It is Divine Mercy Sunday today

It is the second Sunday of Easter and today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, which was not the words of our St. Pope John Paul II or even St. Faustina Kowalska, but the words of our Lord written in her dairy when he revealed that the feast of Divine Mercy, (as recorded in the diary of St. Faustina), receives from Jesus himself the biggest promises of grace related to the devotion of divine mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday is an observance in the Roman Catholic Church in which the faithful are encouraged to offer forgiveness and reconciliation to all as based on visions recorded from St. Faustina. In 2000, it was decreed a solemnity, a high feast day, by Pope John Paul II. Roman Catholics are required to attend worship, go to confession, and take Holy Communion. Divine Mercy Sunday occurs the Sunday after Easter.

Our Lord Jesus asked St. Faustina to write in her dairy: “A person who goes to sacramental confession (the confession may take place some days before) and receives Holy Communion on that day, shall obtain the total forgiveness of all sins and punishment.” This means each person will go immediately after death to heaven without suffering in purgatory (or going to hell). Also, the Church granted a plenary indulgence (observing the usual rules) with the recitation of some simple Divine Mercy prayers.

As our Lord Jesus clearly emphasized, “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… tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near.” This was written in St. Faustina’s dairy on April 28, 1935 that is 84 years ago and it is a very relevant message in these times. As many people have written that we are now in the end of times. Today’s Gospel reading comes from John 20:19-31 on the appearance of our Lord to his disciples in the upper room on Easter Sunday.

“19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

“24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

“28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

***

This gospel passage from the evangelist John gives us what his disciples saw in the risen Christ…his glorified body. He could pass through locked doors and clearly bore the wounds inflicted on his body before his crucifixion. Then he told his disciples a new mission, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Hopefully you did not forget that on Holy Thursday he instituted the Holy Orders for his priests to give the Holy Eucharist. Today he gives them the Sacrament of Reconciliation. [email protected]