Sunday Gospel Reflection: The Divine Mercy

 

Today is the Feast of all Feasts! It is the Feast of Mercy! This Feast originated from the private revelations given to Sr. Maria Faustina Kowolska, a Polish cloistered nun who died in 1938. In the year 2000, she was canonized by Saint Pope John Paul II, and the Feast of Mercy was instituted as a universal Feast of the Church. To better understand this Feast, let’s read some of the private revelations Jesus gave to Saint Faustina:

“Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment”.

“This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies”.

“On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. 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 complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flows are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy”.

“Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it”.

“Souls perish in spite of My 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”.

“I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy”.

In addition to the above quotes about the celebration of the Feast of Mercy, below are some quotes revealing more about The Divine Mercy itself:

“Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My Mercy”.

“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy”.

“I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy”.

“Tell all people, My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls”.

“My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy; urge all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy, because I want to save them all”.

Reflect, today, upon God’s infinite and unfathomable Mercy. The Divine Mercy is especially for those who struggle with sin. Jesus says, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy”. The Divine Mercy is the very tenderness and compassion of God. Run to Him, trust in Him, open your soul to Him and allow Him to pour forth an ocean of Mercy on this holy day.

Most Merciful Lord, I desire to receive the superabundance of Your Mercy poured forth from Heaven today. Please open my heart so that I will turn to You in my need. I am a sinner, dear Lord, but for that reason I am in most need of You in my life. Help me to trust in You with all my might. Jesus, I do trust in You!

Sunday Gospel Reflection: The Message of the Angels

 

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Matthew 28:1–4

The angels of God have been present at the most significant moments of human history. There are numerous mentions of angels in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the Incarnation of the Savior of the World was announced by an archangel. Myriads of angels were present at His birth. An angel spoke to Saint Joseph on four different occasions. As Jesus began His public ministry and overcame the temptations of the devil in the desert, angels from Heaven came to minister to Him. When Jesus prayed in solitude, especially during His agony in the garden, He was comforted by angels. At the empty tomb, it was an angel who first announced the good news that our Lord had risen. And at the end of time, it will be the angels of God who bring forth God’s justice.

Today’s angelic salutation to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the empty tomb should teach us that the message of the Resurrection is among the most important lessons we can ever learn. Furthermore, the message of this angel, given to these holy women, was intended not only for them, it is also spoken to us today.

The angel made an appearance that depicts absolute power and sanctity. He arrived with the speed of lightning. His countenance was radiant with Heavenly light. He instantly moved the large stone and sat upon it, pointing these holy women to the empty tomb. Today, if we have the eyes of faith, we will also receive an interior revelation from Heaven, just as these women did. Though we will not see with our eyes what they saw, we will see and hear through faith all that was spoken to them. 

The message of the Resurrection of Christ is being spoken to you today. Do you hear it? Do you comprehend the voice of this angel from Heaven? If you do, the first thing you will hear are the words, “Do not be afraid!” Fear is one of the greatest obstacles to the reception of the Word of God in our lives. The evil one sows fear; the angels of God dispel it. So begin by considering whether fear clouds your ability to receive the Word of God.

The angel then said, “I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.” In other words, these women had not yet understood the Resurrection. They were still seeking the dead body of our Lord. Similarly, we often find ourselves focusing upon our losses, sufferings and trials. As a result, it can be difficult for us to see the ways that our Lord desires to transform the crosses in our lives and bring from them the glory of the Resurrection. The angel then said, “He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.” When we allow God to transform every cross in our lives, those crosses and sufferings disappear as they give way to the new life God brings forth from them.

Finally, the angel tells the women, “Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…’” When we come to faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ, we cannot keep it to ourselves. We must go forth and proclaim the Resurrection of Christ to others. It cannot be contained.

Reflect, today, upon the most glorious, awe-inspiring, life-changing message of Christ’s Resurrection. If you find that you do not understand this message, then this Easter Season is an important time for you. It must be a time in which you dispel any fear that clouds your thinking. It must be a time when you listen most attentively in faith. It must be a time when you hear God speak to you about His glorious triumph over sin and death. It must be a time when you more fully penetrate the mystery of the Resurrection. And it must be a time when you recommit yourself to go forth and share that message with others. Listen to the angels of God. Receive their message and allow Christ’s Resurrection to change your life forever.

Most holy angels of God, please come to me, speak to me and reveal to me the most glorious message of the Resurrection of Christ. Lord, I pray that my heart be freed of all fear and that my mind be opened to all that You wish to reveal to me. I do believe in the glory of Your Resurrection; help me to believe with all my heart and to proclaim that truth to others. Jesus, I trust in You.

Sunday Gospel Reflection: Following Him to the Cross

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” Luke 19:38–40

At the foot of the Mount of Olives was the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized in prayer and was arrested. But several days before that happened, our Lord crossed over that hill next to the Mount of Olives with His Apostles and then approached the slope heading toward the Garden. As He descended, He encountered “the whole multitude of his disciples” who “began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen.” They then cried out: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” They met Him within eyeshot of the gate of the city of Jerusalem. This must have left the Twelve in amazement.

Among those who were amazed were the Pharisees. But they were not amazed with joy. Their amazement was caused by envy and led to condemnation. Jesus’ response was very clear: “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” That begs the question: If these disciples had not offered our Lord this glorious welcome, would the stones truly have cried out? Most certainly they would have! They did so just several days later after Jesus had been abandoned by the crowds.

Recall that when Jesus was crucified, almost every one of these disciples abandoned Him. They fled in fear. Even most of the Twelve ran and hid. Only our Blessed Mother, Saint John and a few others remained. Therefore, when Jesus died on the Cross, abandoned by the crowds, this prophecy of His came true. “And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:51–52).

We must never keep silent in praise and worship of God. There is an important lesson to learn from these two moments from that first Holy Week. At the beginning, as Jesus entered Jerusalem with much excitement, there were many who offered Him praise. It’s easy to give praise and glory to God when it is popular and when many others are doing so. Contrast this with the end of Holy Week when Jesus was persecuted and killed. Suddenly, praise and open acclamations were not that popular. Fear had the effect of silencing the crowds and ending their worship of our Lord. For that reason, the stones did cry out and the earth quaked.

As we enter this Holy Week, consider whether you are more like the “whole multitude” of Jesus’ disciples who praised Him when it was easy and popular, or whether you are more like our Blessed Mother and Saint John who remained faithful to Him when it was anything but popular to do so. Do you persevere in your praise and adoration of God during difficult times? Or do you allow fear of what others may say, fear of rejection and other forms of humiliation to deter you from your sacred calling?

Reflect, today, upon these two contrasting moments of that first Holy Week. Join, today, with the crowds as they acclaim Jesus as King. As you do, turn your eyes to the King Whom you worship. Choose to follow Him to His betrayal, His suffering and His death. Commit yourself to fidelity, especially when it is hard to do so. Do not waver in your commitment. Look at the love in the heart of Jesus’ own mother and pray to her that you will have the courage she had to remain faithful to our Lord, lest the stones be forced to cry out in your place.

Most glorious King, You were fittingly worshiped and adored as You entered Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. I commit myself to that adoration and praise, and I pray that I will honor and love You, not only when it is easy but also when it is unpopular. May I never allow fear to deter me from my love of You and follow You all the way to the glorious throne of Your Cross. Jesus, I trust in You.

Sunday Gospel Reflection: Scandalized By Mercy

 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. John 8:1–3

What a painful and humiliating experience this must have been for this woman! Fortunately, the Savior of the World was there to care for her and to help her navigate this situation through His abundant mercy. Though she was a sinner, God’s mercy offered a remedy for her sin and its consequences.

Interestingly, this story is not included in some of the most ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of John. Saint Augustine believed that it was excluded by some of the early copyists of this Gospel because they were moral rigorists and were scandalized by the depths of Jesus’ mercy. They feared that if this incredible act of mercy was conveyed to others, it would lead to a relaxation of moral rules.

The scribes and Pharisees who brought this woman to Jesus also appeared to be scandalized by Jesus’ mercy. Thus, the depths of mercy offered to this woman was one of many occasions in which Jesus was merciful to a point that was hard for the people to comprehend.

How about you? How far are you willing to go when it comes to mercy? It is easy for us to resort to condemnation when we see the sins of others. We might feel justified in condemning them and even obliged to do so out of a desire to condemn sin itself. But Jesus’ action shows that the sin must not be equated with the sinner. Sin must be condemned and was condemned by our Lord when He said to this woman, “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” Though He condemned her sin, he did not condemn her: “Neither do I condemn you.”

The mercy of God is incomprehensible. For example, recall that Jesus cried out from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Imagine the surprise that the first hearers of those words would have had. How could this man ask that God forgive the people who were murdering Him? Perhaps the only person who truly understood this prayer of mercy from the Cross was Jesus’ own mother as she stood there gazing at Him with love.

An important lesson for us to learn from Jesus’ depth of mercy is that, at first, it will most likely scandalize us also. Mercy to this extent is supernatural. It challenges our natural reason and calls us to a new way of thinking and relating to others. The only way to overcome the “scandal” we might feel in the face of God’s mercy is to live it ourselves. Doing so will require that we put on new eyes to see sin, mercy and forgiveness through the eyes of God. If doing so shakes you to the core of your being, that might be a good sign. Are you allowing the apparent scandal of God’s abundant mercy to transform you so that it is no longer a shock or scandal to you, but is experienced as good and holy and from the Heart of our God?

Reflect, today, upon how deeply you understand God’s mercy. Do you rejoice when mercy is offered to another? Or do you find yourself condemning? Our Lord said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” None of us are without sin; therefore, none of us has the right to cast a stone at another. Allow the apparent scandal of God’s mercy to challenge you so that you come to not only understand God’s infinite mercy but also to act as an instrument of that mercy to everyone.

Most merciful Lord, You came to call the sinner to repentance and salvation. You offer mercy and forgiveness in superabundance. When faced with the sins of others, help me to imitate Your love for them and to show mercy and compassion to the greatest degree. I love You, Lord. Help me to love You and others with Your Heart of merciful love. Jesus, I trust in You.