April 8, 2018: Divine Mercy Sunday B
April 8, 2018: 4-8-18 Divine Mercy Sunday B
Click to hear Audio Homily
How many of us here at one point in our lives struggled with doubt in our faith journey? I think that would be most of us. At one point or another, we have had trying moments like “Doubting Thomas” who lost hope and desire to believe in the Resurrection after he experienced the trauma of losing Jesus.
An example of a modern “Doubting Thomas” is Ugo Festa, an Italian man who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his youth and then with muscular dystrophy on his 30th birthday. As a result of the two medical conditions, he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In his anger and despair, he rebelled against God, but still prayed hoping for a miracle. In 1990, he made a pilgrimage to Rome to attend a beatification. In St. Peter’s Square, he was seated among a group of sick and handicapped people. Ugo caught the attention of Mother Teresa who was also in Rome at that time for the ceremony. She approached him, to console and encourage him. He was given an image of Divine Mercy and a medal of Divine Mercy to wear and encouraged to go to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in the city of Trent. At the time Ugo knew nothing of Divine Mercy and about Sr. Faustina, whose Divine Mercy revelations Pope John Paul II promoted. When Pope John Paul II approached the area where Ugo was sitting, Ugo held out the medal and the image of Divine Mercy for the Holy Father to bless. The Pope obliged. He made the Sign of the Cross and then asked Ugo, "How do you feel?" Ugo responded that he felt terrible and was going through a deep moral and spiritual crisis. Pope John Paul II asked, "How is it possible that you're in a crisis when you have the Merciful Jesus with you? Go to [the Shrine of Divine Mercy in] Trent and entrust yourself to His Merciful Heart and to my Sister Faustina." Even though he didn’t want to go, Ugo went to the Shrine out of obedience. I’ll let you know what happened to him at the Shrine a little later.
St. John writes, “Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood.” These words of John are very important to us, for we face fear and anxiety in our everyday lives. As Pope John Paul II pointed out to Ugo, Merciful Jesus is with us always and will bring us safely through everything in our lives, including death. As humans we allow discouragement and anxiety to become obstacles to our holiness and deprive us of the ability to practice virtue. Our journey in life is sometimes very difficult, but Our Lord promised us the Holy Spirit who gives us strength to endure the struggles and sufferings of life. We also have holy saints to emulate and to turn to during difficult times. Jesus told St. Faustina, “And when it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate My Wounds and you will rise above human scorn and judgment. Meditation on My Passion will help you rise above all things.” (Diary, 1184) I wonder if the image of Jesus in the Divine Mercy image — with one hand raised and the other hand pointed to his heart and the wounds of crucifixion visible -- is what the disciples saw in the Upper Room when he appeared to them. While the encounter was frightening at first, they all came to believe in his victory over death. In the image of Divine Mercy, white and red rays extend from Jesus’ heart signifying water and blood, meaning Baptism and Holy Communion. These two Sacraments provide a way for us to be intimately united to Jesus, constantly nourished and nurtured by him. The image beckons us to consider, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rom 8:31-32)
Going back to the story of Ugo Festa. Grudgingly Ugo arrived at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, upon the urgings of both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. Ugo was initially turned off by people’s fervor and piety at the shrine. He parked his wheelchair where he could see the icon of Divine Mercy and prayed for several days. It was during his prayer that he began to understand the source of his true bitterness--his mother, who abandoned him when he was only a little child. Praying before the Merciful Jesus, his heart began to soften and forgive. But the real surprise came when Ugo saw the Lord come out from the image and walk toward him with His hands outstretched. Ugo didn't want to believe it — a modern day “Doubting Thomas” who didn’t want to believe Jesus was standing right in front of him. Ugo turned away, and so Jesus returned to the image. His encounter with Jesus happened five times, and after the fifth time, Ugo asked, “If it’s really You, lift me up, because I can’t move.” He then heard Jesus say in a clear voice, “Rise up and walk.” Ugo felt himself being raised from the wheelchair. His atrophied legs were suddenly of normal size, and he began to walk. He ran out of the chapel and then came back and sat down to pray and ponder. There he had a vision of a nun who was smiling at him. He didn’t recognize her, but later when he saw a picture of St. Faustina, he identified her as the nun he saw in his vision. Subsequently, Ugo dedicated the rest of his life to spreading Divine Mercy, serving the poor and infirm in hospitals and on the streets in Italy and Africa. He handed out Divine Mercy prayer cards and encouraged people to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and venerate the Divine Mercy Image, as Christ Himself encouraged through St. Faustina in her visions in the 1930s. Christ promises many graces to those who venerate the image, and Ugo, who was a firm believer of that promise, desired others to receive that same grace.
We are told by St. Luke that after the Resurrection of Jesus, “With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.” (Acts 4:32-35) We, like the apostles, received all the necessary graces to be able to witness to the grace and power of Our Lord’s resurrection. Although trials of life plunge us to doubt, Our Lord encourages us to trust his mercy and not dwell on our weakness and failures. We take heed of the message that Jesus gave to St. Faustina: “My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for my kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing.” (Diary, No. 1488)
Click to hear Audio Homily
How many of us here at one point in our lives struggled with doubt in our faith journey? I think that would be most of us. At one point or another, we have had trying moments like “Doubting Thomas” who lost hope and desire to believe in the Resurrection after he experienced the trauma of losing Jesus.
An example of a modern “Doubting Thomas” is Ugo Festa, an Italian man who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his youth and then with muscular dystrophy on his 30th birthday. As a result of the two medical conditions, he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In his anger and despair, he rebelled against God, but still prayed hoping for a miracle. In 1990, he made a pilgrimage to Rome to attend a beatification. In St. Peter’s Square, he was seated among a group of sick and handicapped people. Ugo caught the attention of Mother Teresa who was also in Rome at that time for the ceremony. She approached him, to console and encourage him. He was given an image of Divine Mercy and a medal of Divine Mercy to wear and encouraged to go to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in the city of Trent. At the time Ugo knew nothing of Divine Mercy and about Sr. Faustina, whose Divine Mercy revelations Pope John Paul II promoted. When Pope John Paul II approached the area where Ugo was sitting, Ugo held out the medal and the image of Divine Mercy for the Holy Father to bless. The Pope obliged. He made the Sign of the Cross and then asked Ugo, "How do you feel?" Ugo responded that he felt terrible and was going through a deep moral and spiritual crisis. Pope John Paul II asked, "How is it possible that you're in a crisis when you have the Merciful Jesus with you? Go to [the Shrine of Divine Mercy in] Trent and entrust yourself to His Merciful Heart and to my Sister Faustina." Even though he didn’t want to go, Ugo went to the Shrine out of obedience. I’ll let you know what happened to him at the Shrine a little later.
St. John writes, “Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood.” These words of John are very important to us, for we face fear and anxiety in our everyday lives. As Pope John Paul II pointed out to Ugo, Merciful Jesus is with us always and will bring us safely through everything in our lives, including death. As humans we allow discouragement and anxiety to become obstacles to our holiness and deprive us of the ability to practice virtue. Our journey in life is sometimes very difficult, but Our Lord promised us the Holy Spirit who gives us strength to endure the struggles and sufferings of life. We also have holy saints to emulate and to turn to during difficult times. Jesus told St. Faustina, “And when it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate My Wounds and you will rise above human scorn and judgment. Meditation on My Passion will help you rise above all things.” (Diary, 1184) I wonder if the image of Jesus in the Divine Mercy image — with one hand raised and the other hand pointed to his heart and the wounds of crucifixion visible -- is what the disciples saw in the Upper Room when he appeared to them. While the encounter was frightening at first, they all came to believe in his victory over death. In the image of Divine Mercy, white and red rays extend from Jesus’ heart signifying water and blood, meaning Baptism and Holy Communion. These two Sacraments provide a way for us to be intimately united to Jesus, constantly nourished and nurtured by him. The image beckons us to consider, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rom 8:31-32)
Going back to the story of Ugo Festa. Grudgingly Ugo arrived at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, upon the urgings of both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. Ugo was initially turned off by people’s fervor and piety at the shrine. He parked his wheelchair where he could see the icon of Divine Mercy and prayed for several days. It was during his prayer that he began to understand the source of his true bitterness--his mother, who abandoned him when he was only a little child. Praying before the Merciful Jesus, his heart began to soften and forgive. But the real surprise came when Ugo saw the Lord come out from the image and walk toward him with His hands outstretched. Ugo didn't want to believe it — a modern day “Doubting Thomas” who didn’t want to believe Jesus was standing right in front of him. Ugo turned away, and so Jesus returned to the image. His encounter with Jesus happened five times, and after the fifth time, Ugo asked, “If it’s really You, lift me up, because I can’t move.” He then heard Jesus say in a clear voice, “Rise up and walk.” Ugo felt himself being raised from the wheelchair. His atrophied legs were suddenly of normal size, and he began to walk. He ran out of the chapel and then came back and sat down to pray and ponder. There he had a vision of a nun who was smiling at him. He didn’t recognize her, but later when he saw a picture of St. Faustina, he identified her as the nun he saw in his vision. Subsequently, Ugo dedicated the rest of his life to spreading Divine Mercy, serving the poor and infirm in hospitals and on the streets in Italy and Africa. He handed out Divine Mercy prayer cards and encouraged people to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and venerate the Divine Mercy Image, as Christ Himself encouraged through St. Faustina in her visions in the 1930s. Christ promises many graces to those who venerate the image, and Ugo, who was a firm believer of that promise, desired others to receive that same grace.
We are told by St. Luke that after the Resurrection of Jesus, “With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.” (Acts 4:32-35) We, like the apostles, received all the necessary graces to be able to witness to the grace and power of Our Lord’s resurrection. Although trials of life plunge us to doubt, Our Lord encourages us to trust his mercy and not dwell on our weakness and failures. We take heed of the message that Jesus gave to St. Faustina: “My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for my kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing.” (Diary, No. 1488)
