This weekend is Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter. In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to St. Faustina and asked the Church to dedicate this day to His Divine Mercy. The Divine Mercy image is very beautiful, with Jesus wearing a white robe and two rays of light–one red and one white–emanating from His heart, representing the blood and water that poured from His side on the Cross, and at the bottom are written these words: “Jesus, I trust in you.” After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, but St. Thomas was not present so he refused to believe in Jesus’ Resurrection until he could see Jesus, thus receiving Jesus’ disapproval. From this, we can see that the Apostles were human too and had human weaknesses despite representing God. Our superiors in the Church are also human and have human weaknesses, but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they represent God. Whenever the Church promulgates infallible teachings, it is not merely the decision of fallible humans, but also done under the guidance of God. After Jesus appeared to the Apostles, He breathed on them and gave them the power to forgive sins, instituting the Sacrament of Reconciliation. After St. Thomas saw Jesus, he believed in His Resurrection and cried, “My Lord and my God!” In the Mass, when the Blessed Eucharist is raised after consecration, there is a tradition for the faithful to pray silently, “My Lord and my God!”, and when the Chalice is raised after the consecration of the Blood, “My Jesus, mercy.” We believe in the mercy of God through faith, and then participate in the Mass.
「Spiritual Talk」 Divine Mercy Sunday – Fr. Anthony Ho
