Jesus, Mercy Incarnate

Cross. For the Cross of Jesus shows us not that all sufferingmust be stoically endured, but that where possible, suffering should be actively relieved – precisely because, in showing compassion upon our neighbours in need, we are also consoling the compassionate Heart of Jesus. We are loving Him in the poor, the oppressed, the sick, the lost and the lonely—for He once shared the lot of the suf- fering and abandoned; His compassionate Heart foresaw themeven from the Garden and the Cross, long ago, and His sympathy even now embraces them from where He dwells in glory in the Heart of the Father (Heb. 4:15-16). As one modern theologian put it: Consoling the pierced Heart of Jesus means working con- stantly and with ardent zeal to comfort people afflicted by a multitude of spiritual and temporal evils, and to help them to enjoymore andmore fully the fruits of Christ’s sufferings and death. By working to set our brothers and sisters free from sin, we remove what causes God’s displeasure, and, in a way, we give God consolation and joy! 73 (b) Easter Hope While St. Paul is sometimes thought of as the apostle of the Cross of Christ, it would also be true to call him the great apostle of the Resurrection. For it is St. Paul who continually lays before us the great hope of an eternal homecoming: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:17-18).... “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17-18)....“no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (Col. 2:9). The same could be said for St. Faustina Kowalska. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is as important to her as His Passion (a fact often overlooked by commentators). We see this in the very Image of The Divine Mercy itself. Although there are several different layers of symbolism in this image, 84 Jesus, Mercy Incarnate