Sunday, 12th April 2015 was marked as Divine Mercy Sunday by the Catholic Church.This day always falls on the second Sunday of Easter.On this day hundreds of Catholics and other Christians gathered at the Saro-Denton bridge area at 2pm.The procession of singing praises to God, prayers and worship services began at the Rosamond Trade entrance and ended up at the Cathedral Church in Banjul.
The procession was a joyous one and on lookers were eager to be led to join in. One may ask why or reason behind this long procession instead of doing things in Church. The reason for this was both religious and faith strengthening for those that attended. The whole affair is obviously a religious devotion, meaning that it is a prayer service of commitment by which Christian devotees call upon God’s mercy for the sins of the world. The devotion is centred on the love and willingness of God to forgive the world through the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Divine Mercy devotion as it is called bears the pictorial image of Jesus Christ whose holy heart flows with water and blood. The devotion has been in existence since 1938 through a Catholic Sister, St Faustina who was inspired by God’s mercy for sinners in the world. The world she feels is full of all kinds of sinful acts and atrocities that is worth praying for to seek God’s divine mercy and intervention. As it happened in the Old Testament of the Bible, if God’s mercy is not sought for, the world could suffer the calamity of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:23)
The devotion and procession in Banjul was marked by prayers and benedictions at different stops at Mile II, The Arch 22, The E.F. Small Teaching Hospital, July 22nd Square and to the Cathedral Church. The hundreds of Christian devotees who went through the experience felt physically tired but were spiritually edified. Some felt God acknowledged their prayers because of the tedious work and God’s reward for them will be greater.
We pray with them that God Almighty in His infinite goodness show compassion on this turbulent world in all its miseries.
