Mercy in a Movie: My Journey to Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy is a devotion that is, even if subconsciously, a part of every Catholic’s experience, as the Divine Mercy Image can be found in most Catholic churches. It is a painting depicting Jesus with rays of light beaming from His chest, punctuated by the words “Jesus, I trust in You.” Its message of faith, hope, and surrender is inspiring to Catholics everywhere.
My personal devotion to the Divine Mercy began rather unconventionally in my adolescence. It was August of 2004, and I had just arrived home from church. As a typical 17-year old, my instinct was to immediately plop myself down in front of the computer, but that day, the computer was uncharacteristically in use, and I had to kill a little time. So I turned on the TV.
I stumbled upon a movie, “Wide Awake,” that was just starting. The first few lines intrigued me, and a quick look at the TV Guide informed me it was about a little boy coping with the death of his grandfather. I, myself, was days away from the first anniversary of my grandfather’s death. It dawned on me that God had put me in this situation for a reason. The story and relationship this movie contained was more important than chatting with my friends online.
The main character was a 10-year old boy named Joshua who went on a mission to find God to make sure his grandpa was okay. I was newly returned to the Faith at that time, so, while I was no longer 10, I felt very connected to the story.
There was one particular scene where Joshua asks his teacher about something in his workbook regarding the, “need to be baptised to save your soul from eternal damnation,” and the class breaks out into chaos, asking about friends and family members who aren’t baptised and whether they were going to hell. Of course, the movie wasn’t going to answer that question, but the Sister responded as well as she could by implying a layer of unspoken compassion, clarifying that the book was not saying anyone was going to hell, and tabling the discussion for the next day.
In my own situation, I had been struggling with that same question. My grandfather had not been religious. Ever since coming back to the church, I had had that little nagging in the pit of my stomach that I was never going to see him again. It was almost like each and every one of those boys in the movie was vocalizing my fears about my grandpa, and the Sister spoke words to ease those fears. Not long before seeing the movie, I had asked God for a sign that I would see him again, and there I was watching a movie about a boy searching for God to make sure his grandpa was okay. There was no question in my mind that there was Divine Intervention at play, and when I look back, I feel so lucky that I was able to sense such a clear answer to my prayer.
Tayler Crabb, @taylercrabb.
I sincerely believe God speaks to us in ways we can most clearly hear Him. My return to the Church that year had been inspired jointly by the TV show “Joan of Arcadia,” the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” and my high school’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” God knows I hear Him most clearly through the Arts.
The following Holy Week, I saw a prayer pamphlet for the Divine Mercy Chaplet. My heart stopped when I saw that Day 8 is dedicated to the souls in Purgatory. These are souls who are not yet in Heaven, but for whom it is not too late to pray. I was inspired by this new-to-me teaching on the Infinite Mercy of God. It taught me that only God can judge the inner workings of the heart, and no one can know who He will allow to spend eternal life with Him. I began latching on to the parts of the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest says, “bring them and ALL the departed,” or “remember…those whose faith is known to you alone,” and of course the words of the Divine Mercy Chaplet: “…have Mercy on us, and on the WHOLE world.” These words, prayed by countless people around the world every day, with no names attached, gave me hope that God’s mercy could have reached my grandfather before he took his last breath.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Meet Kayla Hart
Kayla Hart is from British Columbia, Canada, and has a BFA in Writing from the University of Victoria. In addition to being a daughter of God, she considers herself a singer, an occasional playwright, and a musical theatre nerd. She has always had a keen interest in the arts and is excited to further explore her visually artistic side as a new member of the Live Today Well photography team. You can find her on Instagram as @hartofsilver and @hartofsilverproductions.