Divine Mercy

 As we conclude the Easter octave today with Divine Mercy Sunday, the message of mercy that was revealed trough St. Faustina about 100 yrs ago in a very particular way, the image she had painted to her approval (of how Jesus appeared to her) is a reminder to us of this day.

We continue our Easter joy, unfolding the mystery of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and what it means for all of us.

One thing it shows us is how different God is from all of us. If one of us were in Jesus shoes, we may come back very different than Jesus did; unjustly condemned, horrifically murdered and shamed, betrayed by your disciples. You may come back a little angry. We all can sense the temptation in our hearts to return with vengeance and wrath. But what does Jesus do? He returns with mercy, to put an end to evil, pain, suffering, scapegoating, and sin. To put an end to death.

This is the g greatest message of mercy that we can receive. We are also called to live this as well. We are called to put this into practice.

Jesus speaking to the apostles to day says “receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven. Whose sins are retained are retained.” This is certainly first and foremost a sign of the sacrament of Confession where through the priest we can receive the forgiveness and mercy of the Lord Jesus through the priest. I the words of absolution, we know it is the Lord Jesus saying “your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.” But also, as Jesus gives that spirit not only to the apostles but to every single one of us through baptism and Confirmation, we are called as well in some way to participate in that ministry of mercy, of reconciliation, of restoring the unity of the human family under Christ the king.

In the 1st reading we see the early christians doing this and living this in a very concrete way. They were “of one heart and mind” the reading tells us, and they had “everything in common” to take care of each other, to support and lift up each other. In order to be of one heart and mind among sinful people, that means being people of mercy and forgiveness.

So we must do the same in our world today. How do we live this out? Jesus never says forgiveness is easy, but he does say we must do it. When we pray the Our Father, that is one of the most important things that we pray for: that we may be forgiven in the same way that we forgive others. It is a challenge and a great demand that is renewed every single time we come to Mass and pray the Our Father, and receive the Lord Jesus i the Eucharist and profess to be like Him, and promise to be worthy vessels of His body blood soul and divinity.

If we think that forgiveness is something that we must do solely on our own, we will certainly fall short. But if we rely on the Lord, on His Holy Spirit to help us, then we will be able to be people that, along with Jesus, put an end to the cycle of pain, of hurting others with sin and evil.

For us to be able to do so, we must follow the example of the apostles today. They were terrified but transformed by Jesus. The only reason they are able to witness to the world is because they have met Jesus, alive and full of mercy.

Today, Thomas, the week after Easter, meets Christ. Jesus invites him to put his fingers in the nail marks and hand into His side. We will find, brothers and sister, the healing that we need to strengthen us to forgive and reconcile, through the blood of Jesus and encountering His wounds. Imagine yourself in Thomas’ shoes, imagine yourself encountering Christ, meeting him alive and still bearing his wounds. Imagine placing your fingers into His nail marks and putting your hand into His side. Remembering not only what happened, but why it happened, and what it means, what came from that for all of us.

Jesus died for us when we were sinners, not when we were perfected by our own powers.

After we encounter the living Jesus, and let His blood wash over us, then we will be ready to forgive, ready to be vessels of Jesus’ mercy in our world, which everyone needs.

We all of us, have someone in our life that we need to forgive. We all have a relationship that needs deeper reconciliation. Think right now what relationship(s) right now in your life needs that, and bring it to the Lord Jesus in this Mass, asking for His merciful healing and strengthening of your own heart, so that you can go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit that He breathes upon, to be an instrument of that mercy in our world today. That transformation of your own heart and in your own actions, is how the world will know that Jesus is very much alive today.