Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, having come down from heaven and returned there in glory, brought with him for all of us, new life, heavenly joy, and the unity of love which he himself had from eternity with the Eternal Father and the Holy Spirit. What wonderful gifts the risen Lord has left us, if we but choose him above all else.
If you want to know what heaven looks like, just consider the first reading from Acts (4:32-35) today and how the Lord was working powerfully in the lives of these our brothers and sisters in the beginning days of the Church:
First of all, “The community of believers was of one heart and mind.” This already is a huge statement which is so powerful. It wasn’t about Left against Right, because the central focus was Jesus Christ. Their hearts and minds were at peace and so they could charitably conduct their affairs with one another.
Secondly, “No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common” and this began from the top. Saint Peter was the first to let everything go for the sake of the Kingdom, as an example to his brothers and sisters, including the apostles. Today, many misled “leaders and thinkers” promise a utopia where “you’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy” and by nothing, they don’t just mean property, but your faith, your mind, and your freewill as well, since these are deemed by them as illusory, useless and counter-productive. We won’t be able to get into it here, but if you take the time to do a bit of research, you will see that this is by no means an exaggeration, a stretch of the imagination or a conspiracy theory, but actual agendas currently being openly discussed, proposed, and implemented in subtle ways by those who are openly opposed to the God of the Bible. They’re not hiding it all. What a staunch difference from the true spirit of God that is uniting the early Christians and allowing them to trust in his providence and grow in their loving and faithful relationship with him by sharing their goods with each other. This is born of humble gratitude, whereas the “great reset” proponents are manifesting behaviours very much akin to the demonic and the pride which cast Lucifer and his minions out of heaven. We should really pray for these people, as in the words of Jesus, “they know not what they do” Luke 23:34.
With that spirit of mercy, our Lord redeemed the world, and because we are now as the Church an extension of its Head, Jesus, we too are called to “co-redeem” the world in mercy. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in article 1037, we read; “God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end.”
We all sin, but most of us reading or listening to this are remorseful and repentant after doing so. That repentance is itself a grace from God. For this reason, we should always pray for those who are persisting in mortal sin because whatever is beyond our reach, is not beyond God’s.
This prayer serves as a sign of our living the message of mercy contained not only in Divine Revelation, the Bible, but also through numerous saints and mystics through whom God has called humanity to his mercy. Most of the people listening to this would know what the Divine Mercy devotion entails, and if you do not, we encourage you to look into it today on this great feast which celebrates in a special way, God’s ocean of mercy for us.
Suffice it to say here that in her Diary, St. Faustina records a special promise given to her by Jesus. He told her to communicate it to the whole world: “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. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy” (699).
In three places in her Diary, St. Faustina records our Lord's promises of specific, extraordinary graces connected to Divine Mercy Sunday: The first is: “I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy” (1109). The second is: “Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (300). The third and final promise our Lord made is this: “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (699).
To receive these graces, the only condition is to receive Holy Communion worthily on Divine Mercy Sunday (or the Vigil celebration) by making a good confession beforehand and staying in the state of grace and trusting in His Divine Mercy. By these conditions, our Lord is emphasizing the value of confession and Holy Communion as miracles of mercy. The Eucharist is our Lord himself, mercifully and humbly present among us who desires to become one with us. In addition, our Lord says through St. Faustina that we are to perform acts of mercy:
"Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy" (742).
Beneath his image, he asked that these words be written: Jesus, I trust in you. He would say elsewhere in the saint’s diary that, "The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive" (1578).
The worthy reception of the Eucharist on Divine Mercy Sunday is sufficient to obtain the extraordinary graces promised by Jesus. A plenary indulgence, obtained by fulfilling the usual conditions, also is available as was just outlined. The same mercy Jesus shows the incredulous in today’s gospel, like St Thomas who would later go on to shed his blood for the Lord, is the same mercy he wishes to extend to each of us as we, each in our own unique story, continue our journey as followers of Jesus.
May you be blessed, and may our merciful Queen and Mother Mary continue to acquire for you special blessings this day. Let us end with the blessing of Saint Francis;
“May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May He show His face to you and be merciful to you.
May He turn His countenance to you and give you peace.”
And may the Lord bless you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Pax et Bonum.
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