April 24, 2022 Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday - C

“Jesus, I Trust in You”

Deacon Kevin O’Boyle

Good morning:

Today in our Church year, we hear and celebrate many messages. It is the Second Sunday in Easter – the close of the octave of Easter where we particularly continue the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, and the joy it brings to all Christians. Of course, the Easter Season continues until the Birthday of the Church, Pentecost. Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday, a day when we celebrate the limitless ocean of Mercy Christ has for us. Our readings today celebrate these themes and others.

Our first reading from Acts has Luke describing the many wonders done at the hands of the Apostles, and the draw of many bringing their sick to the feet of the apostles. We see God’s mercy in action through the work of the Apostles. In our second reading from Revelation, John recalls his vision of Jesus, and His words, “Do not be afraid.” Once again, our Lord shows His care for His people. Finally, in the Gospel, we hear Jesus say, “Peace be with You” as he appears to the Apostles. He then gives the Apostles the power to forgive sins – an ongoing sign of His mercy continued to this day in the ministry of our priests through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But Jesus does not simply care for people -he cares specifically for each one of us. Recall the story of Thomas, told here, who was not present that Easter evening, but was the following week- and Jesus calling on him to probe his hands and feet so that he would “not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Our Lord indeed cares for each of us and wants us each to receive His Mercy. The story of Saint Maria Faustina, a 20th century nun of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, drives this home in a unique way. Sister Faustina lived in Poland during the 1930’s. How appropriate it is today that we turn our attention to someone from Poland in a time of war, as we recall the great love and mercy of the Polish people toward their neighbors in Ukraine in the current terrible situation there. Sr. Faustina would receive extraordinary revelations from Jesus Himself. At the request of Jesus, Sr. Faustina recorded these messages into notebooks, which today are known as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. The notebooks tell God’s loving message of Divine Mercy. While the teachings did not reveal anything new to the teachings of the Church, it did spark a great movement centered on the mercy of Christ. One of the requests of Christ recorded in the notebooks is that Sr. Faustina have a painting made according to the vision of Jesus she was seeing. We have a replica of that painting in our church today in the area that usually is devoted to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. Take a moment to see it today. You will note two rays coming from the heart of Christ. The red one represents the blood that poured forth from our Lord’s side when the soldier pierced it. Jesus called the Blood a symbol of sacrifice of the Cross and the gift of the Eucharist. The pale ray stands for the Water which represents Baptism and the Holy Spirit. These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world especially through Baptism and the Eucharist. At the bottom of the picture are the words, Jesus, I trust in You. Words that embrace our belief in the protection our Lord promises when he said in the scripture, “Do not be afraid;” and “Peace be with you.” In the notebooks, Jesus promises to grant many graces to souls through this image.

St. Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in the year 2000, calling her the “first saint of the new millennium”. He also called her the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.” In that year he also instituted the Feast we celebrate today, Divine Mercy Sunday, as a celebration throughout the Church every year on the Second Sunday of Easter. In an Encyclical Letter St Pope John Paul II, decades before the current troubles in Ukraine, recalled that God was the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. We could pray to Sr. Faustina asking God to intervene in the troubles of the part of the world she lived in.

For all our troubles, we should turn to Jesus in the words of the image of Divine Mercy and say, Jesus I Trust in You. We know Jesus is stronger than all the problems of the world and of our lives. We should recall his words to the apostles, “Peace be with you” and “Do Not Be Afraid.” We should heed His call to not go on unbelieving, but to believe. We say again, Jesus, I Trust in You. And that is something to think about this week.

God Bless.