In the year 2000 Pope St. John Paul created the Feast of the Divine Mercy. It is only fitting that we celebrate this wonderful Feast as Marcy was the bedrock on which our late Pope Francis built his papacy. He never tired of sharing with us the love and mercy of God. Francis wanted an inclusive Church where all were welcome. Many times, he stated that the Church should be a field hospital reaching out in love and compassion to all in need. This Feast is a reminder to us that despite our sinfulness God’s mercy is greater and we should never be afraid to approach Him.

On Easter Sunday we gathered to celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Death itself could not keep our Lord from us the tomb could  not contain or crush his love for us. The Gospel of John （20: 19-31 ）reminds us that it is fear that holds the disciples captive. The doors were locked “for fear of the Jews.” At different moments in our lives we may have been cripple by fear so we can identify with how the disciples felt. At different times we may have doubted just as Thomas did in our Gospel. Jesus comes to them in their fears and doubts and His greeting is "Peace be with you". His gift to them is peace not recrimination for how they had ran off and abandoned him. Not  only does he not reproach them but entrusts them with a new mission. “As the Father  sent me so am I sending you.” Freed from fear the disciples are now called to bring peace to others, specifically through the forgiveness of sins.

Within our own lives we can recognize the pattern of the Lord at work. As human beings we will sin, fail and at times run away from the Lord and the work he has called us to do. Through his Divine Mercy the Lord never ceases to reach out to us and call us back to Him, offering us peace to counter-act our sinful patterns and the fears that hold us back,

It is precisely because of Jesus’ resurrection that we are enabled to dream and have hope. We have hope despite our own individual brokenness and vulnerability we can be healed and become agents of hope and healing for others. We can dream for a better future not only for ourselves but for all of God’s people. 

During this Eastern time when we celebrate the Divine Mercy and Christ’s victory over death, love over hatred, we too must see the world through fresh eyes. We must see it with the eyes of faith and hope. When we encounter the Risen Lord in our own individual experience we too are invited to share in his Mission. To build a world of justice of inclusivity, where the color of our skin, or our religious beliefs no longer excludes us. We must make the resurrection of Jesus visible through our lives since bearing witness to the resurrection is the primary task of the disciple. Let us pray for the grace to witness to the Risen Lord by lives lived in faith, hope and love. 

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