Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ
Hai Phục Sinh -A. Lòng Thương Xót Chúa.
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay chúng ta thấy rằng các tông đồ sợ hãi những
người do thái ví sợ bị bắt và bị tù đày vì rao giảng về chúa Giêsu sống lại, vì
thế đã tự nhốt khóa chính họ trong căn phòng trên lầu, nhưng " Đức Giêsu
đã hiện ra giữa họ, đứng trước mặt họ ... và đã phán “Bình an cho cho các con”,
rồi Người thổi hơi vào các ông và bảo : “ Các con hãy nhận lấy Thánh Thần, Nếu
các con tha thứ cho ai thì người đó được tha, nếu các con cầm buộc ai thì họ sẽ
bị cầm buộc,. " Trong mùa Phục
Sinh này , chúng ta cử hành sự sống lại cùng với những hồng ân của Thiên Chúa của
ngôi thứ ba trong một Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi , Đó là Chúa Thánh Thần, như là một
làn sóng mới của Chúa Kitô Phục Sinh. Hôm nay Giáo Hội chia sẽ sự phục sinh sống
lại của Chúa Kitô bằng sự hiện diện của Chúa Thánh Thần. Nếu như không có ân
sũng Chúa Thánh Thần này thì Giáo Hội ngày nay còn có ý nghĩa gì nơi chúng ta? Sự bình an của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta luôn luôn
có sự thương xót và tha thứ do ơn Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã sống lại từ cõi chết và
đem lại sự hòa giải giữa nhân loại con Người với Thiên Chúa và nhờ đó Thiên
Chúa đã xóa bỏ tội lỗi cho chúng ta và còn nhận đón chúng ta là con cái của
Ngài.
Sách Giáo Lý Công Giáo (CCC) dạy chúng ta là Giáo Hội đã luôn luôn tin rằng qua cách tuyên xưng trong Kinh Tin Kính : "Tôi tin vào sự tha tội ": ân sủng của chúng ta do sự cứu rỗi trong Chúa Thánh Thần. Các liên kết đức tin " sự tha thứ tội lỗi " với lời tuyên xưng đức tin trong Chúa Thánh Thần , vì Chúa Kitô phục sinh trao phó cho các tông đồ quyền tha tội khi Ngài đã ban cho họ Chúa Thánh Thần. Bí tích Rửa tội là bí tích đầu tiên và là đầu cỗi của lòng Thương xót của Chúa Kitô: đó là sự kết hợp giữa chúng ta với Chúa Kitô, Đấng đã chết cho tội lỗi của chúng ta và đã sống lại để làm hòa giữa chúng ta và Thiên Chúa, và chính thế Ngài đã ban cho chúng ta Chúa Thánh Thần. Theo ý của Chúa Kitô, Giáo Hội có quyền lực để tha thứ tội lỗi cho chúng ta sau khi được rửa tội và qua các giám mục và các linh mục chúng ta được sống bình thường trong tình Yêu Của Thiên Chúa qua Bí tích Hòa giải .
" Trong sự hòa giải, cả linh mục và bí tích hòa giải đều là những công cụ mà Đức Giêsu Kitô Chúa chúng ta, chính là vị sáng lập và là Đấng ban ơn cứu độ và giải thoát chúng ta được tự do." ( CCC 984-987 )
Nếu chúng ta có thể bảo quản " từ tất cả các sự lo lắng " trong khi chúng ta sốt sắng cầu nguyện trong Thánh Lễ , tham dự thường xuyên các Bí Tích Giải Tội và Bí tích Thánh Thể. Ơn cứu độ đã bắt đầu ngay từ hôm nay và bây giờ như chúng ta đang bắt đầu giải phóng những sự sợ hãi và lo lắng, Phần đầu tiên phải là tìm đến ơn tha thứ cho tất cả các tội lỗi của chúng ta . Xưng tội là một bí tích của sự Phục Sinh. Mừng lễ Phục Sinh: chúng ta mừng kỷ niệm sự hòa giải lòng Thương Xót của Chúa Kitô. Xin Chúa Thánh Thần sẽ thương ban giúp cho chúng ta sự bình an của niềm tin và sự đam mê vào ơn cứu độ của Chúa Kitô và sự phục sinh trong Lòng Thuơng Xót của Chúa bao la..
SECOND Sunday of Easter
Today we hear that the apostles, bound by the imprisonment of fear, have locked themselves into the upper room, and that "Jesus came and stood before them...Then he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.' "
In this Easter season, we celebrate the Divine gift of the third person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as an outpouring of the Risen Christ. Today the Church shares in the Resurrection and the life of Christ by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What does this gift mean to the Church? The peace of Christ, always ours with the forgiveness of our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches us what the Church has always believed by professing in the Creed "I believe in the forgiveness of sins": our gift for salvation in the Holy Spirit. The Creed links "the forgiveness of sins" with profession of faith in the Holy Spirit because the risen Christ entrusted to the apostles the power to forgive sins when he gave them the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins: it unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit. By Christ's will, the Church possesses the power to forgive our sins after baptism and exercises it through bishops and priests normally in the sacrament of Penance.
"In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification." (CCC 984-987) If you would be preserved "from all anxiety" as we pray in the Mass, regularly practice the Sacrament of Confession. Salvation begins now as we are released from the bonds of fear and anxiety, in the first place by the forgiveness of our sins. Confession is an Easter sacrament. Celebrate Easter: celebrate Confession. The Holy Spirit will give you the peace of confidence in Christ's saving passion and Resurrection.
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we "meet Christ in the liturgy" –
This is a very special Sunday. First, it is Divine Mercy Sunday or the day to glorify the Mercy of God. But, also, today in Rome two men, Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II, will be canonized as Saints in the Church. It seems like only yesterday in 2005 on Divine Mercy Sunday that Pope John Paul II died. For most of us, he was the man we identified most with the Church and the papacy. This is because he served as Holy Father for almost 27 years and traveled all over the globe. Blessed John Paul II will forever be connected to the feast of Divine Mercy since he established it, he died on it, and he is now canonized on it. But, the connections don’t stop there.
Blessed John Paul II was deeply moved by this devotion, which was based on the private revelations and visions of a Polish religious sister, St Faustina. He lived during her lifetime and experienced the power of the message God gave her to spread.
Suffering IS Real
It can be difficult to speak of the topic of the Lord’s Divine Mercy. God’s Mercy is endless, but it also must be acknowledged that the Lord allows suffering and other forms of evil to happen in the world because of man’s sinfulness. To see this we only need to look at the last century which included two World Wars, the Holocaust, the atomic bomb, legalized abortion, and most recently the attacks of 9/11. Most of us, if we are honest, have questioned why the all-good God would permit such sufferings? Where is His Divine Mercy in such tragedies?
The answer is found in the Gospel and especially in today’s passage. Jesus appears to his disciples saying, “Peace be with you!” As He does this we are told that He shows them His hands and His side. Jesus has just walked through a wall and is standing before the terrified disciples with the appearance of a ghost. The veil to the Lord’s divinity is fully lifted, but He draws their attention to His Sacred Wounds. There in His side and hands are the remnants of the terrible evil that the Son of God endured. Yet, now things are different. This is not the dying Christ, but the Glorified Body. These wounds are no longer signs of shame, but trophies of His victory over evil.
Good or Evil, Our Choice to Make
As Jesus holds these Sacred Wounds up to the disciples, He is showing them tangibly the limit that God places on evil. The greatest of evil was done, not to us, but to Jesus Christ who is God and thus totally innocent. But, by this one sacrifice for all, God has forever placed a limit on evil. When Christ rose from the dead this marked the limit of suffering, death, and evil. Yes, Sin and the devil can cause evil to happen in the world, but only to a degree. This degree is permitted so that we can freely chose God; Choose good over evil, live over death. In our free will, we can choose to respond to Divine Mercy or not. Seeking God’s mercy is done when we freely accept the Lord’s forgiveness, love, and strength through the Sacraments of His Body the Church. First and foremost, this is given in Confession and the Holy Eucharist. God so loves us that he wants us to choose for ourselves good over evil.
This Sunday is a special time to choose to glorify the Divine Mercy. To implore the Lord: “for the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!” This day we bring ourselves and our loved ones to the Font of Mercy. We come to Jesus’ side, pierced by the soldier’s lance, from which flows a fountain of Mercy for us all. St. Thomas placed his hand into Jesus’ side. We bring to the Sacred Heart all of those we know who are in need of God’s boundless mercy. First, we begin with ourselves. We have all sinned and contributed to the evil and suffering in the world. Thanks to the Divine Mercy, Jesus places a limit on how far this evil can go. He forgives. God spares us from countless evils and showers us with graces we do not deserve.
So as we give thanks for the life of two holy popes, let us recognize that all the Saints are products of God’s Divine Mercy. They are not holy because of anything they did or supernatural qualities they had. The Saints are holy because they had the humility and courage to come to the Font of Mercy. To place themselves under the blood and water which flowed from Jesus pierced side. It was God who cleansed them of their sins and enabled them to achieve great heights of holiness. Let us all come to His Side and receive the new life won for us by God’s
2nd Easter Sunday Year A 2023: Divine Mercy Sunday
Saint Faustina reports in her Diary what Jesus told her about Divine Mercy Sunday:
“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are open all the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary #699).
That day is today! It is the Feast of Divine Mercy! Today’s feast is among the newer feasts in our Church. Though Jesus’ desire that this feast be celebrated on the eighth day of Easter was spoken to Sister Maria Faustina Kowolska back in 1931, it was not solemnly instituted until the year 2000. On April 30 of that year, Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina and inaugurated the Feast of Divine Mercy as a universal feast within the Church. Because this Feast is so recent within the Church, we can be certain that we still have much to learn about the message of this Solemnity as well as the numerous messages about God’s mercy revealed in Saint Faustina’s Diary.
Among the many messages contained within her Diary, Jesus revealed to us that this Sunday, the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter, is a day like none other. Though grace and mercy are continuously poured out from Heaven upon us, Jesus is very clear that today is unique. Today, “a whole ocean of graces” is poured forth upon souls who approach the font of His mercy. Sit with that image for a time. “A whole ocean of graces.” What does that mean?
Symbolically speaking, a whole ocean is meant to depict the infinite. Try to imagine what it would be like to have the entire ocean poured upon you—it’s beyond comprehension! Thus, God is saying that the infinity of grace is given today. The question for us all to ponder is this: How receptive am I to those infinite graces?
By analogy, imagine that your life was like a thimble, and an ocean of water was poured upon you. As a thimble, you could not contain all that was given. Therefore, we should realize that God wants to stretch our capacity to receive His mercy more abundantly by widening our capacity for mercy. What if your soul were like a large pond? Still, the waters of the ocean could not be contained within that pond. What is it that is capable of receiving an entire ocean of mercy? Only an ocean can contain an ocean. For that reason, God desires to first prepare our souls to receive an infinity of mercy by transforming us into vessels of infinite capacity.
Saint Teresa of Ávila, in her spiritual classic, “Interior Castles,” teaches us that the soul is, indeed, capable of infinite capacity for the simple fact that God dwells within. The soul is like an interior castle with many interlinked dwelling places through which we must pass so as to arrive at the central chamber. She teaches that the goal of the spiritual life is to travel through these various dwelling places to the center of our souls where the infinite God dwells so that we can be present to Him there. Therefore, we must understand that our souls are indeed capable of receiving the infinite waters of mercy, because God created us with this ability when He chose to live within us. The key to being able to fully receive this fullness of mercy is to seek out the infinite God, dwelling within. How is this done?
The heart of the path laid out in the Diary of Saint Faustina is as follows: Go to Confession and receive Holy Communion so as to obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. However, as many of the great spiritual writers explain, such as Saint Teresa of Ávila, there are many levels we must pass on our spiritual journey so as to be able to encounter God in His fullness. This, of course, includes encountering God’s mercy given to us in Holy Communion and Confession. Those who receive these Sacraments while dwelling only in the first dwelling places, for example, will never benefit from them to the extent that those who dwell in the seventh and central mansion where the King dwells in fullness. Thus, mercy is given in its fullness but unless we make the transforming journey to God through conversion and purification of our souls, we will never be able to receive the ocean of graces God bestows.
Reflect, today, upon this ocean being poured forth upon you. How much of this mercy are you able to receive right now in your life? As you humbly admit your limited openness to God’s grace, know that God patiently waits for you, dwelling in His fullness deep within you, waiting for you to make the journey to Him. Commit yourself to this journey by prayer, fasting, penance, the reading of Scripture, the celebration of the Sacraments and spiritual reading. There is an ocean of the fullness of life waiting for you. Dive in and allow His mercy to deepen your capacity to receive Him most fully.
My Lord, You are The Divine Mercy, the source of all grace and the Bestower of this grace in superabundance. I thank You for the infinity of Your generosity and pray that my soul will be more fully disposed to receive You. Please stretch the capacity of my soul through my ongoing journey of purification and conversion so that I will receive all that You wish to bestow. Jesus, I trust in You.
2nd Easter Sunday Year A 2023
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for your Resurrection masterpiece. You died, destroying death; now you have risen, restoring life. Thank you for every Sunday Mass, in which we remember Christ’s victory. Alleluia!
2. Faith and the Eucharist: Devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots, has been on the rise in recent years. Many Catholics are attracted to the Mother of God as an aid in untying the tangles of life. In an analogous way, today’s Gospel presents to us Jesus, Comer through Locked Doors (twice!). He came to the apostles despite the obstacles they placed before him. His presence and his mercy pursue us–especially at Easter–until we allow him to come in and give us peace. And he made his apostles protagonists in the giving of grace. We can, therefore, also ask for the intercession of the Apostles, Forgivers of Sin. But there is one more title to bestow in our list of devotions: We, the Blessed Unseers. Christ praised all those who have not seen and yet have believed—that is, all those who receive the Eucharist with faith. The bread we see is like a locked door that cannot prevent Jesus from coming at the consecration. And when he does, the priest echoes his words: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”
3. Bookwork: John tells us that Jesus did many other signs, “not written in this book.” John probably could have written another book, even longer than his Gospel, describing Jesus in detail. He confesses, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). Only in heaven, perhaps, will we learn more of John’s unwritten library. It would simply be too much for us here on earth. In fact, the library grows because Jesus works new wonders every day! Through the devout recitation of the liturgy of the hours by priests and lay people the world over, all of Jesus’s deeds recorded and unrecorded are praised continually to high heaven.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for searching me out when I lock myself in my own upper room. I want to take part in the liturgy with devotion, so that I can praise your glorious Resurrection and your Divine Mercy.
My Homily Divine Mercy Sunday 2019.
We have been celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the past week. Today we celebrate one particular aspect of the Resurrection: Divine Mercy. We see divine mercy at work in the appearances of Jesus.
First the angel announced his Resurrection, but no one believed. Then he himself appeared to Mary Magdalene. She believed, but no one believed her. Then he appeared to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus. Then he appeared to Peter. And then he appeared to a group including other apostles.
It says in the Gospel that one week passed before Jesus appeared again. That must have been an uncomfortable week. Thomas was still sad, still mourning the death of Jesus; but everyone else was celebrating the Resurrection and wondering.
Perhaps Thomas thought that everyone was playing some practical joke. Everyone must have seemed crazy. Thomas could not leave in case Jesus appeared again, but it must have been very hard to stay when everyone around him was celebrating what he thought was a mass delusion.God is merciful.
Not only does Jesus appear to Thomas, but He tells him to put his finger in his hands and his hand in his side. Whatever it takes, Jesus is willing to do, but Thomas was wrong.
He did not need to touch Jesus to prove to himself the reality of the Resurrection. As soon as he sees Jesus, he falls down and says, “My Lord and my God.” Nevertheless, Jesus was willing to undergo any humiliation Thomas needed. This is mercy.
Our God is not is not distant from us. He comes right down to us. He stands next to us. We have to make the journey, but he will be with us every step of the way. He will not put up with us living in sin, but he will do everything he can to help us out. Mercy does not take away justice. What is right is right.
I remember when I was young, my room always was messy and filthy. My mother will not allow me to live in filth. She made me clean the room every week. This is justice. It would not be merciful to let me live in filth. It would not be merciful if she cleans the room for me. I must clean my own room; it is only just. However, once justice is satisfied, mercy comes in. Because when I began cleaning, my mother came and helped.
Samething, God will not let sinners into heaven. He will not let unbelievers into heaven. It would not be just. If heaven was full of sinners and unbelievers, it would be a lot like earth, which is not exactly perfect.
If heaven is going to be perfect, all the people in heaven have to be perfect. It would not be merciful if God made an exception and let someone bad into heaven; it would ruin heaven. Instead, he does everything in his power to make us good. Jesus tells the apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
He gives this immense power to them for one reason: because we need forgiveness. Even today, every priest in the world can forgive sins. How amazing! Life would have been terrible if we had been saved but there was no forgiveness. We would lose our salvation as quickly as Adam and Eve. God has made it so easy to have our sins forgiven. We only have to go to one of the priests around the world and confess our sins.
Satan wants us to be afraid of Confession. Jesus has made it so easy, but Satan tries to scare us away.
We have to climb over our pride, which might be hard. But Jesus is always there and will help us find our way again. If Thomas does not believe, Jesus will appear on Thomas’s terms. If we commit sins, Jesus gives his priests the ability to forgive sins. Who knows what secrets are contained within the mercy of God! We cannot imagine what he might have done for those who do not believe in him. We cannot imagine how far He has gone to forgive an unrepentant sinner. We must not question God’s justice or imagine that He would be unjust. God is never going to let anything slide. He will not ignore the smallest fault in our souls.
God’s justice is perfect, but so is his mercy. We should not imagine any limit to the mercy of God. If we love someone, God loves him more. If we wish someone could go to heaven, God wants it more. The Mercy of the Heart of Jesus burst forth with an outpouring of light and grace on the world.
In their place, let His light shine forth. When the Heart of Jesus rests in ours, our heart will radiate Mercy and bathe others in its rays.
Let us ask our Lord to help us to look at our heart, and ask Him come and live in our heart, dispel all darkness and wipe away all sin. Ask Him to take possession of our heart, shine forth His Divine rays of Mercy upon us, and upon a world in need.
Let’s us give our heart to Him, our dear Lord Jesus.
Jesus, we trust in You.
Suy Niệm Chúa Nhật Thứ Hai Phục Sinh – Chúa Nhật Kính Lòng
Thương Xót”
Hôm nay Chúa Nhật Thứ Hai Phục sinh cũng là ngày mà Giáo Hoàng Gioan Phalồ II đã đề nghị cả Giáo hội mừng Lễ Lòng Chúa Thương Xót. Khi Chúa Giêsu hiện ra với Nữ Tu Faustina Kowalska người Balan ở đầu thế kỷ 21, Ngài đã đã nói với vị nữ tu này hãy nên quảng bá lòng Thương Xót của Chúa, và năm 2000 Giáo Hoàng Gioan Phaolồ 2 đã dùng ngày Chúa Nhật thứ Hai sau Chúa Phục sinh để kính nhớ Lòng Thương Xót Chúa cách riêng. "Ta muốn hình ảnh Lòng Thương xót được trang trọng dâng kính vào ngày chủ nhật đầu tiên sau lễ Phục Sinh và ta muốn Lòng Thương Xót của ta được tôn kính công khai để mọi linh hồn sẽ được biết đến."
Chúng ta tôn kính lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa qua sự Thương Khó, Cái Chết và sự Phục Sinh của Chúa Kitô. Thiên Chúa luôn sẵn sàng để mở rộng lòng thương xót của Ngài cho bất cứ những ai cầu xin Ngài. Chúng ta cũng nhận ra cái giá của Lòng Thương Xót mà Chúa trả qua cây Thập Giá. Lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa đã sắp sẵn cho chúng ta tất cả thời gian, 24giờ một ngày, 365 ngày mỗi năm.
Trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta. Chúng ta có xu hướng tin tưởng vào chính bản thân của chúng ta, hay tin vào người khác và thậm chí con tin cả vào tiền của, vật chất hơn là chúng ta tin vào Thiên Chúa. Thật là buồn khi chúng ta xem nhẹ những lời hứa của Thiên Chúa về sự tha thứ và lòng thương xót, cũng như về cuộc sống vĩnh cửu với Ngài trên thiên đàng. Nhiều người trong chúng ta còn thiếu đức tin nơi Thiên Chúa.
Trong bài Tin Mừng, chúng ta nghe ông Thôma tuyên bố, "Nếu tôi không thấy dấu đinh ở tay Người, nếu tôi không xỏ ngón tay vào lỗ đinh và không đặt bàn tay vào cạnh sườn Người, tôi chẳng có tin". (Jn 20:26)
Với lòng Thương Xót của Ngài, Chúa Kitô đã hiện ra một lần nữa với các môn đệ và có cả ông Thôma
"Ðặt ngón tay vào đây, và hãy nhìn xem tay Thầy. Ðưa tay ra mà đặt vào cạnh sườn Thầy. Ðừng cứng lòng nữa, nhưng hãy tin". (Jn 20:28)Ông Thôma đã 'thú nhận, "Lạy Chúa của con, lạy Thiên Chúa của con!" (Jn.20:29) "
Chúa Giêsu cũng nói với tất cả chúng ta, "Phước cho những ai đã không thấy mà tin".
Chúng ta thấy và sống trong “lòng thương xót” và sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa trong Bí tích Hòa Giải.
Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay Chúa Giêsu khi hiện ra với các môn đệ , Ngài đã nói, ""Anh em hãy nhận lấy Thánh Thần., Anh em tha tội cho ai, thì người ấy được tha; anh em cầm giữ ai, thì người ấy bị cầm giữ" (Jn 20: 22 b - 23). Tội lỗi của chúng ta, với sự ăn năn và thống hối qua Bí Tích Hoà giải, chúng ta được tha thứ mà Chúa Kitô qua Giáo hội ban cho các linh mục được đặc quyền đó, giống như Ngài đã hứa với các môn đệ vào Chúa Nhật Phục Sinh.
Chúa đòi hỏi chúng ta phải tin tưởng vào lời Giáo Huấn và những lời hứa của Thiên Chúa. Mặc dù chúng ta không có gì để chứng minh, nhưng chúng ta tin tưởng vào lời Chúa vì Chúa Kitô đã nói như vậy: chúng ta nhìn vào Chúa Giêsu với Lòng Thương Xót và nói trong đức tin, "Lạy Chúa Giêsu, chúng con tín thác nơi Ngài." Tình yêu vô điều kiện của Thiên Chúa, Lòng Thương Xót của Ngài, được đưa ra, và luôn luôn sẵn sàng vàchờ đón chúng ta đến với Lòng Thương Xót đó. Một trong những tội mà không thể tha thứ được đó là khi chúng ta tự nghĩ rằng tội lỗi của chúng ta quá lớn so với lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa: như Giuđa đã phản bội Chúa Giêsu và đã mất linh hồn vì đã khôngtin tưởng vào lòng thương xót của Chúa, Ngược lại, Còn Phêrô chối Chúa ba lần, nhưng biết ăn năn và được tha thứ vi ông biết phó thác vào long Thương Xót của Chúa. Qua các dụ ngôn người con hoang đàng, Chúa Chiên Lành và đồng tiền bị mất là tất cả nhữngbảo đảm của Lòng Thương Xót của Thiên Chúa: "Lạy Chúa Giêsu, con xin tín thác nơi Chúa."
Reflection 2nd Sunday
of Easter
Today, the Octave of Easter Sunday, the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday. From instructions in apparitions of the Jesus to Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska (1905 - 1938), St. Pope John Paul II designated the Octave of Easter as Sunday of the Divine Mercy in 2000: "I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul will know about it."
We honor and beg for God's mercy. Mercy is given to us through the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. God is ready to extend his mercy to anyone who asks. We recognize the cost of mercy: it comes at the cost of the Cross.
God's mercy is available to us all the time, 24 hours a day, 365 days each year. At the bottom of the picture of Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina are the words, "Jesus, I trust in you." This is something we do not do very well. In daily life we tend to trust more in ourselves, in other people and even in money and material things than we do in God. This is sad when we consider the promises God has made to us about forgiveness and mercy, about eternal life with him in heaven.
The problem for many of us is our lack of faith in God. In our Gospel reading we hear Thomas, "Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." In his mercy Christ appears again to his disciples with Thomas present, "Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch our your hand and put it in my side. Resist no longer and be a believer." At Thomas' confession, "You are my Lord and my God," Jesus speaks to all of us, " Happy are those who have not seen and believe."
We see and live God's mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. On Easter Sunday evening at Jesus' appearance to his disciples he said, "Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained." (Jn 20: 22b - 23) Our sins, repented and confessed in the Sacrament of Penance, are forgiven by Christ through the Church and its authorized priest, just as he had promised to his disciples on Easter Sunday.
The Lord asks us to trust in his word and his promises. We do not have proof but we believe and trust because Christ said so: we look at Jesus of the Divine Mercy and say in faith, "Jesus, I trust in you."
The unconditional love of God, his Divine Mercy, is given, always available and waiting for us. The one unforgivable sin is to think that our sin is too great for the mercy of God: Judas who betrayed Jesus did not trust in his mercy; Peter denied Jesus three times, repented and was forgiven.
The parables of the Prodigal Son, the Good Shepherd and the lost coin are all assurances of God's Divine Mercy: "Jesus, I trust in you."
Sách Giáo Lý Công Giáo (CCC) dạy chúng ta là Giáo Hội đã luôn luôn tin rằng qua cách tuyên xưng trong Kinh Tin Kính : "Tôi tin vào sự tha tội ": ân sủng của chúng ta do sự cứu rỗi trong Chúa Thánh Thần. Các liên kết đức tin " sự tha thứ tội lỗi " với lời tuyên xưng đức tin trong Chúa Thánh Thần , vì Chúa Kitô phục sinh trao phó cho các tông đồ quyền tha tội khi Ngài đã ban cho họ Chúa Thánh Thần. Bí tích Rửa tội là bí tích đầu tiên và là đầu cỗi của lòng Thương xót của Chúa Kitô: đó là sự kết hợp giữa chúng ta với Chúa Kitô, Đấng đã chết cho tội lỗi của chúng ta và đã sống lại để làm hòa giữa chúng ta và Thiên Chúa, và chính thế Ngài đã ban cho chúng ta Chúa Thánh Thần. Theo ý của Chúa Kitô, Giáo Hội có quyền lực để tha thứ tội lỗi cho chúng ta sau khi được rửa tội và qua các giám mục và các linh mục chúng ta được sống bình thường trong tình Yêu Của Thiên Chúa qua Bí tích Hòa giải .
" Trong sự hòa giải, cả linh mục và bí tích hòa giải đều là những công cụ mà Đức Giêsu Kitô Chúa chúng ta, chính là vị sáng lập và là Đấng ban ơn cứu độ và giải thoát chúng ta được tự do." ( CCC 984-987 )
Nếu chúng ta có thể bảo quản " từ tất cả các sự lo lắng " trong khi chúng ta sốt sắng cầu nguyện trong Thánh Lễ , tham dự thường xuyên các Bí Tích Giải Tội và Bí tích Thánh Thể. Ơn cứu độ đã bắt đầu ngay từ hôm nay và bây giờ như chúng ta đang bắt đầu giải phóng những sự sợ hãi và lo lắng, Phần đầu tiên phải là tìm đến ơn tha thứ cho tất cả các tội lỗi của chúng ta . Xưng tội là một bí tích của sự Phục Sinh. Mừng lễ Phục Sinh: chúng ta mừng kỷ niệm sự hòa giải lòng Thương Xót của Chúa Kitô. Xin Chúa Thánh Thần sẽ thương ban giúp cho chúng ta sự bình an của niềm tin và sự đam mê vào ơn cứu độ của Chúa Kitô và sự phục sinh trong Lòng Thuơng Xót của Chúa bao la..
Today we hear that the apostles, bound by the imprisonment of fear, have locked themselves into the upper room, and that "Jesus came and stood before them...Then he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.' "
In this Easter season, we celebrate the Divine gift of the third person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as an outpouring of the Risen Christ. Today the Church shares in the Resurrection and the life of Christ by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What does this gift mean to the Church? The peace of Christ, always ours with the forgiveness of our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches us what the Church has always believed by professing in the Creed "I believe in the forgiveness of sins": our gift for salvation in the Holy Spirit. The Creed links "the forgiveness of sins" with profession of faith in the Holy Spirit because the risen Christ entrusted to the apostles the power to forgive sins when he gave them the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins: it unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit. By Christ's will, the Church possesses the power to forgive our sins after baptism and exercises it through bishops and priests normally in the sacrament of Penance.
"In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification." (CCC 984-987) If you would be preserved "from all anxiety" as we pray in the Mass, regularly practice the Sacrament of Confession. Salvation begins now as we are released from the bonds of fear and anxiety, in the first place by the forgiveness of our sins. Confession is an Easter sacrament. Celebrate Easter: celebrate Confession. The Holy Spirit will give you the peace of confidence in Christ's saving passion and Resurrection.
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we "meet Christ in the liturgy" –
This is a very special Sunday. First, it is Divine Mercy Sunday or the day to glorify the Mercy of God. But, also, today in Rome two men, Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II, will be canonized as Saints in the Church. It seems like only yesterday in 2005 on Divine Mercy Sunday that Pope John Paul II died. For most of us, he was the man we identified most with the Church and the papacy. This is because he served as Holy Father for almost 27 years and traveled all over the globe. Blessed John Paul II will forever be connected to the feast of Divine Mercy since he established it, he died on it, and he is now canonized on it. But, the connections don’t stop there.
Blessed John Paul II was deeply moved by this devotion, which was based on the private revelations and visions of a Polish religious sister, St Faustina. He lived during her lifetime and experienced the power of the message God gave her to spread.
Suffering IS Real
It can be difficult to speak of the topic of the Lord’s Divine Mercy. God’s Mercy is endless, but it also must be acknowledged that the Lord allows suffering and other forms of evil to happen in the world because of man’s sinfulness. To see this we only need to look at the last century which included two World Wars, the Holocaust, the atomic bomb, legalized abortion, and most recently the attacks of 9/11. Most of us, if we are honest, have questioned why the all-good God would permit such sufferings? Where is His Divine Mercy in such tragedies?
The answer is found in the Gospel and especially in today’s passage. Jesus appears to his disciples saying, “Peace be with you!” As He does this we are told that He shows them His hands and His side. Jesus has just walked through a wall and is standing before the terrified disciples with the appearance of a ghost. The veil to the Lord’s divinity is fully lifted, but He draws their attention to His Sacred Wounds. There in His side and hands are the remnants of the terrible evil that the Son of God endured. Yet, now things are different. This is not the dying Christ, but the Glorified Body. These wounds are no longer signs of shame, but trophies of His victory over evil.
Good or Evil, Our Choice to Make
As Jesus holds these Sacred Wounds up to the disciples, He is showing them tangibly the limit that God places on evil. The greatest of evil was done, not to us, but to Jesus Christ who is God and thus totally innocent. But, by this one sacrifice for all, God has forever placed a limit on evil. When Christ rose from the dead this marked the limit of suffering, death, and evil. Yes, Sin and the devil can cause evil to happen in the world, but only to a degree. This degree is permitted so that we can freely chose God; Choose good over evil, live over death. In our free will, we can choose to respond to Divine Mercy or not. Seeking God’s mercy is done when we freely accept the Lord’s forgiveness, love, and strength through the Sacraments of His Body the Church. First and foremost, this is given in Confession and the Holy Eucharist. God so loves us that he wants us to choose for ourselves good over evil.
This Sunday is a special time to choose to glorify the Divine Mercy. To implore the Lord: “for the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!” This day we bring ourselves and our loved ones to the Font of Mercy. We come to Jesus’ side, pierced by the soldier’s lance, from which flows a fountain of Mercy for us all. St. Thomas placed his hand into Jesus’ side. We bring to the Sacred Heart all of those we know who are in need of God’s boundless mercy. First, we begin with ourselves. We have all sinned and contributed to the evil and suffering in the world. Thanks to the Divine Mercy, Jesus places a limit on how far this evil can go. He forgives. God spares us from countless evils and showers us with graces we do not deserve.
So as we give thanks for the life of two holy popes, let us recognize that all the Saints are products of God’s Divine Mercy. They are not holy because of anything they did or supernatural qualities they had. The Saints are holy because they had the humility and courage to come to the Font of Mercy. To place themselves under the blood and water which flowed from Jesus pierced side. It was God who cleansed them of their sins and enabled them to achieve great heights of holiness. Let us all come to His Side and receive the new life won for us by God’s
Saint Faustina reports in her Diary what Jesus told her about Divine Mercy Sunday:
“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are open all the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary #699).
That day is today! It is the Feast of Divine Mercy! Today’s feast is among the newer feasts in our Church. Though Jesus’ desire that this feast be celebrated on the eighth day of Easter was spoken to Sister Maria Faustina Kowolska back in 1931, it was not solemnly instituted until the year 2000. On April 30 of that year, Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina and inaugurated the Feast of Divine Mercy as a universal feast within the Church. Because this Feast is so recent within the Church, we can be certain that we still have much to learn about the message of this Solemnity as well as the numerous messages about God’s mercy revealed in Saint Faustina’s Diary.
Among the many messages contained within her Diary, Jesus revealed to us that this Sunday, the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter, is a day like none other. Though grace and mercy are continuously poured out from Heaven upon us, Jesus is very clear that today is unique. Today, “a whole ocean of graces” is poured forth upon souls who approach the font of His mercy. Sit with that image for a time. “A whole ocean of graces.” What does that mean?
Symbolically speaking, a whole ocean is meant to depict the infinite. Try to imagine what it would be like to have the entire ocean poured upon you—it’s beyond comprehension! Thus, God is saying that the infinity of grace is given today. The question for us all to ponder is this: How receptive am I to those infinite graces?
By analogy, imagine that your life was like a thimble, and an ocean of water was poured upon you. As a thimble, you could not contain all that was given. Therefore, we should realize that God wants to stretch our capacity to receive His mercy more abundantly by widening our capacity for mercy. What if your soul were like a large pond? Still, the waters of the ocean could not be contained within that pond. What is it that is capable of receiving an entire ocean of mercy? Only an ocean can contain an ocean. For that reason, God desires to first prepare our souls to receive an infinity of mercy by transforming us into vessels of infinite capacity.
Saint Teresa of Ávila, in her spiritual classic, “Interior Castles,” teaches us that the soul is, indeed, capable of infinite capacity for the simple fact that God dwells within. The soul is like an interior castle with many interlinked dwelling places through which we must pass so as to arrive at the central chamber. She teaches that the goal of the spiritual life is to travel through these various dwelling places to the center of our souls where the infinite God dwells so that we can be present to Him there. Therefore, we must understand that our souls are indeed capable of receiving the infinite waters of mercy, because God created us with this ability when He chose to live within us. The key to being able to fully receive this fullness of mercy is to seek out the infinite God, dwelling within. How is this done?
The heart of the path laid out in the Diary of Saint Faustina is as follows: Go to Confession and receive Holy Communion so as to obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. However, as many of the great spiritual writers explain, such as Saint Teresa of Ávila, there are many levels we must pass on our spiritual journey so as to be able to encounter God in His fullness. This, of course, includes encountering God’s mercy given to us in Holy Communion and Confession. Those who receive these Sacraments while dwelling only in the first dwelling places, for example, will never benefit from them to the extent that those who dwell in the seventh and central mansion where the King dwells in fullness. Thus, mercy is given in its fullness but unless we make the transforming journey to God through conversion and purification of our souls, we will never be able to receive the ocean of graces God bestows.
Reflect, today, upon this ocean being poured forth upon you. How much of this mercy are you able to receive right now in your life? As you humbly admit your limited openness to God’s grace, know that God patiently waits for you, dwelling in His fullness deep within you, waiting for you to make the journey to Him. Commit yourself to this journey by prayer, fasting, penance, the reading of Scripture, the celebration of the Sacraments and spiritual reading. There is an ocean of the fullness of life waiting for you. Dive in and allow His mercy to deepen your capacity to receive Him most fully.
My Lord, You are The Divine Mercy, the source of all grace and the Bestower of this grace in superabundance. I thank You for the infinity of Your generosity and pray that my soul will be more fully disposed to receive You. Please stretch the capacity of my soul through my ongoing journey of purification and conversion so that I will receive all that You wish to bestow. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for your Resurrection masterpiece. You died, destroying death; now you have risen, restoring life. Thank you for every Sunday Mass, in which we remember Christ’s victory. Alleluia!
2. Faith and the Eucharist: Devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots, has been on the rise in recent years. Many Catholics are attracted to the Mother of God as an aid in untying the tangles of life. In an analogous way, today’s Gospel presents to us Jesus, Comer through Locked Doors (twice!). He came to the apostles despite the obstacles they placed before him. His presence and his mercy pursue us–especially at Easter–until we allow him to come in and give us peace. And he made his apostles protagonists in the giving of grace. We can, therefore, also ask for the intercession of the Apostles, Forgivers of Sin. But there is one more title to bestow in our list of devotions: We, the Blessed Unseers. Christ praised all those who have not seen and yet have believed—that is, all those who receive the Eucharist with faith. The bread we see is like a locked door that cannot prevent Jesus from coming at the consecration. And when he does, the priest echoes his words: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”
3. Bookwork: John tells us that Jesus did many other signs, “not written in this book.” John probably could have written another book, even longer than his Gospel, describing Jesus in detail. He confesses, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). Only in heaven, perhaps, will we learn more of John’s unwritten library. It would simply be too much for us here on earth. In fact, the library grows because Jesus works new wonders every day! Through the devout recitation of the liturgy of the hours by priests and lay people the world over, all of Jesus’s deeds recorded and unrecorded are praised continually to high heaven.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for searching me out when I lock myself in my own upper room. I want to take part in the liturgy with devotion, so that I can praise your glorious Resurrection and your Divine Mercy.
We have been celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the past week. Today we celebrate one particular aspect of the Resurrection: Divine Mercy. We see divine mercy at work in the appearances of Jesus.
First the angel announced his Resurrection, but no one believed. Then he himself appeared to Mary Magdalene. She believed, but no one believed her. Then he appeared to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus. Then he appeared to Peter. And then he appeared to a group including other apostles.
It says in the Gospel that one week passed before Jesus appeared again. That must have been an uncomfortable week. Thomas was still sad, still mourning the death of Jesus; but everyone else was celebrating the Resurrection and wondering.
Perhaps Thomas thought that everyone was playing some practical joke. Everyone must have seemed crazy. Thomas could not leave in case Jesus appeared again, but it must have been very hard to stay when everyone around him was celebrating what he thought was a mass delusion.God is merciful.
Not only does Jesus appear to Thomas, but He tells him to put his finger in his hands and his hand in his side. Whatever it takes, Jesus is willing to do, but Thomas was wrong.
He did not need to touch Jesus to prove to himself the reality of the Resurrection. As soon as he sees Jesus, he falls down and says, “My Lord and my God.” Nevertheless, Jesus was willing to undergo any humiliation Thomas needed. This is mercy.
Our God is not is not distant from us. He comes right down to us. He stands next to us. We have to make the journey, but he will be with us every step of the way. He will not put up with us living in sin, but he will do everything he can to help us out. Mercy does not take away justice. What is right is right.
I remember when I was young, my room always was messy and filthy. My mother will not allow me to live in filth. She made me clean the room every week. This is justice. It would not be merciful to let me live in filth. It would not be merciful if she cleans the room for me. I must clean my own room; it is only just. However, once justice is satisfied, mercy comes in. Because when I began cleaning, my mother came and helped.
Samething, God will not let sinners into heaven. He will not let unbelievers into heaven. It would not be just. If heaven was full of sinners and unbelievers, it would be a lot like earth, which is not exactly perfect.
If heaven is going to be perfect, all the people in heaven have to be perfect. It would not be merciful if God made an exception and let someone bad into heaven; it would ruin heaven. Instead, he does everything in his power to make us good. Jesus tells the apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
He gives this immense power to them for one reason: because we need forgiveness. Even today, every priest in the world can forgive sins. How amazing! Life would have been terrible if we had been saved but there was no forgiveness. We would lose our salvation as quickly as Adam and Eve. God has made it so easy to have our sins forgiven. We only have to go to one of the priests around the world and confess our sins.
Satan wants us to be afraid of Confession. Jesus has made it so easy, but Satan tries to scare us away.
We have to climb over our pride, which might be hard. But Jesus is always there and will help us find our way again. If Thomas does not believe, Jesus will appear on Thomas’s terms. If we commit sins, Jesus gives his priests the ability to forgive sins. Who knows what secrets are contained within the mercy of God! We cannot imagine what he might have done for those who do not believe in him. We cannot imagine how far He has gone to forgive an unrepentant sinner. We must not question God’s justice or imagine that He would be unjust. God is never going to let anything slide. He will not ignore the smallest fault in our souls.
God’s justice is perfect, but so is his mercy. We should not imagine any limit to the mercy of God. If we love someone, God loves him more. If we wish someone could go to heaven, God wants it more. The Mercy of the Heart of Jesus burst forth with an outpouring of light and grace on the world.
In their place, let His light shine forth. When the Heart of Jesus rests in ours, our heart will radiate Mercy and bathe others in its rays.
Let us ask our Lord to help us to look at our heart, and ask Him come and live in our heart, dispel all darkness and wipe away all sin. Ask Him to take possession of our heart, shine forth His Divine rays of Mercy upon us, and upon a world in need.
Let’s us give our heart to Him, our dear Lord Jesus.
Jesus, we trust in You.
Hôm nay Chúa Nhật Thứ Hai Phục sinh cũng là ngày mà Giáo Hoàng Gioan Phalồ II đã đề nghị cả Giáo hội mừng Lễ Lòng Chúa Thương Xót. Khi Chúa Giêsu hiện ra với Nữ Tu Faustina Kowalska người Balan ở đầu thế kỷ 21, Ngài đã đã nói với vị nữ tu này hãy nên quảng bá lòng Thương Xót của Chúa, và năm 2000 Giáo Hoàng Gioan Phaolồ 2 đã dùng ngày Chúa Nhật thứ Hai sau Chúa Phục sinh để kính nhớ Lòng Thương Xót Chúa cách riêng. "Ta muốn hình ảnh Lòng Thương xót được trang trọng dâng kính vào ngày chủ nhật đầu tiên sau lễ Phục Sinh và ta muốn Lòng Thương Xót của ta được tôn kính công khai để mọi linh hồn sẽ được biết đến."
Chúng ta tôn kính lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa qua sự Thương Khó, Cái Chết và sự Phục Sinh của Chúa Kitô. Thiên Chúa luôn sẵn sàng để mở rộng lòng thương xót của Ngài cho bất cứ những ai cầu xin Ngài. Chúng ta cũng nhận ra cái giá của Lòng Thương Xót mà Chúa trả qua cây Thập Giá. Lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa đã sắp sẵn cho chúng ta tất cả thời gian, 24giờ một ngày, 365 ngày mỗi năm.
Trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta. Chúng ta có xu hướng tin tưởng vào chính bản thân của chúng ta, hay tin vào người khác và thậm chí con tin cả vào tiền của, vật chất hơn là chúng ta tin vào Thiên Chúa. Thật là buồn khi chúng ta xem nhẹ những lời hứa của Thiên Chúa về sự tha thứ và lòng thương xót, cũng như về cuộc sống vĩnh cửu với Ngài trên thiên đàng. Nhiều người trong chúng ta còn thiếu đức tin nơi Thiên Chúa.
Trong bài Tin Mừng, chúng ta nghe ông Thôma tuyên bố, "Nếu tôi không thấy dấu đinh ở tay Người, nếu tôi không xỏ ngón tay vào lỗ đinh và không đặt bàn tay vào cạnh sườn Người, tôi chẳng có tin". (Jn 20:26)
Với lòng Thương Xót của Ngài, Chúa Kitô đã hiện ra một lần nữa với các môn đệ và có cả ông Thôma
"Ðặt ngón tay vào đây, và hãy nhìn xem tay Thầy. Ðưa tay ra mà đặt vào cạnh sườn Thầy. Ðừng cứng lòng nữa, nhưng hãy tin". (Jn 20:28)Ông Thôma đã 'thú nhận, "Lạy Chúa của con, lạy Thiên Chúa của con!" (Jn.20:29) "
Chúa Giêsu cũng nói với tất cả chúng ta, "Phước cho những ai đã không thấy mà tin".
Chúng ta thấy và sống trong “lòng thương xót” và sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa trong Bí tích Hòa Giải.
Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay Chúa Giêsu khi hiện ra với các môn đệ , Ngài đã nói, ""Anh em hãy nhận lấy Thánh Thần., Anh em tha tội cho ai, thì người ấy được tha; anh em cầm giữ ai, thì người ấy bị cầm giữ" (Jn 20: 22 b - 23). Tội lỗi của chúng ta, với sự ăn năn và thống hối qua Bí Tích Hoà giải, chúng ta được tha thứ mà Chúa Kitô qua Giáo hội ban cho các linh mục được đặc quyền đó, giống như Ngài đã hứa với các môn đệ vào Chúa Nhật Phục Sinh.
Chúa đòi hỏi chúng ta phải tin tưởng vào lời Giáo Huấn và những lời hứa của Thiên Chúa. Mặc dù chúng ta không có gì để chứng minh, nhưng chúng ta tin tưởng vào lời Chúa vì Chúa Kitô đã nói như vậy: chúng ta nhìn vào Chúa Giêsu với Lòng Thương Xót và nói trong đức tin, "Lạy Chúa Giêsu, chúng con tín thác nơi Ngài." Tình yêu vô điều kiện của Thiên Chúa, Lòng Thương Xót của Ngài, được đưa ra, và luôn luôn sẵn sàng vàchờ đón chúng ta đến với Lòng Thương Xót đó. Một trong những tội mà không thể tha thứ được đó là khi chúng ta tự nghĩ rằng tội lỗi của chúng ta quá lớn so với lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa: như Giuđa đã phản bội Chúa Giêsu và đã mất linh hồn vì đã khôngtin tưởng vào lòng thương xót của Chúa, Ngược lại, Còn Phêrô chối Chúa ba lần, nhưng biết ăn năn và được tha thứ vi ông biết phó thác vào long Thương Xót của Chúa. Qua các dụ ngôn người con hoang đàng, Chúa Chiên Lành và đồng tiền bị mất là tất cả nhữngbảo đảm của Lòng Thương Xót của Thiên Chúa: "Lạy Chúa Giêsu, con xin tín thác nơi Chúa."
Today, the Octave of Easter Sunday, the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday. From instructions in apparitions of the Jesus to Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska (1905 - 1938), St. Pope John Paul II designated the Octave of Easter as Sunday of the Divine Mercy in 2000: "I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul will know about it."
We honor and beg for God's mercy. Mercy is given to us through the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. God is ready to extend his mercy to anyone who asks. We recognize the cost of mercy: it comes at the cost of the Cross.
God's mercy is available to us all the time, 24 hours a day, 365 days each year. At the bottom of the picture of Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina are the words, "Jesus, I trust in you." This is something we do not do very well. In daily life we tend to trust more in ourselves, in other people and even in money and material things than we do in God. This is sad when we consider the promises God has made to us about forgiveness and mercy, about eternal life with him in heaven.
The problem for many of us is our lack of faith in God. In our Gospel reading we hear Thomas, "Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." In his mercy Christ appears again to his disciples with Thomas present, "Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch our your hand and put it in my side. Resist no longer and be a believer." At Thomas' confession, "You are my Lord and my God," Jesus speaks to all of us, " Happy are those who have not seen and believe."
We see and live God's mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. On Easter Sunday evening at Jesus' appearance to his disciples he said, "Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained." (Jn 20: 22b - 23) Our sins, repented and confessed in the Sacrament of Penance, are forgiven by Christ through the Church and its authorized priest, just as he had promised to his disciples on Easter Sunday.
The Lord asks us to trust in his word and his promises. We do not have proof but we believe and trust because Christ said so: we look at Jesus of the Divine Mercy and say in faith, "Jesus, I trust in you."
The unconditional love of God, his Divine Mercy, is given, always available and waiting for us. The one unforgivable sin is to think that our sin is too great for the mercy of God: Judas who betrayed Jesus did not trust in his mercy; Peter denied Jesus three times, repented and was forgiven.
The parables of the Prodigal Son, the Good Shepherd and the lost coin are all assurances of God's Divine Mercy: "Jesus, I trust in you."
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