A Divine Mercy Meditation Novena – Day 8

Day 8 – The Priestly Robes of Jesus

I confess, I added my own little touch to the Divine Mercy image. After all, this is my interpretation, so I think a little artistic license is in order. The tunic of Jesus has a special addition; it is a pomegranate clasp. Why a pomegranate, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.

The pomegranate fruit is found often in the Old Testament. Among its symbolism, we find that it is a symbol of the High Priest. Pomegranates adorn the priestly vestments and also the temple. I wanted Jesus, who is the High Priest of Mercy, to have the pomegranate adorn his tunic. Yet there is more.

The Song of Songs says:

“I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranates.”

The wine of pomegranates is the wine that the Beloved and the Bridegroom, Jesus, drink together. It is symbolic of the deepest union with Christ.

Christian tradition, reflected especially in the writings of St. John of the Cross, sees in the many inner seeds that make up one pomegranate fruit the symbolism of the abundant mysteries in Jesus’s life that together make up the one Christ.

An apostle of Divine Mercy assumes into his or her own life the way of mercy. A Christian is invited to partake of this fruit, and he does so by contemplating the mysteries of Christ through daily prayer and reading of the Gospel. By doing so, a soul begins to take on, little by little, into his or her own daily living the very life of Christ.  Thus, the individual Christian life becomes more Christ-like over time.

I wanted the pomegranate image to suggest that Jesus wants us not only to accept his mercy, but also to contemplate it, glorify it, and incorporate it into our lives so that all those who walk in darkness may receive the love of Christ through our love and our compassion toward others.

PRAYER:

Today we pray, at the request of Jesus, for the souls of all those who have died.

Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You.  (Divine Mercy in My Soul #949)