The Wonders of the Divine Mercy

Listening to the Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listening to the Word

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Reflection

Today the Church celebrates the Divine Mercy Sunday in relation to the vision of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska who received a mission from our Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim His message of Mercy to the whole world. That message is now being echoed by many Devine Mercy Prayer Groups in different parishes across the globe for a spiritual revival and genuine trust in the Lord. As we celebrate this Divine Mercy Sunday, it is interesting to find out: what is the connection between this celebration and today’s Gospel about the doubting Thomas? At first, it seems like there is no connection. However, if we look closer, we will realize that this Gospel expresses beautifully the sense and the wonders of the divine mercy starting from the experience of the calvary to Jesus’ apparitions to his disciples and down to us, the contemporary followers of Christ.

At the beginning of this passage from John 20:19-31, we see the disciples gathered together in a room, consumed by fear and uncertainty after Jesus' crucifixion. Their hearts are so heavy with sorrow; their spirits engulfed by doubt. But it is in this very moment of vulnerability that the divine mercy reveals itself in all its splendor. Mercy is the "compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or a blessing that is an act of divine favor. Instead of scolding the disciples for abandoning Him during the Crucifixion, Jesus greets them with the words "Peace be with you." This act of forgiveness and reconciliation shows Jesus' mercy towards his disciples despite their failures. Through these simple yet profound words, we witness the essence of divine mercy—a peace that surpasses understanding, a comfort that transcends worldly afflictions. It is a peace that calms and heals the disciples from fear and assures them of unconditional love. This, Jesus did it and He continues to do it for each one of us every time we betray deny him, or run away from him because of our sins.

But the mercy of our Lord does not end there. As he extends his hands to reveal the scars of his crucifixion, he invites Thomas, the doubting disciple, to touch and believe. Jesus accommodates Thomas' need for evidence and gently leads him to a place of belief. This demonstrates Jesus' patience and understanding towards human frailty and doubt, extending his mercy to those who struggle to believe. For it is through the wounds of Christ that we find healing, through his suffering that we find redemption. In his mercy, God offers us the opportunity to encounter his divine presence, to experience the transformative power of his love. Like Thomas, we are called to reach out and touch the scars of our Savior—to embrace the truth of his resurrection and the promise of eternal life.

There is joy in the physical or direct experience of Jesus' resurrection but "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” This is where our faith is made equally relevant as the faith of the first disciples of Jesus Christ. It is a faith rooted in the mercy of God, a faith that blossoms from a life of joy and abundance of the first disciples sent to share the Gospel all over the World. The mercy of our Lord extends to all of humanity, embracing the broken, the marginalized, and the lost. It is a mercy that knows no bounds, a love that knows no limits. As disciples of Christ, we are called to be vessels of this divine mercy—to extend grace to those in need, to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us, and to carry out the corporal and the spiritual works of mercy in our words and actions.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us heed the call of mercy that resounds throughout the ages. Let us open our hearts to the transformative power of God's mercy, allowing it to flow through us and into the world. For in the mercy of our Lord, we find hope, we find redemption, we find eternal life. May we, like the disciples before us, encounter the risen Christ in our midst, and may his mercy sustain us now and always. May we never become afraid of proclaiming our faith like Thomas, or like St. Faustina Kowalska who respectively said: “My Lord and my God”, “Jesus I trust in you”. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. How does the encounter between Jesus and Thomas reflect the essence of Divine Mercy, and how can we apply this mercy in our daily lives?

2. In what ways does Divine Mercy Sunday serve as a reminder of the importance of trust and faith in God's mercy, especially in times of doubt and uncertainty?

3. Reflecting on the message of mercy proclaimed by St. Faustina, how can we actively become vessels of divine mercy in our communities, following the examples of Thomas and the disciples?