Day Two of a Novena I'm Not Doing

At Maundy Thursday Mass, one of the priests reminded us that the Divine Mercy Novena started tomorrow, Friday.

By now, Thursday's 'tomorrow' is today's yesterday. And I didn't start the Novena.

Guilt, Shame, and Parchisi Wednesday Night

Does that mean that I'm wracked with guilt and shame, shuddering in abject horror at the unpardonable affront that I've committed?

No. Not hardly.

The Divine Mercy Novena is:

• A good idea
  • In my opinion
• Something Catholics may do
• Not something Catholics have to do

I've gone over the wide range of expression the Catholic Church encourages before:

• "Unity, Diversity, and Being Catholic"
  (August 26, 2010)

Maybe you knew someone who was Catholic and firmly believed that all Catholics had the solemn duty to play parchisi each Wednesday night: but not Parcheesi.

That's a silly hypothetical example. At least, I hope it is. A bit more seriously, I've found that there are folks who have rather definite - and probably quite sincere - notions about what the Catholic Church 'really' says. Notions that may reflect their own personal preferences, or local custom - but which didn't come from the Holy See.

As I've said before, with more than 1,000,000,000 Catholics living today - some of us are going to be a bit bonkers. Just like any other enormous, diverse group.

Moving on.

Novena Optional, Mass Obligatory

Like I said, doing the Divine Mercy Novena, a nine-day prayer starting yesterday and wrapping up on Divine Mercy Sunday, is optional.

Celebrating Mass that Sunday - is not-so-optional. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2180) I've written about that sort of thing before, too. (October 9, 2010)

Divine Mercy Devotion was fairly wide-spread in the Church, before a Polish Pope caught some glitches in a translation of Saint Faustina's diary - and that's almost another topic.

Universal Church, Local Parish

The central Minnesota town I live in, Sauk Centre, was dedicated to the Divine Mercy about the same time I got married. Which should help me remember our wedding anniversary - and that is definitely another topic.

Anyway, Divine Mercy Sunday is part of the calendar now - the second Sunday of Easter. Pope Benedict XVI will be celebrating it at St. Peter's Square May 1, 2011. And we'll be celebrating Mass that day at Our Lady of the Angels Church, here in Sauk Centre.

Which means that, as I understand it, we'll be at the Mass at St. Peter's Square, too, and the Passover meal we call the Last Supper, and Golgotha - in a way. (Catechism, 1326, 1330, 1545)

Sort-of-related posts:

• "Called to Holiness, Not Stupidity"
  (February 6, 2011)
• "Second Sunday of Easter 2010: and Mercy Sunday"
  (April 11, 2010)
• "Poland's President Dead: People Live and People Die, and I Don't Know Why"
  (April 11, 2010)
• "Coming Up: Divine Mercy Sunday"
  (April 9, 2010)
• "Divine Mercy Sunday: a Few Words, a Link or Two"
  (April 19, 2009)

Background:

• Catechism of the Catholic Church, about the Eucharist
  (Not a comprehensive list)
  • 1326
  • 1330
  • 1545
• "Father Michał Sopoćko (1888-1975)"
  Biography, Vatican.va
• The Divine Mercy
  Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
• "H. Exc. Mons. Martin Igwemezie UZOUKWU, Bishop of Minna (NIGERIA)"
  II Ordinary Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, Synodus Episcoporum Bulletin (October 4-25, 2009)
• "Novena to The Divine Mercy, According to the Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska"
  The Divine Mercy Devotion in Sauk Centre, Minnesota
  (on Brendan's Island, a personal website I maintain)