April 19, 2009: Divine Mercy Sunday (B)

Recently I was at a parishioner's house watching their kids play. On their trip to Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans several weeks ago, the parents bought their kids a Caterpillar to Butterfly Kit. The kids watched their caterpillar turned itself into cocoons and eventually metamorphed into a moth (pictured left). On this sunny day, their daughter flung this newly transformed moth five feet up in the air. It flapped its wing, but crashed on to the grass. It was too early and premature for this moth to take off just yet. Beside me was their 3 yr. old son blowing bubbles and spilling all the bubble liquid on the porch. As I sat there on the porch watching these kids play, there was a mystery that was unfolding. Here a child was learning something about patience and providence. The Caterpillar to Butterfly Kit provided everything the caterpillar needed to make their transformation--a sealed glass bottle with food, a mesh tent to protect the catepillars from the prying hands of curious children wanting to touch them, and parents who constantly reminded the kids to leave the caterpillars alone. "When will they fly?" the kids asked. "Wait and see," parents replied. This little butterfly kit taught the children that to raise a living thing from its infancy to adulthood takes love and patience.

There is a word that expresses both love and patience. It is mercy. In Latin, it's misericordia. The first part of the word, miseri, means pity, suffering, or compassion. The second part of the word, cordia, means heart. So another way to say mercy or misericordia is a heart full of compassion for one's suffering. Today's psalm and response extol God as the one who is rich in mercy.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever..."
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior.

Have you ever experienced God in this way? Has God ever helped you when you were falling into despair and lifted you up? And have you thanked God for that? "Thank you God for You are good and your love is everlasting." Or, have you experienced God more like a judge who will not bend a single rule for you. We may have had such an experience with a priest or dealing with strict church policy on marriage and divorce. "Where is merciful God in this," we ask. God's greatest attribute is mercy or heart full of compassion for our suffering, but those who work in his public relations department may not represent Him accurately. Sometimes God's representatives here on earth can be rude, uncaring, or too busy so we come away with an impression that God is rude, uncaring, or too busy for us. But that's not how Jesus truly is.

Take example from our gospel today. Jesus appeared to the ten disciples, gave them the Holy Spirit, and commissioned them to forgive sins. But poor Thomas. He wasn't there with the ten when Jesus appeared. Will he be the only disciple without the Holy Spirit and without the commission to forgive sins? This reminds me of the flight I took Friday night from Dallas to New Orlenas. Dallas had some severe weather and most of the flights were delayed. As I waited in a lounge which made its last call for departure, a young lady dashed to the gate. The gate attendant said, "Sorry, the plane is already taxing toward the runway." The lady began to cry on the spot. That was the last flight out, and she was forced to stay overnight somewhere. Going back to Thomas, was he going to be the only one of out of the twelve who missed the plane? The answer is no. Jesus personally comes back just for Thomas. Jesus personally invites Thomas to put aside doubt and believe. "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." Jesus shows God who believes in second chances, God who is patient, kind, and will not let anyone of his children left behind. He is God of mercy, who has heart full of compassion for those who are suffering.

This is why Jesus personally requested the Universal Church to celebrate the Sunday after Easter as the Divine Mercy Sunday or the Feast of Divine Mercy. Listen to what Jesus said to St. Faustina regarding this Sunday. "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 graces flow are opened." (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, 699)

Why make this Second Sunday of Easter the Divine Mercy Sunday? It's because we don't appreciate God's greatest attribute, His Mercy. Jesus said, "I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me...Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides...despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them...I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion." Take advantage of this great Feast Day of His Mercy. Jesus simply requests in order to receive this tremendous gift of His Mercy in remission of all our sins, He asks us to go to confession, attend Divine Mercy Sunday mass, and receive communion on this day.

A child who waits with patience and compassion on a caterpillar to transform itself into a butterfly is like Jesus who waits with patience and compassion to pour out His Mercy on us to transform us. Listen to these words of Jesus to St. Faustina, "When you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flow down upon your soul and ennoble it. ..When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy."