Sunday, April 7, 2024
Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter. Named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of the Polish nun St. Maria Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000. Divine Mercy reminds us of God’s mercy for us and the hope it gives us for being eternally with Him. “Faith in the resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being; the cry for unending life which is a part of the person is indeed answered. God exists: that is the real message of Easter. Anyone who even begins to grasp what this means also knows what it means to be redeemed.” (Pope Benedict XVI).
From fear to peace! St. John tells us in today’s Gospel that after Jesus’ death on the cross, as the disciples gathered, they had the doors locked for fear of the Jews. Jewish authorities had come for Jesus, and the disciples were afraid that they would next come for them. Then Jesus came, stood in their midst, and greeted them, saying, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19b). It’s the Sign of Peace greeting we exchange with the faithful at every mass. Jesus then breathed on the apostles, presented them with the Holy Spirit, and handed the divine power of forgiving sins in the Sacrament of Confessions to the Apostles and their successors, bishops, and priests of the Church. The Resurrection of Jesus washed away our sins, brought us back to God, and gave us a triumph over death. “[B]y his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life.” (Catechism §654).
In today’s Gospel, St. John tells us that the apostle Thomas was not among the disciples when Jesus first appeared to them. After they told him of the meeting and that Jesus was alive, Thomas did not believe them and insisted that unless he saw and touched Jesus’ nail marks and pierced side, he would not believe. When Jesus reappeared to them with Thomas among them, Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” a great profession of faith.
The Disciples locked themselves in fear. How would they proclaim the Gospel and change the world from that locked room? Like them, we are often locked up in fear. Fear stops us from being our best and from doing God’s will. Let us pray for God’s Divine Mercy and for His peace to fill us!
Be at peace, a prayer by St. Francis de Sales:
Be at peace.
Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
rather look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things.
And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering,
or give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace,
and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.