Timing is Key
My buddy, Nevin, came back to SMA for a quick visit between work assignments and was to bring along an updated credit card for me my brother forwarded on to him. To dispel the myth (fact?) he is my credit card mule, I call Nevin my “High Finance Import/Export Expert”. Meanwhile, I thought it was odd he kept referring to “a package” he had for me but I thought it was dirty joke I didn’t really get.
Nope, it was an actual package he presented me.
I
nside it was my mother’s wristwatch, father’s tie clip and one of the gazillion (that’s a technical term for “lots and lots”) of plastic rosaries my mother made when I was a child, having kept her supplies in her trusty, and portable, tackle box. Receiving all this made me feel somber. Not bad, just odd. I mean, years after her death do you often unexpectedly find your Mom’s Timex in your hands while enjoying breakfast with pals?
The watch stopped at 3PM, the time of Jesus’ death and a special time for prayers this year as the Pope assigned this year as a Divine Mercy year.
The Divine Mercy is a devotion to the merciful love of God who can forgive anything we have done. The devotion is based on the apparitions of Jesus received by a Polish nun shortly before World War 2.
Divine Mercy, la Misericordia Divina, normally is the Sunday after Easter. It is when you’ll see the statues of Jesus featuring white (or blue) and red rays symbolizing cleansing water and the loving blood of Christ. Many local miracles are attributed to Jesus’ mercy depicted in the image with prayers said at 3 p.m., the hour of Jesus’ death requesting Jesus’ mercy in dire situations.
Being a yearlong celebration you now see the statue of Divine Mercy out and about daily in a variety of fiestas and processions including Corpus Christi. Often by him popsicles are served symbolizing Jesus’ cleansing water, now frozen signifying happiness.
In current fashion news, it is common to see model citizens sporting lapel pins of blue and red ribbons representing Divine Mercy. You can climb a mountain just south of town that leads to a remote chapel with stunning views dedicated to Divine Mercy in addition to hearing the reminding bells that ring out at 3 here in town.
Almost daily I will notice when the time is 10:10, my birthday so I silently wish “Happy Birthday to me”. Now I’ve noticed 3PM drawing more and more of my attention.