Divine Mercy Sunday 2023
Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:16-31
April 15/16, 2023
I’d like to ask all of you a question. Please answer it quietly in your mind. The question is, “Who or what is the heart of this parish?” Whenever I have been assigned a new parish, I asked myself that question, whether it was Holy Cross in Dakota, Crucifixion in La Crescent, St. Patrick’s in Brownsville, or St. Mary’s in Caledonia.
I believe the heart of t his parish is the merciful, sacred heart of Jesus beating in the Eucharist. It is the Divine Mercy poured out on us at this altar, at Mass at which we witness all that Jesus has done for us in his life, death and resurrection. The merciful heart of Jesus beats and gives life. Jesus is alive! He has risen. Jesus lives! He has a merciful heart, a living heart, a forgiving heart, and he pours his mercy into our hearts at each Mass.
Divine mercy beats in our midst, among us, and within us. It beats especially at Mass. We must be connected to this mercy. We must not stay away. We must come to the mercy of God. That is one reason why God has commanded us to keep holy the Sabbath day. That is one reason why the Church obligates us to come to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. We need that mercy that much! We need to thank God for that much.
You too are the heart of this parish if you have a merciful heart. To the extent that you soak in God’s mercy at the Eucharist and then extend that mercy to each other, you become the heart of this parish. Your heart must be open to God’s mercy and then beat with mercy for others.
Do we accept God’s mercy? Do we allow the merciful heart of Jesus to permeate our lives? Will our hearts beat like the heart of Jesus for our husbands, wives, children, parents, neighbors, and yes (this is the tough one) for our enemies? Will we be merciful even to those who do not deserve it? If we are to be able to do this, we must be connected to Divine Mercy. Mercy and forgiveness are at the center of what it means to follow Christ. The heart of the moral life is mercy. Mercy trumps human justice, for in God’s eyes, mercy and justice are the same.
Jesus had mercy on the repentant thief. Will we? Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, “I do not condemn you, but go and do not sin again.” Will we have the same attitude with those who have betrayed our trust? When Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus didn’t ask, “Why did you do that?” but rather he asked, “Do you love me?” How are we when someone denies our friendship?
Will we have mercy on the man on death row, or will we exact vengeance? Will we wage war or pursue peace? Will we love those who hate us, or will we hate in return?
To be merciful to those most difficult to forgive, those most difficult to love, we must have a deep faith and trust in Jesus’ mercy for us. When we find it difficult to show mercy, we must say, “Jesus, I trust in you! Help me to be grateful for the mercy you have shown me, and help me to show mercy to this person.”
Jesus, I trust in you! You are the way. Make my heart like unto yours. Amen.
