GOD's MERCY IS INFINITE. On this Second Sunday of Easter, we rejoice in celebrating GOD's INFINITE MERCY. The devotion to Divine Mercy can be summarized in five words: "JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU". Since Pope John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina Kowalska on the Second Sunday of Easter in the Year 2,000, the Catholic Church celebrates DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY throughout the world. This is a day to remember that "Jesus, the Risen Lord, is God, and as God is all LOVE and MERCY, JESUS is also ALL LOVE and MERCY. We trust in Jesus' Infinite Merciful Love. Jesus is always ready to forgive us.”

In the Gospel of this Divine Mercy Sunday, the RISEN LORD meets with his disciples for the first time (John 20:19-31). Following Jesus' Death, they had gathered together in the UPPER ROOM. They had locked the doors. They were afraid of being arrested and killed like their Master. We cannot imagine their surprise as suddenly the Risen Lord appears to them. Jesus does not condemn them for having abandoned him: with the exception of John, none of them accompanied him on the Way to the Cross. On the contrary, Jesus brings them Peace and breathes on them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained.” This is the very moment when Jesus establishes the SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION. Earlier on at the Last Supper that we celebrated on Holy Thursday Jesus had instituted the SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST. Both Reconciliation and the Eucharist are powerful Sacraments of Salvation.

On Good Friday, as we proclaimed the Passion of Our Lord according to St John, we recall that "one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately BLOOD AND WATER FLOWED OUT " (John 19:34). These two streams of blood and water are an integral part of Saint Faustina's vision of JESUS DIVINE MERCY. They can be interpreted as representing Sacraments of Salvation: OUR SINS ARE WASHED AWAY IN THE WATER of the SACRAMENT of BAPTISM, and JESUS GIVES US HIS Body, BLOOD, Soul, and Divinity in the SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST.

Let us pray together the key prayers of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and meditate on their meaning to help us face the challenges and tribulations of our daily lives:

"You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the OCEAN OF MERCY opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us..” (St Faustina's Diary, 1319)

"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you!" ( three times) ( Diary 84)

"Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” (Diary 476)

"Eternal God, in whom Mercy is endless, and the treasure of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your Mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is LOVE AND MERCY ITSELF. AMEN.” ( Diary 950)

The above devotion to Divine Mercy helps us deepen our understanding of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the Paschal Mystery we celebrate at every Mass. Every Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Every Mass we experience the Graces of Jesus' Infinite Mercy and Love. Every time we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation we can experience the Merciful Love of Jesus who forgives all our sins. We should never be afraid to go to confession and to confess all our sins. Jesus will forgive us. Jesus also asks all of us to strive for being “as merciful as He is.”

JESUS, WE TRUST IN YOU! THROUGH YOUR SACRAMENTAL GRACES, GRANT US YOUR PEACE AND YOUR HOPE!

May we all have a MOST BLESSED DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY!

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain