On this final day of the octave of Easter, we have come to celebrate it also as the feast
known as Mercy Sunday, and it is essentially based on the revelations given to St. Faustina,
a Polish nun during the Second World War. But when we look upon this devotion, we must not
understand it as something new within the mystical body of Christ, but rather a representation of
perhaps the oldest devotion in the history of the Church, for it is a devotion rooted in that
Easter mystery, particularly at the Last Supper, when we find the beloved Apostle St. John resting
on the sacred heart of Jesus. And indeed, in the image of the divine mercy, we see very clearly
that it is rooted in the heart of Jesus, for from the heart flows those signs that are signs of
blood and water, symbolizing our baptism and that price that Christ paid his precious blood in order
to purchase baptism.
And so, when we seek to understand this mystery, especially as it is related to us into today's
gospel, we must understand it in that context. It is not a new revelation, but rather the all-encompassing
mercy of God represented to us in a way and in a manner that can be readily understood by the people
of our times and our age, and most especially the emphasis that God is truly merciful to all those
who seek him.
And so, there are things in today's gospel that become very significant in understanding the
profound depths of God's mercy and what it is rooted on. And we must always keep in mind that
this devotion, first manifested to us at the Last Supper, is rooted in that very mystery, the Eucharistic
mystery, that is, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And so, the Lord begins this mystery by walking
through the doors.
He intends, by doing so, to manifest the almighty power of his Godhead and the gifts conferred upon
his glorified body. That is, he is at that moment strengthening the apostles and all the disciples.
And in doing so, he not only comforts us, but he also wishes to comfort us so that no earthly power,
so that we fear no earthly power, for we know full well it is in the mystery of the resurrection
that we learn.
Earthly power is the power of God.
Earthly powers have no control over us, no matter how fearful their torments may be.
What the Lord is simply doing here is fulfilling that which he said in the gospel,
come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.
And even if it were to cost us the agonizing torments that our Lord himself underwent,
he says, if we come to him, we need not fear. And in coming to him, what is he referring to?
What can refresh us? We know very clearly from the Easter mystery, it was not that coming
manifested by St. Mary Magdalene, although certainly well-intentioned, but the very reason
the Lord tells St. Mary not to touch her is because she has not come to understood that deep mystery
by which we are to touch the Lord, that is, the Eucharistic mystery, or more properly,
the Eucharistic miracle in which Christ perpetuates his presence,
amongst us, until the end of time in the holy sacrifice of the mass.
And so, in the Eucharist, we truly touch the Lord, body, blood, soul, and divinity,
not a symbol, not an image, but a reality. And indeed, the objection to this mystery can always
be summed up in the same way. It is said by those who do not understand it, or those who
ultimately reject it, that it violates the principle of contradiction, that is, something
cannot both be and not be at the same time, and in the same place...
But the Eucharistic miracle does not even violate this natural precept. The Eucharistic
miracle is never present in the same place. That can be readily shown when we realize
what place means.
For place means our relationship to something else. So the raising of the hand changes the
place of everyone else. The hand shows us that space means telepathy.
in the room and so in the ciborium each presence each in the ciborium each host is in a different
place it is not the multiplication of the body of christ in the sense that there are hundreds
and thousands of bodies but it is the same body the same body that rose from the dead
merely in a different place and so there is no contradiction in the eucharistic miracle
even of this precept and god who wrote the laws of natures himself does not violate it and so
he seeks first and foremost to strengthen those apostles in this reality this reality in which the
first reading would called became known amongst the early christians as the breaking of the bread
and it is that which it is primarily referred to for very early we see clearly that the eucharistic
sacrifice becomes the center of the gospel and it is that which it is primarily referred to for very early we see clearly that the eucharistic sacrifice becomes the center
and core of the christian life this is most strikingly present to us on the feast of the
pentecost for it is manifested by all the doctors and fathers that the first pentecost was not merely
a prayer gathering but but rather the eucharistic sacrifice and shortly after the moment of
consecration it is then that the holy spirit descended upon the apostles and so it is clearly
a mystery that they came to understand and ultimately
that we must understand in light of the apostolic revelation and so our lord tells us very clearly
that that which is required of us to truly understand and comprehend the power of this
mystery is that we must close our minds and our hearts to the world and to the flesh recognizing
that we struggle against human frailty and human carelessness and that there is always
one who is about seeking always to destroy this memory
in the hearts of men but we must understand in remembering this mystery it is not merely a
memory but the eucharist is a reality a reality that will go on until the end of time and our
lord will ultimately emphasize this union we must have with the apostolic church when it says after
he comes again to thomas that he stood in their midst here the absence of thomas is most significant
saint bernard would have us to
stand you are deceived thomas in hoping to see the lord when separated from the company of the
apostles the truth takes no pleasure in places apart he takes no pleasure he takes pleasure in
common discipline common life common studies or as we say in the creed he takes pleasure
in the one holy catholic and apostolic church and she is the safeguard and the dispenser of all that
is merciful and merciful and merciful and merciful and merciful and merciful and merciful and merciful and
all that is truly merciful because it is rooted in that apostolic faith indeed that is exactly what
saint luke is describing to us in today's first reading that common fellowship of the one true
faith and so we cannot hope to find the mercy of god separated from holy mother church that is the
significance and father john harding of happy memory defines mercy as the disposition to be kind
and forgiving founded on compassion founded on compassion mercy differs from compassion
or the feeling of sympathy in putting this feeling into practice with a readiness to assist
it is therefore the ready willingness to help anyone in need especially in need of pardon or
reconciliation and there was no one more willing to help mankind in his need than the son of god
the very creator of mankind
He would offer that sacred humanity in order that we may receive pardon and forgiveness of our sins.
And so, the Lord emphasizes these two sacraments in today's Gospel
as the very means by which we acquire his mercy,
the sacrament of the Eucharist and the sacrament of penance.
Penance is that sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ to remit sins committed after our baptism,
and it is instituted by our Lord on this very day
when he gives the apostles the power and the authority to forgive sins,
to bind what they believe is to be bound, and to loose what they believe is to be loosed.
And it is very significant that our Lord, in conferring this power to the apostles,
chooses his very breath to signify it.
For the smoke of sin fogs the mind and the heart,
but it is the breath of the Holy Spirit,
that dissipates the smoke of sin and the wiles of the devil.
It helps expose to us all that he tries to do in order to keep us and all souls from the divine mercy.
And so, ultimately, there is no difference in the divine mercy devotion,
no difference whatsoever, than in that final command of our Lord.
What is mercy?
Mercy is to go forth and preach the Gospel to all nations,
baptizing them,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
that is, incorporating them into the one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
For as many of the saints point out,
it is better to be a sinner within the mystical body of Christ than a sinner without.
For outside of her is the wailing and the gnashing of teeth,
but inside of her is the forgiveness of our sins.
And so, it is this divine mercy that we, first and foremost,
must seek for ourselves.
And in seeking it for ourselves, in gratitude to the Lord who has done all things,
we must strive to bring it to all peoples and to all nations,
so that they truly may have their sins forgiven.
By the flowing waters of baptism, we have been first claimed for Christ,
and if we have fallen into mortal sin after our baptism, Christ has not abandoned us.
He has established that sacrament of his mercy,
of which St. Alphonsus said,
as D. Liguori points out,
that it is almost inevitable, if one were to reach the age of adulthood,
outside of the mystical body of Christ, not to fall into some mortal sin.
And he asks the question,
can God forgive sin of those outside the mystical body of Christ?
He answers, certainly, all things are possible with God.
But then he points out, it is one of those things that is possible in theory,
but then he points out, if a member of the mystical body
can never be certain of making a perfect act of contrition,
what of those who are not members of the mystical body?
And as G. K. Chesterton would point out,
that ultimately, it was not the intellectual argument for the existence of the Church,
or any of the philosophical arguments that convinced him to become a Catholic,
it was, as he declared, it was only there that I was certain,
my sins would be forgiven for attrition,
not perfect contrition, but attrition suffices in the sacrament of God's mercy,
that is, the sacrament of penance.
And that is why it is important for each and every one of us
to truly never abandon the mission of the Church,
to bring this truth to all souls,
to present it as the Lord expects it to be presented,
that there is no sin that the Lord is unwilling to forgive,
indeed, all the doctors and the fathers who speak on the matter point out,
for those who would fall to the temptation of Satan to despair,
was the Lord, when he said to Judas,
wouldst thou, friend, wouldst thou betray me with a kiss?
If we attribute to the Lord sarcasm,
then we have, as one of the doctors and fathers pointed out,
committed at best a sacrament.
For we have attributed Judas' condemnation to an act of cruelty.
And so there was no sarcasm.
And Monsignor Eugene Cavan would point out,
it is necessary to understand the Hebrew language,
to understand what transpired at that fatal moment.
When the Lord, as it were, asked that question of Judas,
he was telling Judas, there is no need to expose your sins,
to expose your sin publicly.
He was simply asking him,
Judas, do not go forward with the kiss,
and you will receive my forgiveness.
He would have given him absolution at that moment,
and Judas would not have abandoned the apostolic college.
And so, everywhere and always,
the Lord sought to bring mercy,
except in those rare instances
when the soul showed itself to be so hardened,
that the Lord, despite his efforts,
or as the image points out,
he comes towards us,
he does not force himself on us.
He came towards the Pharisees and the scribes
each and every moment of his public life.
They became so hardened,
as Saint John Christensen points out,
that they would not accept God's mercy.
And so, the Lord, on rare occasion,
would point out
that that is why you die in your sins.
Not because of lack of effort on my part,
but because of lack of effort on your part.
When I come towards you, you run away.
And the Lord cannot force himself upon us.
He cannot penetrate into our free will.
He can only beg and plead that we accept it.
And so, let us strive always and everywhere
to accept this gift of the divine mercy,
so that we, as members of the apostolic church,
can truly become instruments,
to the whole world,
to bring that mercy to all souls,
to all times, and to all places,
so that no one ever will hear
those faithful words of condemnation
at the end of time,
but that all may experience
the mercy of God,
because they have come to have complete confidence
in what the Lord illustrates today.
Fear not,
for in incorporating myself,
incorporating you into myself
as my mystical body,
there is no earthly power,
and that includes Satan,
who has authority over you.
He can do to you what he did to me.
He can do to you what I permitted him to do
to my servant Job,
but he cannot destroy the soul.
He can ravage the body,
and if it is accepted in resignation to the will of God,
it only becomes an instrument of his destruction
and the driving out of his influence
upon all society.
And so, let us strive always and everywhere
to show we are true members
of the mystical body of Christ
by accepting the penances,
the trials, and the tribulations
we are asked to bear in union with our Lord,
so that we truly may always live
in the divine mercy that is
in the love of the sacred heart of Jesus,
the fountain of true life and of true love,
a mystery that is always ancient,
and always new.
And so, the Lord throughout history
with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
and St. Faustina has,
if we were to use the modern expression,
I guess we say he tweaks it a little bit
in order that our ignorant society
may understand it,
that this society that seeks
the riches of this world
may come to understand what the Lord has said.
What doth it profit us
if we are to gain the whole world
and suffer the loss of our souls in the process?
Why strive for the world
when the very thing every soul is called to acquire
is the vision of God for all eternity?
And so, we have complete confidence in his mercy,
for in his resurrection
he has truly proven
and put the exclamation point on it
that death no longer has any victory,
death no longer has any sting,
and all those who are incorporated into his body
will travel by way of the crucifixion,
but with one exception,
their corpse will not lie
rotting in the dust without a purpose.
They will lie that way
knowing that at one time
they were placed in the arms of the Mother of God
like the Christ child,
and it is only that body that rises again.
And so, while corruption will set in,
on each and every one of us,
it will not be the final arbiter,
for God very clearly
has the power and the will
to restore all things,
or as one Franciscan would point out,
when this doctrine of the resurrection
at a conference was being questioned
and a certain sarcastic remark was made,
well, it says, one pointed out,
that in the scripture, that in hell,
there'll be the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.
And it was pointed out by a modernist theologian,
how can that be, for it is quite obviously
some have had no teeth in this life.
An old Franciscan stood up and simply quipped,
oh, don't worry, teeth will be provided.
And so, if the Lord will provide teeth
for those who have not had recourse to his mercy,
we know full well
that he will provide all things for us.
And so, it is important
that we not fear giving up
what the Lord asks us to give up,
ultimately, our lives in this world,
so that we can take it up anew
in the world to come.
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