THEME: The mercy of God shall follow me all my days (Psalm 23:6).

(Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31)

One sure way to rouse up our faith is to put our faith into works. We all know that if we don’t use a muscle, it begins to weaken. As we cannot separate heat from fire so we cannot have faith without works. God have showed us his mercy by sending his only begotten Son. We are to put into action the same kindness received from God; exemplified in Christ.

God is merciful because He cannot help but be merciful; it is in His nature. Put in another way, mercy is another name for God (Psalm 103:8). The letter to the Hebrews (4:16), tells us that the throne of God consists of grace and mercy. While calling on God after falling into sin, David referred to God as full of mercy and compassion (Psalm 51:1).

There is the need for us to differentiate between forgiveness and mercy before we can appreciate what divine mercy entails. * To forgive is to overcome anger or displeasure over someone’s failing. * Mercy, on the other hand, is more profound than forgiveness, and it means withdrawing all the punishment that is due to an offence. We can see the distinction and as well as the connection between forgiveness and mercy while our Lord Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross. The account of Luke (23:34) tells us that our Lord said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” If forgiveness were enough, then the death of our Lord would have been unnecessary.

Beyond forgiveness, humanity needed the mercy of God, and that was why at 3.pm on that fateful Friday we know as “Good,” our Lord said. “it is finished” (John 19:30); and bowing his head, he died. That was the point humanity received God’s mercy, that means our debt was paid, and our punishment was taken away (Isaiah 53:5).

God is the Father of mercy (2 Cor. 1:3-4), and his mercy never ends (Lam. 3:22-23). He is still ready to grant you mercy when you approach His throne of mercy. God’s mercy shows that he wants us to move forward to a better future (Jer. 29:11). The mercy of God indicates God’s love for us (John 3:16). The mercy of God shows that God wants us to have peace as our Lord Jesus Christ indicated when he appeared to the apostles, “peace be unto you” (John 20:21). The mercy of God shows that God wants us back (Jeremiah 15:19).

When we receive God’s mercy, He expects us to extend mercy to others. The mercy of God comes to us and should flow through us. In the Book of Genesis (12:3) God said that He would bless Abraham so that he could be a blessing to others. If God, our Father, is merciful we should be merciful children of our Father. If we expect mercy from God, we should also be ready to grant mercy to others. In the beatitudes, our Lord Jesus Christ says, “blessed are the merciful and they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7). Even at this moment of global panic and anxiety due to the pandemic, let our kindness towards others emanate and flow from our hearts full of mercy.

“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls… if only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Hearts as from a fountain overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them… Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! … They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces” (Diary, 367).

(The Lord endowed Sister Faustina with tremendous graces: among them is a deep knowledge of the mystery of the mercy of God, revelations, visions, gifts of contemplation, etc).

Another on her revelation reads: “Tell sinners that no one shall escape My Hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart… When will it beat for Me?” (D, 1728).

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

Am thinking about everyone.

Stay safe! Think positive!!

HAPPY DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY!