Touching Mercy
On this feast day of the Divine Mercy and the eighth day within the Octave of Easter we gather once again to celebrate our faith and our hope in the Risen Lord. In the first reading of today’s liturgy (Acts 2:42 – 47), we see how the early Church, led by the apostles, had suddenly made an enormous impact on the people of Jerusalem.
The apostles in fact had become so impassioned by their faith that they proclaimed the good news fearlessly and tirelessly everywhere to everyone. And they not only preached but also did so much good, and even performed miraculous deeds, like healing the sick and expelling demons from those who were possessed by evil spirits. Those who were brought to St Peter “were all cured.” Consequently, according to the written account, “great numbers of men and women, believers in the Lord, were added to them.”
You might ask where the apostles and the early Christians got their incredible power to preach the good news and to heal the world. The answer is nowhere else to be found than in Christ, the Risen Lord. It was their personal encounter with him that impassioned them and empowered them to get out of the upper room where they were fearfully hiding and unleash their courage and zeal to make disciples of Christ everywhere following the urgent command they have received.
The gospel passage we have heard today from St John (Jn 20:19 – 31) shows this very clearly. While the fearful apostles were still hiding behind locked doors at the upper room, on the evening of that first day of the week “Jesus came and stood in their midst.” And, knowing exactly what they were going through, he greeted them warmly and cordially, saying “Peace be with you!” And then he breathed on them and bestowed on them the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit by which they are to forgive sins.
In a similar way, on the eighth day when they were gathered again in the upper room, “Jesus came and stood in their midst. This time St Thomas was present. Then, after greeting them “Peace be with you” Jesus allowed the doubting Thomas to touch him, particularly his wounds in his hands and on his side. And so, after seeing and touching Jesus for real, Thomas finally believed and fell down in homage, saying “My Lord and my God!”.
Brothers and sisters, today the Lord is once again standing here in our midst as we gather to celebrate this Eucharist. Our eyes might fail to see him, but not our faith. With the eyes of faith, we know he is truly in our midst. And he knows very well what we are going through – our fears, our anxieties, our worries, our distress; our depression, hopelessness and despair. Let us allow him to speak to us and fill our hearts with deep and lasting peace.
Like St Thomas let us not be afraid to touch him and feel his wounds for he is truly present in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. To touch him is to touch Divine Mercy in person.
And as he opens his wounds to us, let us also open ourselves to receive his gift of the Holy Spirit so that like the apostles, our wounds too might be healed, and we may be empowered to proclaim him everywhere performing the same wondrous deeds he had done 2,000 years ago.
Let us keep this in mind. The power we have received as Christians is not the power to bully or dominate others. It is not the power to start a fight, to harm others or to aggravate a senseless conflict. It is not the power to kill people, to wage wars, launch missiles, and drop bombs. The power that we have received is none other than the power to forgive. “Receive the Holy Spirit” Jesus said. “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” And the power to forgive can only work if we have the power to love as Jesus had loved us sinners by dying on the cross.
Today this is what our beloved Pope Leo XIV as the successor of St Peter has been trying to do, especially in these trying times. He has been calling all leaders of nations to put an end to the war in Iran and return to the negotiating table for a dialogue to peaceful resolve the issues at hand. He has also been appealing to the US President insisting that Jesus does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.
And despite the possible threats on his life, our good and courageous Pope continues to stand on the side of peace in view of protecting so many innocent lives in danger of being killed. And his choice to be on the side of the Risen Lord, who came to bring peace, has been inspiring many people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to rally behind him.
Let us therefore extend our solid support to the Pope, offering our prayers particularly today, on the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Together with him let us pray for world peace and for a definitive end to all wars especially in the Middle East. What seems to be impossible may become possible if all nations will come together to pray and choose to be on the side of peace.
And finally, having been touched today by the Divine Mercy, let us on our part try to heal each other’s wounds with the same touch of mercy coming from the Risen Lord. GiGsss!
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