A jubilant Church, celebrating the Risen Christ, invites the faithful, on this second Sunday of Easter, to take time to reflect about the Divine Mercy, the infinite mercy of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, manifested to the human race through Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary.
In the booklet about the Divine Mercy Message and devotion, we read:
“Through St Faustina, the merciful Savior has given the aching world new channels for the outpouring of his grace. These new channels include the Image of Divine Mercy, the feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday), the chaplet, the Novena to Divine Mercy, and prayer at 3 O’clock in the afternoon, the hour of Great Mercy. These new channels of mercy are means of receiving God’s mercy, God’s grace in a new form, but we understand that they all proclaim the timeless message of God’s merciful love. They also draw us back to the great Sacrament of Mercy, the Holy Eucharist, where the Heart of Jesus overflows with mercy for all. As Jesus told St Faustina:
“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners… It is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy.”
“King of Mercy”: through his resurrection, Jesus is crowned Priest, Prophet and King. He did not choose to be a King seated on a throne to receive honors from those subjected to Him, but to be a King dedicated to the service of his people, a King who is devoted to fight for his subjects, a King ready to battle against anyone and anything trying to interfere with the welfare of those redeemed by His precious blood.
On this feast of the Divine Mercy, we all are invited to come to a better understanding of Jesus in the Sacrament of His Holy Body and Blood, the renewal of the Sacrifice of the Cross, and the real presence of Jesus in all the tabernacles of the world, to intercede on our behalf, on behalf of every human being, every soul on the face of the earth, remembering that with Him we have, at our baptism and confirmation, been made priests, prophets and kings with Him. This is why, at a certain point during the liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest states: “Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the chalice of salvation, giving thanks that You have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.”
Let us then, today in a special way, promise to Jesus that we understand what it means, to be ministers with Him. Let us enjoy the opportunity to use the sacraments of God’s mercy. Let us be truly sorry for our past sins, take advantage of the Sacrament of reconciliation, get back in good terms with our heavenly Father, Jesus our Intercessor, the Holy Spirit our Coach.
May we use this Divine Mercy Sunday to :
- Be reconciled with the Lord, our Merciful Father
- Pray, intercede for sinners in our family circle and around the world
- Forgive anyone who have hurt us in the past
- Have a special intention for Ukraine and for peace in our world.
Fr.Ridore