nothing wrong about the Divine mercy chaplet, I would much prefer to say the Rosary instead it will takes around the same time, and if we want to sing something why not sing part of the Divine Office, EF in my case.

Holy Mother Church has approved many devotions and prayers, and lavishly indulgenced some of them. They are all for our benefit, and we are welcome to choose between them.

I suspect that if there had not been a John Paul II in the papacy, the whole idea of Divine Mercy Sunday would never have gotten much traction. The chaplet, however, has a life of its own apart from that Sunday. I have prayed it before and as devotions go, there is nothing wrong with it. As an Eastern Christian, that chaplet is closer in some ways to our forms of devotion than I think it is to the rosary. The closing prayers are quite similar to the Trisagion Hymn, a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy. However, no one's faith rides on devotions. As Chonak said, we are free to choose between them, or disregard them altogether.

I have watched the sung chaplet on EWTN. Can you say, "awful?"

The faithful are free to choose among approved forms of devotion: the Church commends them to us, but does not impose.

Nothing is wrong with it. It is one option among several. I used it as, "O Sons and Daughters" this morning. We also sang, "Regina Caeli." Both are fully acceptable for our OF masses, and better than what was heard in probably half the parishes in the country.

I am an American-American, and all my Scottish, French, and Austrian ancestors are quite dead. After 200 years of my family being in this country, I have gotten over what my ancestors did or did not do, or even where they came from.

Devotions have an appeal to certain individuals, while other devotions may not appeal to them at all. It is also no secret that Sister Faustina was Polish, as was John Paul II. The popularity of the Divine Mercy devotions in Poland likely had a great deal to do with John Paul's support for those devotions. Who ever heard of the Black Madonna before his pontificate? Poland, especially under communist rule, was a backwater and the country wasn't in the news very much. JP II brought much of his own culture with him when he took the office. I would not have expected otherwise.

I prefer to deal with sacraments and doctrine and don't spend much time being concerned with devotions. They really are peripheral to my Catholicism, eastern though it is. As I stated before, my faith doesn't ride on devotions. I would question whether anyone's should either, but some do seem obsessed with them.

There aren't many Polish people in this area, if any. I did go to high school with a Lithuanian, but he was a rarity. We didn't hear much about Poland in this area and still don't. It's overwhelmingly Protestant here to begin with. For many years, there were three Catholic parishes in the entire region. That has changed, but we are still a minority.

I see what you mean. But then again, we have the feast of the Sacred Heart, and Our Lady of the Rosary, etc.

I know it has been said but "Divine Mercy" is a "thing" separate from the devotions that are associated with it. Divine Mercy Sunday is not some how at odds with the Second Sunday of Easter, whether you like it or not, and I am really not sure why you would think it is. Remember, we're Catholic...both/and.

Since I just this morning wrote something for a class on sacramentals and devotions, I'd like to address some of the issues that have been brought up, if I may.

The Second Sunday of Easter (already!) celebrates the mercy of Christ, best understood in the light of the Easter season. "Divine Mercy" is a title added to the day that reinforces the reality of the Gospel message that is already present.

The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy describes Divine Mercy Sunday as concentrating “on the mercy poured forth in Christ’s death and resurrection, fount of the Holy Spirit who forgives sins and restores joy at having been redeemed.” (no. 154). The Second Sunday of Easter is a fitting day (“natural locus”) when we focus on our acceptance of Christ’s mercy because of his act of redemption for us.

Since the message of the devotion is already related to the Liturgy of that day, it makes sense for the devotion to be celebrated on that day that focuses on the Divine Mercy. This does not mean the devotion is taking over the liturgical calendar. Devotions stem from and lead to the liturgical life of the Church. Popular piety and devotions are guided by the Magisterium as the sensus fidelium discerns and welcomes messages that are appropriate to the age in which we live. Devotions, when viewed in the balanced and proper light, provide an extension of liturgical life and help us to "pray without ceasing." The Church "highly commends" devotions, which help the faithful enable themselves to be properly disposed to receive the Sacraments.

Devotions, while not required of the faithful, enrich and nourish the spiritual life of the Christian. They are guided by the Magisterium so that they are in accord with the liturgical season, are derived from it, and lead the people to it. (Which is why they can have the same message....) The spiritual life of the faithful is not solely limited to participation in the liturgy. Sound devotions should exhibit several characteristics so that they harmonize with the liturgy and the life of the Church. If you are not familiar with the Divine Mercy chaplet, I wouldn't knock it...the devotions for that day exhibit all the characteristics of good devotions. They are scripturally based, consistent with the doctrine of the Church, have a Trinitarian focus, an ecclesial aspect, as eschatological aspect, and lead to and from the liturgy.

So in the end, I really don't understand how you can say, "I am just going to ignore Divine Mercy Sunday"...you don't want people to really hear the gospel message and be reminded of the tremendous mercy of Christ? There is no either/or here. If you don't celebrate Divine Mercy, then you are not celebrating the Second Sunday of Easter either. Maybe you just don't like that there was a new name added to the day...what's wrong with it if it is reflecting the reality already present?

God is love itself poured out for us (in the blood and water flowing from his side, in his wounds, in the Eucharist!), let us turn with trust to him and receive that mercy!

I remember ship-of-fools used to call John Paul II, "Pope Long Haul" because of the length of time he was in office. I wish such things did not stick in my mind like they do.

How about two pope divine mercy holy Faustina and Thomas second Sunday of Easter Sunday? Anyone else think this gets a bit ridiculous?

francis, the "both/and" term relates to classic orthodox doctrine (e.g., Christ is both God and man; both faith and works affect whether we are in the state of grace, etc.) It's not code for some revolutionary opinion.

classic orthodox doctrine

Exactly what I am aiming for.
Thank you, chonak.