Homily (Reflection) for the Second Sunday
of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) (19th April, 2020) on the Gospel and
the celebration
Acts 2:42-47;Ps 117:2-4.13-15.22-24. (R.v. 1);
1Pt 1:3-9;
Jn 20:19-31.
Second Sunday of Easter is also known as Low Sunday or
Divine Mercy Sunday based on the devotion to the Divine Mercy as propagated by
a Polish Nun, Saint Faustina Kowalska. This feast (Divine Mercy Sunday) has
lots of promises of grace made by Jesus Christ as recorded by Saint Faustina.
It was officially instituted for the universal Church by Pope Saint John Paul
II on 30 April 2000 and designated the Sunday after Easter as the Sunday of the
Divine Mercy. This is in line with the request made by Jesus Christ through
Saint Faustina: “…the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy” (Diary
742). For Pope Saint John Paul II, Divine Mercy is the Easter gift that the
Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity (Divine Mercy
Sunday Homily, April 22, 2001).
Topic: Divine (God’s) Mercy.
We celebrate today the Mercy of God.
And because this feast is rooted in Saint Faustina’s encounter with Jesus
Christ, we shall take some excerpts from Saint Faustina’s Diary (Diary). Christ
suffered and died for our sins, cf. Eph
2:16, Rom 5:10, 1Cor 15:3, Gal 1:4. Yet in Diary 965 we read: “Souls perish
in spite of My [Jesus’] bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of
salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy,
they will perish for all eternity….” The mercy we celebrate can only be
obtained by those who want. It can be likened to a stream in two senses: it
ever flows and secondly it benefits those who go for it. Unless one approaches the
Divine throne of mercy that ever flows, it will not be of any benefit to the
person.
One might ask: ‘how does one approach the throne of mercy?’ Going
further Jesus said to Saint Faustina: “I want to grant a complete pardon
to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast
of My Mercy” (Diary 1109). Sacramental confession is therefore sine qua non for
one to benefit from the throne of mercy. Although this homily is not on the
authority to forgive sin, but it is important however, to remind ourselves that
at the confessional, it is not the priest that forgives sin. In today’s gospel
Jesus said to the disciples: “…Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins
of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained (Jn 20:22-23). In other
words, it is the Holy Spirit that is working in the Church through the
instrumentality of mere humans (priests) at the confessional.
Jesus assures us,
I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a
refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day
the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces
upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to
Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of
sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace
flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be
as scarlet (Diary 699).
Remember that God had called us through the prophet Isaiah
using similar words: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though
your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red
like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Is 1:18).
However, Jesus warns that those who look for mercy must be first
merciful themselves, cf. Matt 6: 12, 14-15;
Lk 11:4; Diary 742. Similarly,
we read in the gospel according to Matthew: “Blessed are the merciful, for they
shall obtain mercy” (Matt 5:7). So,
approach the throne of grace today for mercy. Remember those who need mercy as
you wait for mercy that is divine. Finally, note that because of
the circumstances we are in (COVID-19), perfect contrition (contrition of
charity) and spiritual communion suffice (CCC 1452).
Bible Reading: Lev 5:5-13; Is 1:2-20; Ps 32; Matt 28:16-20; 1Jn
1:5-10; Jas 5:13-20.
Thought for today:
What prevents you from receiving Christ’s Easter gift?
Let us pray: Heavenly Father and God of Mercy,
may we benefit fully from this unmerited gift so that we shall not be dammed
forever – Amen.
Merciful Jesus, I
Trust in you.
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