Divine Mercy Sunday and Confession
Divine Mercy and Sacrament of Confession
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today’s Feast of Divine Mercy recalls the apparition of Jesus to St. Faustina. He was clothed in a white garment. His right hand was raised in blessing while His left hand was touching His garment at the breast, where two large rays came forth, one red, the other pale. Jesus told St. Faustina: "Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in you."
What is this Divine Mercy? Divine Mercy is simply God’s love for us in the face of our weaknesses, God’s love as it comes into impact with our sins, God’s love as it reaches down and touches our needs. That is what mercy is. Love on the part of God, plus need on our part, plus sinfulness on our part, equals Divine Mercy. Today we celebrate Divine Mercy.
In his book Suicide, published in 1988, Earl A. Grollman says "Almost everybody at one time or another contemplates suicide" (Second Edition, Beacon Press, p. 2). Studies say that 30,000 Americans commit suicide annually; an additional 500,000 Americans attempt suicide annually. One of the most recognized symptoms of depression is a profound feeling of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness. You may be surprised to learn that people with depression often experience physical symptoms too.According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 10 American adults—or approximately 21 million people suffer from a depressive illness each year. We don’t know whom to trust and where to keep our burdens. There comes the beauty of the Divine Mercy. Then the Risen Lord tells you "Peace be with you!" The peace brought by Jesus is the fullness of the Easter gift.
He comes into the room, with the doors locked. The Risen Lord comes into their midst. Not only are they filled with fear, but meeting Jesus for the first time after their very poor record, they are filled with shame and guilt. Because they recognize their sin and are now in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Risen One, they are overcome with shame and fear and guilt.
Jesus takes this opportunity not to scold them. Jesus takes this opportunity to give them His first message after His Resurrection from the dead. And that first message is: “Peace be with you.” In His Risen body He brings them peace, not a scolding, not a condemnation—only peace. And then He shows them His hands and His side and once again He repeats the words: “Peace be with you.” This is the mercy of the Risen Jesus. This is the moment when the Apostles are supremely conscious of their sins, when they are supremely conscious of their weakness, when they are filled with shame and guilt—this is the moment that Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, the Son of God chooses in order to communicate to these weak men the great power of forgiving sins.
As people of this restless time of ours, wavering between the emptiness of self-exaltation and the humiliation of despair, we have a greater need than ever for a regenerating experience of mercy. We should learn to say repeatedly to God with the faith and simplicity of children: "Great is our sin, but even greater is your love!"
There is a fountain of Mercy flowing from the Sacrament of Confession. But we are not ready to go and quench our thrust… Jesus knows that throughout the ages you and I will need His mercy and His forgiveness and His pardon. That is why He invests His Apostles with this power, not because of them, but because He is merciful and powerful.
Most of us have a doubt in confession. “Yes I am a sinner and I confess to God. Why should tell my sins to a priest whom I know when I can go directly to God?” My First answer to this question is this wonderful sacrament of Penance is instituted by Christ.
Secondly, we are human beings we need “someone with Skin.” There was a boy who was afraid of thunder and lightning. One night, as he was sleeping, a violent storm blistered the skies. He awoke, terrified, and ran into his parents’ bedroom crying. His mother tried to calm him. “Sweaty, honey, I told you God Loves you and is with you. Don’t ever be afraid. You are not alone.” But the little boy replied. “I know mummy that God loves me and listens to my prayers. But sometimes I need someone with skin!”
We all need “someone with skin.” When we have sinned- offending God and his people, the church- we need to open our hearts to another person…”Someone with skin.” For Catholics, that “someone with skin” is the priest, ordained by the church to represent Jesus and the Church herself. “Someone with skin” from whom we can ask God’s forgiveness. And hear that your sins are forgiven…go in peace.
Some of us are so afraid that God will not forgive our sins. My dear brothers and sisters, God is love and He showed his mercy. If the Lord has already taken every single sin that we could commit, that we have committed, or that we will commit, why are we afraid that our sins are not forgiven? What is the worst thing anybody could ever do? Saint Therese of Lisieux tell us that, it is like one little drop of water in the ocean of God’s mercy. The worst thing, the biggest thing that we could ever commit is like one little drops of water in the ocean because God’s mercy is infinite. His love for you and me is infinite; it is beyond anything we could ever grasp or imagine. He nailed that sin to the Cross already. It is over with, it is done. If you have confessed it, it’s gone. That is the mercy of God.
If Jesus has done all this, if He has died on the Cross to forgive our sins, if he has established this great gift of His mercy within the Church, in the Sacrament of Penance, then, yes, we must trust.
He died for us so that we could have His life. He took on our sins so that we could be sinless. He accepted our death so that we could have His life. He went into hell so that we could go to Heaven. That is the mercy of God.
If we have received mercy, then we must show mercy. If we have been forgiven, we must forgive. If we have been shown compassion, we must show compassion.
When we can be at peace, when we are filled with trust, when we are no longer afraid, then it can be said of each one of us what was said of Thomas when he made that profession "My Lord and my God" : He doubted no longer, but believed. When the priests lift the body and blood of Jesus we recite in our heart and with our lips this prayer “My Lord and my God.” Because we Jesus face to face and we believe in Him. If you have never tried it start today.
Now the question each one of us needs to ask, and needs to ask very, very seriously of our own selves is - Do we trust Him? Do we take Him at His word? It is Jesus Himself who said, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven." Do we believe Him? Psalm 118 echoed several times” His mercy endures forever!"
Are we ready to sing from the depth of our heart:-
Let go and let God have His wonderful way,
Let go and let God have His way,
Your sorrows will vanish; Your Nights turn to Days
Let go and Let God have His Way.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today’s Feast of Divine Mercy recalls the apparition of Jesus to St. Faustina. He was clothed in a white garment. His right hand was raised in blessing while His left hand was touching His garment at the breast, where two large rays came forth, one red, the other pale. Jesus told St. Faustina: "Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in you."
What is this Divine Mercy? Divine Mercy is simply God’s love for us in the face of our weaknesses, God’s love as it comes into impact with our sins, God’s love as it reaches down and touches our needs. That is what mercy is. Love on the part of God, plus need on our part, plus sinfulness on our part, equals Divine Mercy. Today we celebrate Divine Mercy.
In his book Suicide, published in 1988, Earl A. Grollman says "Almost everybody at one time or another contemplates suicide" (Second Edition, Beacon Press, p. 2). Studies say that 30,000 Americans commit suicide annually; an additional 500,000 Americans attempt suicide annually. One of the most recognized symptoms of depression is a profound feeling of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness. You may be surprised to learn that people with depression often experience physical symptoms too.According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 10 American adults—or approximately 21 million people suffer from a depressive illness each year. We don’t know whom to trust and where to keep our burdens. There comes the beauty of the Divine Mercy. Then the Risen Lord tells you "Peace be with you!" The peace brought by Jesus is the fullness of the Easter gift.
He comes into the room, with the doors locked. The Risen Lord comes into their midst. Not only are they filled with fear, but meeting Jesus for the first time after their very poor record, they are filled with shame and guilt. Because they recognize their sin and are now in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Risen One, they are overcome with shame and fear and guilt.
Jesus takes this opportunity not to scold them. Jesus takes this opportunity to give them His first message after His Resurrection from the dead. And that first message is: “Peace be with you.” In His Risen body He brings them peace, not a scolding, not a condemnation—only peace. And then He shows them His hands and His side and once again He repeats the words: “Peace be with you.” This is the mercy of the Risen Jesus. This is the moment when the Apostles are supremely conscious of their sins, when they are supremely conscious of their weakness, when they are filled with shame and guilt—this is the moment that Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, the Son of God chooses in order to communicate to these weak men the great power of forgiving sins.
As people of this restless time of ours, wavering between the emptiness of self-exaltation and the humiliation of despair, we have a greater need than ever for a regenerating experience of mercy. We should learn to say repeatedly to God with the faith and simplicity of children: "Great is our sin, but even greater is your love!"
There is a fountain of Mercy flowing from the Sacrament of Confession. But we are not ready to go and quench our thrust… Jesus knows that throughout the ages you and I will need His mercy and His forgiveness and His pardon. That is why He invests His Apostles with this power, not because of them, but because He is merciful and powerful.
Most of us have a doubt in confession. “Yes I am a sinner and I confess to God. Why should tell my sins to a priest whom I know when I can go directly to God?” My First answer to this question is this wonderful sacrament of Penance is instituted by Christ.
Secondly, we are human beings we need “someone with Skin.” There was a boy who was afraid of thunder and lightning. One night, as he was sleeping, a violent storm blistered the skies. He awoke, terrified, and ran into his parents’ bedroom crying. His mother tried to calm him. “Sweaty, honey, I told you God Loves you and is with you. Don’t ever be afraid. You are not alone.” But the little boy replied. “I know mummy that God loves me and listens to my prayers. But sometimes I need someone with skin!”
We all need “someone with skin.” When we have sinned- offending God and his people, the church- we need to open our hearts to another person…”Someone with skin.” For Catholics, that “someone with skin” is the priest, ordained by the church to represent Jesus and the Church herself. “Someone with skin” from whom we can ask God’s forgiveness. And hear that your sins are forgiven…go in peace.
Some of us are so afraid that God will not forgive our sins. My dear brothers and sisters, God is love and He showed his mercy. If the Lord has already taken every single sin that we could commit, that we have committed, or that we will commit, why are we afraid that our sins are not forgiven? What is the worst thing anybody could ever do? Saint Therese of Lisieux tell us that, it is like one little drop of water in the ocean of God’s mercy. The worst thing, the biggest thing that we could ever commit is like one little drops of water in the ocean because God’s mercy is infinite. His love for you and me is infinite; it is beyond anything we could ever grasp or imagine. He nailed that sin to the Cross already. It is over with, it is done. If you have confessed it, it’s gone. That is the mercy of God.
If Jesus has done all this, if He has died on the Cross to forgive our sins, if he has established this great gift of His mercy within the Church, in the Sacrament of Penance, then, yes, we must trust.
He died for us so that we could have His life. He took on our sins so that we could be sinless. He accepted our death so that we could have His life. He went into hell so that we could go to Heaven. That is the mercy of God.
If we have received mercy, then we must show mercy. If we have been forgiven, we must forgive. If we have been shown compassion, we must show compassion.
When we can be at peace, when we are filled with trust, when we are no longer afraid, then it can be said of each one of us what was said of Thomas when he made that profession "My Lord and my God" : He doubted no longer, but believed. When the priests lift the body and blood of Jesus we recite in our heart and with our lips this prayer “My Lord and my God.” Because we Jesus face to face and we believe in Him. If you have never tried it start today.
Now the question each one of us needs to ask, and needs to ask very, very seriously of our own selves is - Do we trust Him? Do we take Him at His word? It is Jesus Himself who said, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven." Do we believe Him? Psalm 118 echoed several times” His mercy endures forever!"
Are we ready to sing from the depth of our heart:-
Let go and let God have His wonderful way,
Let go and let God have His way,
Your sorrows will vanish; Your Nights turn to Days
Let go and Let God have His Way.
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