Mercy opens Doors to Faith

 

6-7 April 2024 – St. Lambert Parish

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

(or SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY)

Acts 4:32-35

1 Jn 5:1-6

Jn 20:19-31

       My Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner!

For almost a third of my lifetime so far, the Church has also called the Octave Day of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday. The notion of God’s Mercy is nothing new, but the extraordinary focus for this Sunday, completing the 8 day celebration of the Day of the Resurrection of the Lord certainly is. At first some people wondered about this devotion, whose apostle was a thirty-some year old Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, she having only a third-grade education. I remember people wondering whether the Church was overreaching by adding this name, Divine Mercy, to one of the most important second Sundays in the Church calendar.

With its emphasis on getting yourself to confession so as to be well disposed to receive all the graces of God’s Mercy, the Divine Mercy Devotion has always flown in the face of contemporary resistance to going to confession regularly. The message of Divine Mercy confronts in a unique way people’s resistance to embracing the dominion of Christ the King over our world, over all of society. The Divine Mercy Devotion really subverts or vanquishes the relativism which has clouded the worldview of so many and for so long. Divine Mercy Sunday brings us face to face with the demands of the two great commandments of love of God and neighbor, particularly as it challenges us to forgive all those who have caused us harm.

The assigned Gospel reading for the 2^nd Sunday of Easter is the same for all three years of the reading cycle. It recounts the institution of the Sacrament of Penance by the Risen Christ. “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

By recounting the appearance to the Apostle Thomas of the Risen Lord, showing him His hands and His side, this Gospel teaches us profoundly about Christ and what it means to have faith in Him. Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

A complementary theme of the readings this year in cycle B would be to describe the Christian life as one of great power witnessed in how the community of believers held everything in common. The apostles and that first generation of the baptized witnessed to the power flowing from the resurrection of Jesus Christ by their love and care for each other by their holding all goods in common, such that none of the believers wanted for anything. We are taught about the nature of this commandment to love in the 1^st Letter of St. John: And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Best of times – worst of times. I am beginning to think that we may be living not in the worst but in the best of times, as something entirely new seems to be on the verge of breaking through in our world. You’ll hear people comparing different ages of the Church, but to me it looks as though we are about to shake off the lukewarmness, the indifference, the political correctness of the present age in favor of a new zeal, a new enthusiasm. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

I think looking into the Divine Mercy devotions might be the way that opens the door to faith and conversion for many of you. I am going to recommend to my patron saint that he share his words with you and touch your hearts.

 Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

We live in the hope of the power of the living God, manifest at Easter in the Resurrection from the dead of Christ the Lord of Life!

Alleluia! He is Risen even as He said!

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI