DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READING

Jesus said: ‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’JN 20:29

ACTS 4:32-35 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Nothing is hidden, it's just that we are too blind, too selfish, and too scared to confidently put our faith to the test certain that it cannot and will never fail us.

The early Church is a witness to what is possible if we 

Christians are united in heart and soul. We are so afraid, so lacking in trust in Your Word that we feverishly set aside a portion of our material possessions in case a day comes when we have nothing for ourselves and our family. 

Very few of us have faith strong enough to share what we have today trusting in divine providence to supply all we need tomorrow.

If as a Church, as a whole community of believers in the resurrection, we testified boldly to the power of God and the wisdom of God we would overcome the world. But we are too preoccupied with politics, with the weather, with the affairs of the world, with politicians, and religious leaders, and less focused on our relationship with You and with one another. We disrespect God, ourselves, and each other, and we are surprised when we find our world in its current state of chaos and folly.

We are called to lead the Way and to show the world the Way boldly with no thought of the cost of self. We do not experience miracles as a daily part of our lives because we are too sceptical to put Your Word to the test - if we did no one who believed would ever want for anything just like the members of the early Church. Instead, we cling to our raggedy bits and pieces and lose the opportunity of witnessing to the world the power of relying on God's providence daily.

PSALM 118:2-4,15-18,22-24 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You opened the eyes of Your disciples to see how every prophecy in Scripture about the Messiah was fulfilled in You. The Holy Spirit opens our spiritual eyes and we can see You emblazoned clearly in the sacred texts. But we have to know both the Old Testament and the New - and we have to accept the Canon that the Church has given the world. We cannot throw out those Books that we deem unnecessary. If those Sacred Books were good enough for You and for the Twelve and Paul to read and quote from they are most certainly good and their teaching and wisdom, necessary for us. 

Today, as the Church, Your Bride, formed from Your pierced

side, celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday, we exult with the psalmist as we sing"

Let the sons of Israel say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let the sons of Aaron say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
‘His love has no end.’

Thank You, Father, for laying on Your Son the punishment that was ours. What extraordinary love that saves the weak, the frail, the feeble, the lost, the broken, from the burden of suffering, sin, and shame and instead lays it on the spotless Victim, the Paschal Lamb. How can we ever repay God for His goodness to us? We can sing Your praises. We can testify to Your love. We can be indefatigable witnesses to the Truth that no one can be saved except through You. Because You died our death and rose again we can hope to share in Your resurrection. 

You are the Cornerstone, You are the marvel of the Church You founded. In her alone is found the fullness of Truth and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. It is visible to anyone with eyes to see that any church refusing to embrace the fullness of Truth that You have revealed is doomed to splinter and shatter ad infinitum ad nauseam.

The Church is the marvel that shines in an increasingly darkening world for it is here that You continue to live and reign and will do so until the end of the age.

1 John 5:1-6 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Apostle and evangelist John was the only disciple who was
not martyred and lived a long and fruitful life before dying peacefully. To this beloved disciple who lay on Your breast was given the ability to write about You, about Truth, and about faith in You, the Word of God, with beauty, power, and clarity. He knew You and the Holy Spirit inspire him with recalling and writing about You in a way that continues to transfigure those who believe.

The short and simple answer to the question, who can be saved, is this - all who believe in You are saved. We are Your Body, You are the Son of God, and since we are members of Your Body, we are children of God. What is our purpose as members of the family of God - it is to love Him and keep His commandments. It is not up to us to decide which we will obey and which we will not. We can only be victorious in You if we embrace the fullness of God's Word and allow the Word to form and transform our lives. 

Our faith must dictate our actions only then can we overcome the world. What is faith? It is believing in You, the Son of God, and in the One who sent You. Faith is God's free gift to those who are baptized into Your death and rise to new life in Your resurrection through the power of the Holy Spirit who descends in us and makes His home with us. Your Blood redeems us, the waters of Baptism cleanses us of all sin and grafts us into Your Body, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to choose to walk in the path that leads to life for as long as we live.

JOHN 20:19-31 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The evangelist tells us that it is the first day of the week You enter the closed room where the disciples are once again huddled together in fear of the Jews and the very first words You speak are words of love and assurance. The past does not matter, their infidelity does not matter, their denial of You and their disbelief at the Good News of the empty tomb and all that it implies does not matter - right now You give them the gift they most need, 'Peace be with you.' Which of us will not grab this seemingly elusive gift of peace that the world hungers for greedily with both hands.  

You ask no questions, there are no recriminations or accusations. Their gaze is fixed on You in wonder, joy begins to flood their souls, their senses are drinking deep of Your Presence standing before them - they are bewildered, bedazzled and once again You say those blessed words, 'Peace be with you.'

You understand their momentary weakness and fear because You are fully human and divine and all is forgiven. The past is the past. Looking back makes us ineffective, immobile, pillars of salt like Lot's wife. You Yourself said, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’ This is definitely not the time to look back because You are doing something new, something extraordinary, they are given a mandate, a mission to go to the ends of the earth, to become fishers of men and women, to build the Church, and to establish God's kingdom.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

After saying this You breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’

It is again the first day of the week when You institute another Sacrament, the healing Sacrament of Reconciliation and You empower Your newly ordained priests by breathing on them the Holy Spirit. The more You breathe on us the more we receive of the power of God in His Spirit. 

Next, You turn to Thomas, who had said, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ As You gaze at him with love, You say to him, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ You responded with the most comforting words for all generations who will come to know You,

‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

We believe in every one of the signs that You worked and continue to work in the Church, in the world, and in the lives of all people in every generation. We believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and we rejoice that we who believe have life in Your Name.