My Merciful Lord and My God!

Alleluia! The Lord is Risen!

The Easter season has the most exciting Scripture readings of the year. They take us from the empty tomb all the way to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, declared a Feast Day in 2000 by Pope (now Saint) John Paul II based on the appearances of the Lord to a Polish nun, Saint Faustina Kowalska.  Christ's message to her was (and is for us today) that, if we trust in His Divine Mercy, He will transform us sinners through His merciful love.

I can’t help but think of Mom today.  She had such a devotion to Divine Mercy!  Every day at 3pm—or as close as she could get to it—she would stop whatever else she was doing and recite the Divine Mercy chaplet.   It's because of her devotion that I put the video and excerpt from St. Faustina's diary on the sidebar of my blog.  And along with the rosary, it's now one of my favorite devotions, as well--although I can't always remember the 3 O'clock hour every day.  I do try to recite it whenever I hear of an imminent death or when I feel the need to ask for God's Mercy on the whole world, which is pretty often.

Divine Mercy Sunday also brings my brother Tom to mind because the Gospel for this Feast day is one of the few that are not on a three-year cycle of Scripture readings; rather, the Church uses the same Gospel on this Sunday every year.  It used to be called “Doubting Thomas Sunday” because it’s the gospel that tells us of his temporary struggle with doubting Jesus’ Resurrection.

    

Thomas wasn't the only one who had doubts about Jesus.  On Easter Sunday, we left the Apostles huddled in fear in the empty room pondering the shocking experience of the week before.  They weren't so sure that the women's report was believable.  They weren't singing for joy!  Now, a whole week has gone by. They still felt "rocky" about their future.  Jesus had broken through those doors to assure them that He was alive.  And His message must have troubled them: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

Just when they were planning to go back to their former occupations, Jesus wanted them to continue the message--to take up His Mission.  While on His earthly ministry, Jesus had preached with mixed success.  Would they have any better results?  The Resurrection made all the difference, of course.  Was it really true?  When Jesus showed Thomas the wounds in His hands, His feet, and His side, not only Thomas but the rest of the Apostles were strengthened in their faith and trust in the Lord.  And the Gospel hints at many more miraculous events and appearances.

In today's first reading from Acts, we see what life was like in the early Christian community. Their faith was firm, and they were unified in it. They catechized all who would listen. Their fears and doubts were replaced with joy.

The second reading describes for us an early sermon of Peter, written down a few years after he had already been martyred for his staunch faith. He is addressing a group of churches in Asia Minor to whom the Good News has already been preached. His prayer speaks of the promise of Eternal Life and salvation at the end of time. He speaks of the suffering they will have to endure, and the rewards of praise, glory and honor that await them.

As Pope Francis directs us, we must courageously reach out to so many doubters among us, and assure them of the great mercy of Jesus, His great love for them.  Our world is hurting as never before in our lifetime.  We must all seriously take on ourselves the obligation Jesus gave to the Apostles in that Upper Room: "As the Father has sent me, I also send you."

With Thomas may we respond, "My Lord and my God!"