Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. We are celebrating the gift of Divine Mercy. Today's Gospel takes us back to the evening of that first Easter Sunday. The disciples have gathered back together, but more out of fear than of faith: they had all abandoned Our Lord on the Cross. How could they expect mercy after what they'd done?
Jesus tells them twice, "Peace be with you." He shows them his hands and feet so that they can see the wounds and know it's not a dream or an illusion, and the fact that they abandoned him for was not a dream or illusion either: The sin really happened, the price really had to be paid for that sin, He paid the price in full. With the words "Peace be with you," He says what's past is past.
When Jesus says "Peace be with you" twice in this passage he is showing us that forgiveness is not a one shot deal, or else Baptism would be enough: we're always in need of his mercy because we continue to battle with our sins.
When we examine our lives, we always see moments where we could have done more and better, and Confession gives us the peace and grace to keep trying to do more and better.
In the revelations of his Divine Mercy, Jesus asked St Faustina to commission a painting. The painting would show Jesus standing, dressed in a white alb, with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand opening his heart.
Out of his heart there were to be streaming two beams of light - one white and the other red. He explained what those rays symbolized:
The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous [baptism]. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls [the Eucharist]. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross ... Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (Diary, 299).
Today Jesus is reminding us of the power and abundance of his mercy. We should be full of joy and confidence at this reminder.
But what about all of our brothers and sisters who aren't with us? What about all our neighbours, colleagues, and classmates who have never experienced Christ's mercy or never heard about it?
Jesus died for them too. And he is sending us to be messengers of his mercy to them. By our kind, truthful words, avoiding all gossip and useless criticism, we shine forth the white light of Christ's mercy. And by our selfless acts of service to others, seeking no reward except the joy of following Christ, we become extensions of the red ray of Christ's very own life, given up for us on the cross.
Today, as Christ feeds us once again from the very fountain of mercy, Holy Communion, let's ask him for the grace to be living images, living paintings, of his mercy in this world so wounded by sin.