Divine Mercy Sunday

[Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 117; Apocalypse 1:9-13,17-19, 5:7-9; John 20:19-31]

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Although he had been ill for some time, he appeared to have rallied and was able to go out into the crowds one last time on Easter Sunday. As I sat down to prepare for this week’s reflection, I thought I would look back at what Pope Francis preached the last time these readings were used in 2022.

He highlighted that Jesus had used the phrase ‘Peace be with you,’ three times and that each time the phrase was used it was for a different purpose.[1] Pope Francis said that “these words first give joy, then grant forgiveness and finally offer comfort in every difficulty.”

He highlighted that when Jesus entered the room; where the door was locked, out of fear of the Jews; the disciples must have felt like failures. They had abandoned their Master when He was in trouble, Peter had denied Him three times, and it was one of their own who had betrayed Jesus. Now they were hiding, afraid for their own lives and feeling totally despondent and bewildered at what had been going on.

That first, ‘Peace be with you’, brought them joy on two fronts, firstly, Jesus had risen from the dead and secondly, He still offered them His peace. Pope Francis highlighted how we can often feel like failures when we lapse into sinful behaviours and can ask ourselves if we are worthy to be called Christian. I know there are times when I doubt myself, allowing my faults to define me instead of the times when I have followed Christ more closely. The Holy Father said that the joy felt by the disciples is similar to the joy we feel whenever we experience His forgiveness. Pope Francis encouraged us to ‘put the memory of God’s warm embrace before the memory of our own mistakes and failings. In this way, we will grow in joy. For nothing will ever be the same for anyone who has experienced God’s joy! It is a joy that transforms us.’

Jesus repeated the words ‘Peace be with you’ and then commissioned the disciples to become not just people who receive God’s mercy; but people who dispense God’s mercy. The Pope then outlined some advice for the priests who celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They first of all should have experienced God’s mercy for themselves; they are not to look upon this as something which gives them power over the penitent, but as a channel of God’s mercy, which has been given to them; through the grace of Christ.

Pope Francis also highlighted that it is not just the priests who have to show mercy, we are all called to dispense Christ’s mercy. Sure, the priest has the faculties to hear Confession and absolve the sins of penitents. But we are also to be merciful, within our families; as husbands, as wives, as parents; we are called to share God’s mercy with those we live with, those we work with, those we argue with, and even those who offend us. Pope Francis left us a legacy of the Church being like a field hospital dispensing Christ’s mercy to the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised. There are many people like this in our communities, and we are called to support them. I have met many wonderful people through my links with the Foodbank, the Night Shelter and hospital chaplaincy work. There is a lot of great work going on in our community, but there is always more needing to be done.

The third time Christ says ‘Peace be with you’ is when He returns a week later to greet Thomas, who had not been present the week before. Christ doesn’t scold him for his disbelief, but instead gently invites him to touch the wounds, to prove to himself that Jesus had risen. Thomas acknowledging Jesus as risen no longer needs to touch the wounds, he sees, and he believes. Again, he is a beneficiary of Christ’s mercy. Thomas didn’t have to feel the wounds, because he felt the power of Christ’s mercy there and then. Pope Francis tells us that sometimes we are all like Thomas; when we are troubled or find it hard to believe in the Risen Lord or shut ourselves off from our community for fear of judgement or shame. These are the times when we need to allow Christ to enter our space and accept His peace.

The Pope tells us that when we are faced with the ugliest of our sins, Jesus does not come to us triumphantly, scolding us or condemning us. No, Jesus comes quietly, humbly and offers us His wounds, because His wounds are stronger than sin.

Pope Francis concluded his homily, by telling us that often when we are in the midst of our own crisis, we encounter others who we judge have more pressing needs than we do. By coming to the aid of our neighbour we find that we are touched by Christ’s mercy. He then challenged his listeners to think of when we last came to the aid of someone in crisis.

Are we Christians who put our faith into action or do we walk along on the other side of the road?

I am very aware that I can’t help everyone all of the time. There aren’t enough hours in the day, and I don’t have limitless resources to be able to help everyone. But by helping when I can, joining with others in organised support or helping when I see someone in need, I can be a dispenser of Christ’s mercy, working in the field hospital which was Pope Francis’ dream for our Church.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Second Sunday of Easter

CCC 448, 641-646: appearances of the risen Christ
CCC 1084-1089: sanctifying presence of the risen Christ in the liturgy
CCC 2177-2178, 1342: the Sunday Eucharist
CCC 654-655, 1988: our new birth in the Resurrection of Christ
CCC 976-983, 1441-1442: “I believe in the forgiveness of sins”
CCC 949-953, 1329, 1342, 2624, 2790: communion in spiritual goods
CCC 612, 625, 635, 2854: Christ the “Living One” holds the keys of death

Holy Mass on the liturgical feast of Divine Mercy (24 April 2022) | Francis

Please keep in your prayers this week

  • Maria, Mario and Pierina who will be baptised at St Bede’s this Sunday.
  • The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
  • Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
  • The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
  • The Holy Father as he is laid to rest.
  • The Cardinals of the Church that they will make all decisions related to the new Pope in a prayerful way and that they can discern the will of the Holy Spirit.

Deacon Tony, 25th April 2025

[1] Holy Mass on the liturgical feast of Divine Mercy (24 April 2022) | Francis