(LifeSiteNews) — In anticipation of Divine Mercy Sunday, Father James Altman joins me on today’s episode of The John-Henry Westen Show for a discussion about the various aspects of Divine Mercy, as well as an astounding revelation to St. Faustina on the day of Pope Francis’s birth in 1936.
Fr. Altman instructs us on what it means to repent of our sins, to have firm purpose of amendment to sin no more, as well as the meaning of perfect and imperfect contrition.
He explains that even though many bishops do a poor job at catechizing and teaching the faith, or outright lead people astray with false teachings, that doesn’t absolve us from our responsibility to know exactly what the Catholic faith demands of us.
“Everybody pretty much realizes you don’t go rob a bank at gunpoint, and you do not steal as well,” Fr. Altman says. “[But] 80 percent of Catholics now don’t even keep the Third Commandment, ‘Keep holy the Lord’s day.’ So look how screwed up they are.”
But even if we are only imperfectly contrite for our sins – we go to Confession out of fear of the punishments of Hell, for example, not out of sorrow for offending God Himself – that is sufficient for God to forgive us.
“Imperfect contrition is enough to save you from the fires of Hell,” Fr. Altman says. “Because our Lord loves you that much, and His mercy is far greater than your sin.”
And finally, here’s a teaser of St. Faustina’s diary entry on December 17, 1936, the day of Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s – Pope Francis’s – birth:
I have offered this day for priests. I have suffered more today than ever before, both interiorly and exteriorly. I did not know it was possible to suffer so much in one day.
To hear the rest of the entry and its potential implications, check out the full episode below or click here to watch.
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