Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
April 24, 2002
`Divine Mercy priest' shares message of God's boundless love
Nebraska's Father Thomas Milton promotes devotion to Divine Mercy
By Roxanne King
Father Milton Thomas, 70, known as "the Divine Mercy priest" learned about the devotion emphasizing Christ's mercy 15 years ago. He now spends his time promoting it.
"It changed me, transformed me," the cheery, rotund priest said. "Not that there wasn't enough in the sacraments of the Church, but it was like having the frosting on the cake."
In 1987 Father Thomas had moved from Michigan to Nebraska, where he serves the Diocese of Lincoln, and was feeling down in the dumps when someone anonymously sent him a Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer card.
"I threw it on the desk and forgot about it," he said. "Two weeks later I cleared off my desk and came across it again. I thought, `I don't mind the rosary,' and tried it. I tried it the next day, and tried it the next day again.
"I called the 1-800 number (on the card). The priest talked over an hour-and-a-half he was so anxious to talk about the Divine Mercy," Father Thomas said with mild amazement. Smiling, he added, "I know why, now — I can't shut up myself."
The priest sent Father Thomas a copy of St. Faustina Kowalska's diary, "Divine Mercy in My Soul." He's been an ardent fan of the devotion ever since. He now preaches about Divine Mercy at retreats and conferences, and has recorded 12 tapes about it.
The devotion has grown in popularity ever since Pope John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000, and declared that the first Sunday after Easter would thereafter be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday.
St. Faustina, an uneducated Polish nun who died in 1938, gave the world the Divine Mercy devotion. Between 1930 and 1938, Jesus appeared to her and gave her several pieties to promote that emphasize his mercy, among them: an image to be venerated, a chaplet prayer, a novena and a feast. Christ's appearances to her and instructions on how to observe the devotion are recorded in the nun's diary.
The image, which depicts Jesus in a white garment with red and white rays extending from his heart and the words, "Jesus, I trust in you," is based on a vision St. Faustina had. Christ told the nun that the rays represent the blood and water that flowed when he was lanced on the cross. The red beam represents the blood that gives life to souls, he said, the white beam the water that purifies souls.
"Jesus said, `I desire this image to be venerated. I promise that the soul that venerates it will not perish' — will not go to hell," Father Thomas said. "That's quite a promise."
The Divine Mercy Chaplet consists of two short prayers to be prayed on rosary beads, along with an introductory Our Father, Hail Mary and Apostles Creed, and a brief concluding prayer to be recited three times.
The chaplet is most efficacious when prayed at 3 p.m., the hour Christ died and called the Hour of Mercy, Father Thomas said, but it can be prayed anytime. He said he has seen families restored, people return to faith, vocations happen and people die in peace as a result of praying the chaplet.
"I say the chaplet before any confrontation, any special event," Father Thomas said. "Anything I do, I say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy ahead of time. I know something is going to come out right, but I must trust in the Divine Mercy."
The novena, which Christ told St. Faustina grants every possible grace, consists of praying the chaplet for nine consecutive days beginning on Good Friday. Each day's prayers are offered for particular intentions, including unbelievers, priests and religious, children, all sinners and all devout souls.
But the primary practice he preaches, Father Thomas said, is the feast. Christ told St. Faustina that he wanted the first Sunday after Easter to be celebrated as a feast dedicated to his mercy, and those who go to confession and Communion on that day would obtain complete pardon of sin and punishment, Father Thomas said. The Church has extended the benefit to those who go to confession prior to Divine Mercy Sunday, if they are still in the state of grace when they receive Communion on the feast day.
"When they die they will go straight to heaven," Father Thomas said, later adding, "When I read that, I thought, `Can it be true?'"
The Church says it is, he said. Recalling the crucified good thief, who Christ promised paradise to, Father Thomas said, "I wondered, `Why can't I have that?'
"Now I can," he said, smiling.
Although the graces are the same as those received from a plenary indulgence, the rules to acquire it are simpler, Father Thomas said.
"People always want to add things, rules to the devotion," he said. "You have to keep it pure and simple. All he asked for is confession and Communion. You can say the chaplet if you want, but you don't need to."
The trip to Denver was the last the priest will make so far from his diocese, Father Thomas said, due to the increasing problems he has with Parkinson's disease.
"It won't be the last time I preach Divine Mercy," he was quick to say, adding that he is deeply committed to sharing the message about God's immeasurable love and mercy.
"Jesus wants every soul to have his Divine Mercy," he said. "What we get from the sacraments of penance and holy Communion is Divine Mercy. The only way we get to heaven is through Divine Mercy."
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