responsibility to forgive repentant sinners is clearly given to the Apostles on that Easter Sunday night. It flows from the very breath of our Divine Savior. Mercy everywhere Pope Francis is known for his desire to make certain that the effects of Divine Mercy are experienced everywhere, especially on the peripheries. Even the motto of his pontificate, Miserando atque eligendo (“By having mercy, and by choosing him”), emphasizes this imitation of Divine Mercy. He will be remembered for his impetus to bring the message of salvation to every person, and leave no stone unturned in his quest to invite all to experience the Merciful Lord. ... Saint Faustina left priests a mission to proclaim the mercy of God to all, as she says, quoting the Lord Jesus: “Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. e ames of mercy are burning Me — clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon [all] these souls” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 50). … We can change The mission is to go forward from this celebration with the challenge to build up our human communities to reflect more precisely our origin and call. The incivility, anger, back-biting, and me worship that so often characterize our world need not be the rule. They can change, if we change. … Remember the mafia victim Bl. Rosario Livatino’s statement: “When I die no one will ask me how much I believed, but rather how credible I was.” We remember those four characteristics of the authentic Christian community: assiduous attention to the teaching of the Apostles (that is, we have to learn how to live as Christians); communion, the union of hearts manifested also in the sharing of goods; the Eucharist; and prayer. We are challenged to examine ourselves constantly, to see how our Catholic communities parallel the description of the ideal community in the Acts of the Apostles. The more perfect community is possible by faith, as St. John reminded us in the second reading [1 Jn 5:1-6]. So that allows us to look at St. Thomas in a different way. There is a tendency to see his doubt as something negative, a lack of faith or of trust of his fellow Apostles. However, we can also insert a pause in his remarks. “We have seen the Lord” [Jn 20:25]. It is not incredible to imagine Thomas saying, “And…?” After all, they were still locked in the Upper Room. What had changed? Eight days later, what had they done with their experience? Where had they taken the gift of the Lord’s forgiveness? They were still afraid to move outside. We must always ask that question. God’s Mercy and His presence are incredibly generous, but what are the results for us? We have prayed — “And…?” We have walked in a procession — “And…?” We have made our pilgrimage — “And…?” We have made clear our opposition to abortion — to unjust laws — to capital punishment — to the mistreatment of the poor — “And…?” Walking with Christ The Easter mystery which we celebrate for 50 days requires us to grow in His presence and to make His victory over sin and death ours. That is a constant in our walking with Christ. ... Pope Francis takes up the theme in his reflection at the conclusion of the Year of Mercy: Forgiveness is the most visible sign of the Father’s love, which Jesus sought to reveal by his entire life. Every page of the Gospel is marked by this imperative of a love that loves to the point of forgiveness. Even at the last moment of his earthly life, as he was being nailed to the cross, Jesus spoke words of forgiveness: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). We pray also for the grace to imitate that spirit of forgiveness and tolerance. That contribution will reduce tension, that tension that fills our world. Saint Faustina holds out a promise to us, as she relates the Lord’s words to us in her Diary: “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior” (Diary, 1075). Dear sisters and brothers, the long “Easter Day” will conclude this evening with Vespers. Twenty-four hours are insufficient to contain the Easter joy or to revel in the Easter mystery. … We are filled with the grace of belief, but also challenged by the blessing of having life in the Name of Christ. That life requires our cooperation to make its fruit manifest. It requires the courage of the day after. Watch the Divine Mercy Sunday Liturgy on our dedicated streaming site, DivineMercyPlus.org. Marian Helper • SuMMer 2024 • Marian.org 15 “Forgiveness is the first Easter gift. The power and the responsibility to forgive repentant sinners is clearly given to the Apostles on that Easter Sunday night.”
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