Divine Mercy Sunday

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This weekend is the Feast of Divine Mercy. In the Gospel today a good number of important things occurred. First. Jesus appeared to the 10 apostles, without Thomas, who was absent at the time. He showed them His hands and feet and side. Second. Jesus breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” This action empowered the Apostles to forgive sins through the sacrament of Confession.

After Jesus departed, Thomas arrived and declared He will not believe Jesus came unless He sees the nail marks in His hands, feet and side. Now a week later, Thomas is with the other 10 when Jesus appeared again. Although the doors were locked, Jesus stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” and then He told Thomas to put his finger in the wounds in His hand and in His side. And then Thomas makes His famous statement declaring the divinity of Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas bears witness to the physical presence of Jesus and His divinity. Jesus is God! It was really Him and not a ghost, not an apparition and not only a spiritual presence. He and the other apostles experienced Jesus in His resurrected body, which is a physical body that can be touched. But how could someone with a physical body enter a locked room?

The resurrected body of Jesus had what is called subtility, which means a physical resurrected body can pass through a solid substance like a door or a wall, and yet its a real physical body. At the General Resurrection, we will also get a new resurrected body and will have subtility and be able to pass through physical walls and substances, even though we too will have a physical body.

This is also true with regard to the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is not only the spiritual presence of Jesus. Its His body, blood, soul and divinity. His entire human and divine natures are present in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist is the resurrected and living body of Jesus. Not a hunk of flesh, but a person. We can’t have a relationship with a hunk of flesh, but a person. When we receive Holy Communion, Jesus passes through our body and we become one with Him.

There is a Catholic tradition where some people in their heart will say the words of St. Thomas when the Host is elevated above the altar, “My Lord and my God!” declaring our faith in the presence of Jesus, who is God in the Eucharist.

Today’s feast of Divine Mercy points to the importance to the sacrament of Baptism, Confession and the Holy Eucharist. But let us first look at the devotion originated.

In February of 1931, Sr. Faustina, a Polish nun, had an apparition of Jesus, which is different than how Jesus appeared to the Apostles. Our Lord was dressed in a white garment. He held one hand raised-- in blessing and the other hand touching his garment at his chest. From the point on his garment two rays of light emanated (one red and the other white).

Jesus said, “Paint a picture according to the vision you see and with the signature, ‘Jesus I trust in You!’ I desire that this picture be venerated first in your chapel and then throughout the whole world.” Later Jesus explained, “The rays represent the Blood and Water which gushed forth from the depths of my Mercy when My agonizing heart was pierced on the cross. The pale rays symbolize the water which cleanses and purifies the soul: the red rays represent the blood, which gives new life to the soul.” Today, we come to understand, the white rays represent baptism, and the red rays represent the Eucharist as fonts of mercy. The Divine Mercy picture we have in the church is the image Jesus wants venerated, especially on the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Jesus asked Sr. Faustina that the Sunday after Easter be celebrated as a Feast of Mercy. Jesus promised those who go to confession and receive Holy Communion would obtain a complete remission of all sin and all punishment due to sin.

A cardinal of Poland- in charge of the devotion-- said the Lenten confession is sufficient for the requirement, and if not currently in mortal sin.

Another priest from Poland, Canon Rozycki, came to the conclusion that the extraordinary grace promised by Jesus on the Feast of Mercy is a gift of grace equaled only by the grace of Baptism. Therefore, on Divine Mercy Sunday, our soul becomes like it had been at the moment it was baptized and after receiving Holy Communion, if we would die, we would go straight to heaven.

The soul of a man who was away from the Church for 50 years and comes to Confession and receives Holy Communion on this weekend and the soul of a person who regularly confesses on a monthly basis, have the same results today. Their sins are forgiven, and the punishment of their sins are forgiven and so their souls become like they were at the moment of baptism and if either would die immediately after receiving Holy Communion, they both would go straight to heaven.

When we dip our hand into the holy water font, and bless our self, we can obtain the forgiveness of our venial sins. And when we receive Holy Communion, our venial sins are also forgiven. This shows that God grants special graces to us through holy water and the Eucharist. Baptism washes away original sin, personal sin and the punishment due to sin. And the effects of Holy Water after baptism can wash away venial sin.

Jesus asked Sr. Faustina that the Sunday after Easter be celebrated as a Feast of Mercy and be preceded by a novena beginning on Good Friday. Our Lord told St. Faustina, #699, “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 flow 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.”

So the Divine Mercy devotion goes beyond the forgiveness of venial sins. When we receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, the punishment of all sin is washed away as well. So all purgatory time is eliminated.

This feast was established by Saint Pope John Paul II in 2000 and is now the Sunday after Easter every year. With regard to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Sr. Faustina saw an angel about to execute God’s punishment on a city. She prayed for mercy but her prayers were without effect. Then suddenly she heard this prayer, “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” which caused the angel to lose its power to punish the city. It was later revealed to Sr. Faustina, the reason why God was going to punish the city, was because of the sin of abortion.

With this prayer, as well as the prayer, “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world”, it’s called the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Jesus said, “Say unceasingly this chaplet. Anyone who says it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as a last hope. If the most hardened sinner recites this chaplet even once, they will receive grace from my infinite mercy. I want the whole world to know my infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in my mercy.” Jesus also said, “I desire the confidence of my people. Let not even the weak and very sinful fear to approach me, even if their sins be as numerous as all the sand of the earth all will be forgiven in the fathomless pit of my mercy.”

Today, when we receive Holy Communion, if you are in the state of grace and if you have went Confession sometime during Lent up to today, all of your sins will be forgiven and the punishment due to your sins will be forgiven and your soul will become like it was at baptism. What an incredible gift God is given to us this weekend. Let us give thanks to God for His infinite, abundant and unfathomable mercy. O Mary, Mother of Mercy, thank you for interceding for us to obtain God’s mercy.