Homily: April 7, 2024 Second Sunday of Easter Sunday of Divine Mercy

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 Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say, "His mercy endures forever."

We sang these verses in today’s responsorial psalm. God’s mercy endures forever. ‘Forever’ means from the very beginning to the very end of time, God’s mercy ‘endures’.

What does it endure?

Does it endure just the length of time?

No, more than that. It endures the breadth of our sins, and the depth of our hard-heartedness.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they had to bear the consequences of their sins. Even then, we read the scene of God putting together some garments for Man and Woman to cover themselves, who became conscious of their nakedness. This is a beautiful sign of God’s affectionate and compassionate love for the man and woman He created. This is God’s mercy.

Thereafter throughout the whole of history, from Abraham to Moses, to Jesus till today, God continues to pursue His creation with mercy. As Moses proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity.” (Exodus 34:6).

On every second Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast was added to the liturgical calendar since April 30, 2000. Because of that, in the last two decades, Divine Mercy devotion has become popular. Although greater awareness and devotion have happened since the proclamation of this feast, the truth is God has always been merciful, and He will always be merciful. Everything came to existence because of God’s love and life will continue eternally because of God’s mercy, without which nothing would exist, and nothing would last.

God’s mercy comes through the sacrament of reconciliation.

In today's Gospel, Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection. They have locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jews. They probably felt deep guilt for having abandoned Jesus in the face of danger. They probably felt disturbed by the fact that the Messiah whom they have been waiting and praying for has died in the hands of wicked men but they were the ones who failed to protect Him or defend Him.

So, when Jesus came amongst them in their fear, He greeted them with what they needed most, "Peace be with you." 

This greeting is a greeting of mercy. To grant them peace is to tell them He does not hold them to their failings, He does not blame them, He forgives them. To grant them peace is to free them from their guilt and empower them to forgive others and the grace to share this peace.

At every Mass, Jesus too grants us this same peace and invite us to share this peace with one another. This reconciles us to Jesus, to God, to all in heaven and to one another on earth. This prepares us to enter into full communion with God when we receive the Holy Eucharist.

Because of that peace and forgiveness received, mercy experienced, that the apostles could go out fearlessly to share the good news with everyone, bringing peace and freedom to all, thus "there were no needy persons among them" in the early Christian communities.

It is not just on Divine Mercy Sunday, but every day, we can experience the mercy of God in our lives and are called to share it with others.

Jesus told us, “Be merciful as My Father in heaven is merciful.” Pope Francis said, “God’s name is mercy. We are the beloved children of a loving Father, and His nature is merciful.”

If our Father is merciful, naturally we inherit the same nature. Let us thus forgive one another, especially within our families. If there are people who need our forgiveness, let us show them God’s mercy by making peace with them. 

Jesus, we trust in You. Amen.


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