I was blessed to have been given a review copy of 7 Secrets of Divine Mercy by Vinny Flynn, and cannot say enough good things about the treasure you will hold in your hands if you decide to purchase this book.
The book is a great gift to enter into -- particularly in this extraordinary Year of Mercy. I don't know Vinny Flynn, but was intrigued to read his book after learning that he has been singing (with various of his children) the Divine Mercy Chaplet on EWTN for the past 20 years. It is evident, that he has been immersing himself, pondering, and living God's Divine Mercy for years -- providing a deep wellspring of teaching of this subject - that is both lived and accessible. Blessed to be a directee of the great Divine Mercy apostle, Fr. George Kosicki, CSB, Flynn goes to the heart of Divine Mercy as he shares that Mercy is an essential REALITY of God in His very nature and an integral part of His plan for each of us. For each and every one of us has been created, chosen and redeemed for infinite love and eternal union with God as Trinity, (the ultimate FAMILY consisting of Father, Son and Love).
Flynn shares that all we know of God and all of His works can be understood as Mercy. In addition to highlighting and expounding on excerpts from the Divine Mercy Messages given from Jesus to St. Faustina, he packs the pages with Scripture, the Catechism, and, in particular, the wisdom of our last three Popes.
I can't think of a better way to begin this journey into this Extraordinary Year of Mercy then to follow along as Flynn unpacks encyclicals of Mercy, the Sacraments, the Pascal Mystery, the Divine Mercy Messages, Image and Devotions, and the Divine Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist - demonstrating how they actualize God's unending "Mercy Full" Love for us.
I heartily recommend this book, in which Flynn shares what he calls the "seven secrets" of Divine Mercy:
1. God Has a Plan
2. Good Enough isn't Good Enough
3. It's Not Just a Picture of Jesus
4. God Loves Backwards
5. Prodigal Doesn't Mean Bad
6. You Should Always Pray Now and Then
7. The Goal is Transfiguration
I particularly enjoyed the section on the Image of Divine Mercy, which included a story of the image's impact:
A man wrote to Vinny saying that he had never really accepted God, but the Divine Mercy image he saw on a magazine cover that was tied to an article Vinny wrote, changed him profoundly. He wrote that he kept seeing the rays in reverse -- as rays going into the heart of Jesus -- creating a pathway up and in. The man said that he suddenly felt himself drawn by the rays into the picture. This experience completely converted him.
This story and many others are shared as Flynn writes engagingly and deeply regarding each of these "secrets." I pray that this book may lead you and your family into a ever deeper experience of God's mercy.
© 2016 Janet Moore. All Rights Reserved.
© 2016 Janet Moore. All Rights Reserved.
Divina Misericordia (Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, 1934)
