April 27, 2025 Divine Mercy Sunday

 

Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday

Good morning-
 
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy—on this octave day of Easter, why are we hearing so much about the word mercy? To understand this, we must first recall the story of a simple, uneducated polish nun shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Jesus himself appears to the nun, then Sr., now St. Faustina. He said, “I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful heart.” He also tells told her, “You are the secretary of My mercy, I have chosen you for that office in this and the next life.”[1]. Sr. Faustina died in 1938 and was later canonized on April 30, 2000, by Pope John Paul II. So, in just 3 days we will celebrate the 25^th anniversary of that canonization. Sr. Faustina would later ask that this 2^nd Sunday of Easter, the octave day of Easter, be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. So, while we might now see why historically we are speaking of mercy, we could also look at some connections between Easter and Mercy.  
 
Let’s start by asking simply, why would we be interested in God’s mercy? Well, God’s mercy, is a welcome remedy when we sin. God created each of us will free will, and, having free will, we choose regularly between right and wrong. That is, we decide whether or not we will sin. And on occasion each of us may decide to sin. If we sin, we have damaged our relationship with God. If we sin seriously, we break that relationship. Now we just finished celebrating our Lord’s sacrifice where He suffered and died for our sin. It is a further function of that love that Jesus wants to offer His mercy to us at times of sin, that we are reunited with Him. We saw that repeatedly in our Gospel reading today. On the first Sunday meeting, when Thomas was absent, Jesus gives the apostles the power to forgive sins, thus creating a sure way in which we can share in His mercy. Jesus confirms the importance of this the second Sunday they meet, by making sure Thomas believes.  
 
When we sin, we make a decision to turn away from God. Jesus wants us always to come back and offers us His mercy as a way back – we need only ask. So, in a very real way, God’s Mercy is a part of a cycle through which we experience God’s forgiveness and redemption- the great gift of Good Friday. So, mercy has a part in the Easter celebration. It is the vehicle through which we experience forgiveness. So, what does this mean to us, as we experience this Divine Mercy Sunday?
 
The first step we must follow is to recognize that God stands ready to offer an ocean of His mercy to us. God knows we will sin—and stands ready to offer his mercy to bring us back. But there is a step we must take. We saw Jesus institute that in our Gospel today. We must ask for that forgiveness. And especially if we are talking about serious sin, we ask for forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation. So, while God stands ready with an abundance of mercy, we must ask for it by making a good confession. While, depending on the nature of the sin, this might seem embarrassing or difficult, it is a necessary first step, and one which God welcomes us to do, to usher in the mercy and forgiveness that follows. God’s great love for us is reflected in the seemingly endless ocean of mercy he asked St. Faustina to champion. And this 2^nd Sunday of Easter—this Divine Mercy Sunday—is a great time to decide to move to that first step. God Bless!

[1]Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Marian Press, Third Edition, 2020, Back Cover