2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday

Gospel Reflection - John 20:19-31

and a notice about Divine Mercy Sunday

Today ends the Easter Octave or “eight day” extension of the Day of Resurrection. However, the Easter season continues until Pentecost – observing the actual fifty day period that separated the event of Our Lord’s Resurrection from the day of the extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel passage for this Sunday is always the same. It is St. John’s recollection of Jesus’ first and second encounters with the remaining apostles in the Cenacle – the very room where they shared the Last Supper three days before. The doors of the room were locked, St. John recalls, yet Jesus, remarkably, was able to enter. There were no longer any physical barriers for his resurrected humanity. Jesus immediately extends his greeting of “peace be with you.”

There is no bitterness in his words but rather consolation and the desire to set them at ease. Not only that, but there is a confirmation of their role and status as apostles or emissaries of Christ. “Receive the Spirit,” He says, as He makes a sign, breathing upon them – a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit which will be entrusted to them in due time. Along with this gesture He declares that whosoever sins they were to forgive would indeed be forgiven. Should they find reason to hold back, this too would be upheld by God. We see in what Christ says the verification of the Church’s authentic role in mediating in and through Christ. The Church is given real authority both to teach and to act in the name and Person of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

This truth, then, held by Catholic Christianity, has a firm Biblical foundation. Our sacraments are true channels of the grace of Christ. They are not merely signs and ceremonies, but effective acts of sanctification, enabling us to live ever holier lives, as long as we receive them with the right disposition. Here Jesus is not only referring to Baptism, but also and more particularly to sacramental confession. By confessing our sins to a priest, we are absolved, in that very act, of the sins confessed, as long as we are sorry for these sins. When Jesus indicates that it is possible for the Apostles and their successors “to retain” sins, that is, to leave sins un-absolved, He is not limiting God’s forgiveness or mercy on account of the gravity of any sin or any number of sins. Rather, He is making clear that confessors (be they
Apostles, bishops or priests) are called to judge a person’s basic disposition of repentance.

There is no sin, however grave, that cannot be forgiven. There is no number of sins beyond which forgiveness is no longer possible. Jesus forgave both Peter’s cowardice and Thomas’ lack of faith. The only thing that would prevent a person from being forgiven is not really desiring forgiveness or not acknowledging their sin and their intention to reject that sinful way of acting. So we believe in the limitlessness of divine Mercy. Such is the substance of
the devotion whose promotion was entrusted to a humble nun of the 20th century, Sr. Faustina Kowalska

(now St. Faustina).

As Pope Benedict taught in his Easter Sunday message: “Dear men and women whose spirit is sincerely open to the truth, let no heart be closed to the omnipotence of this redeeming love! Jesus Christ died and rose for all; he is our hope – true hope for every human being.  Today, just as he did with his disciples in Galilee before returning to the Father, the risen Jesus now sends us everywhere as witnesses of his hope, and he reassures us: I am with you always, all days, until the end of the world (cf. Mt 28:20). Fixing the gaze of our spirit on the glorious wounds of his transfigured body, we can understand the meaning and value of suffering, we can tend the many wounds that continue to disfigure humanity in our own day.  In his glorious wounds we recognize the indestructible signs of the infinite mercy of the God.”
 
Let us never doubt that God is willing to forgive us when we have the misfortune of falling even into a more serious sin. Let’s make use of confession even for our lesser failings. Let’s always be willing to take up the good fight against sin, for love of God and our neighbour.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY NOTICE - 12 APRIL

We expect that on Divine Mercy Sunday there would be a greater number of people
seeking confession. Normally we would have confessions available before and during our
Masses, but as we only have one priest available this weekend, confessions will only be
available during the following times:
8:30 am - 9:55 am
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
We appreciate your patience and understanding.

For those interested in attending a Divine Mercy Sunday liturgy, St Patrick's Cathedral will hold one.

For more information, go to: https://melbournecatholic.org/events/divine-mercy-sunday-at-st-patricks-cathedral