This coming Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, is also called Divine Mercy Sunday in the Roman Catholic Church. While I will not provide here the history or story behind this recognition, it is well worth reading about and meditating upon its meaning.
For Catholics, the Divine Mercy has several related manifestations: it is a special feast day; it is a painting with an important message that is venerated in many Catholic churches; it is a special prayer recited and meditated upon usually with the aid of a rosary. I will provide a link at the bottom of this post for those interested in more information. My intent here is to take this opportunity to reflect on the theme of mercy and forgiveness which is at the heart of the Divine Mercy message.
Our world is hurting. Of course, you don’t need me to say so, just turn on any news or talk show. Everything has been politized. We are moving further apart in the extremes between views with little effort underway to find a common middle ground. Religion used to play that role; that whatever our political views, we could come together on Sundays and agree that there was something greater outside and above all the craziness of the world that offered hope – hope that there is more to our story than what is in today’s headlines.
Instead, today the religion of secularism has demanded more than equal time, and presently, appears to be winning. The screams for justice at the heart of the woke culture have deafened the cries for mercy, taking forgiveness off the table as an option. That, for me, is where the Divine Mercy message holds promise – mercy and forgiveness.
Take a minute to reflect upon the following thoughts regarding mercy from the minds of individuals whose insights and wisdom we have historically revered:
We do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.”
– William Shakespeare (Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I – Portia to Shylock)
I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
– Abraham Lincoln
Nothing can make injustice just but mercy.
– Robert Frost
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
– Martin Luther King Jr.
A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.
– Pope Francis
Justice is when we receive what we deserve; mercy, on the other hand, is when we receive what we do not deserve except for an act of grace and compassion.
With this in mind, the quotes above shed light on the leap of faith that the fruits of justice will be served through acts of mercy. For me, all these sentiments can be summed up as follows: While we cannot change the past, we can hope to learn from it through the lens of mercy, and not replicate injustices in the name of justice.
Being merciful is not easy; it means letting go of whatever hostility or entitlement we feel for the injustice enacted upon us or others. It is not a call to forget, but it is a plea to forgive. The desire: to heal a broken, hurting world; to bring opposing views to table fellowship with the hope of finding healing in mutual mercy and forgiveness. Until we experience the light of grace from the Divine Mercy message, we will continue in the darkness. My own experience with this merciful light resulted in a profound change in my life that I can only attribute to God’s grace.
The Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
– Isaiah 30:18
I remember well a time in my faith journey when I was drifting, not really engaged, going through the motions. It was not until one day when I was sitting alone in the little chapel at my church that I truly (and literally) saw the light. On the wall in that chapel there is a portrait of Jesus; it’s called the Divine Mercy. In it, two rays of light emanate from Jesus’ heart, a pale ray signifying “water which makes souls righteous,” and a red ray representing “his blood that makes us new.”
I had visited that chapel several times previously, finding it comforting, but had not paid much attention to the portrait. That day was quite different. As I sat there thinking, praying, feeling low, the light in the room changed and I noticed for the first time the suddenly illuminated words at the bottom of the portrait: “Jesus, I Trust in You!” And it hit me, right then, right there, like a thunderbolt; I need to let go and trust in the Lord!
The message of the Divine Mercy is simple: Faith is about trust; it is trusting with all our heart that God loves us and wants us to recognize that His mercy is far greater than our transgressions. That we can call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, let it flow through us to others, and all will come to share in His kingdom.
Only the person who entrusts himself totally to God finds true freedom, the great, creative immensity of the freedom of good.
– Pope Benedict XVI from his book, God Is Ever New
Bathed in His mercy and forgiveness, I was overcome with a profound sense of peace. I am not proclaiming a miracle, but that revelation, that awakening to His gift of mercy and forgiveness changed my life. To be forgiven, when we know we don’t deserve to be forgiven, is radically transformative. It makes one realize that unbelievable as it may seem, God needs us, and has prepared us for something. We have a mission.
For God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ – by grace you have been saved.
– Ephesians 2:4-5
Among Christian friends, I often hear it proclaimed that the path to salvation is cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus. I don’t doubt this, but at the same time, I do not think we can accomplish it on our own. It seems that the focus on self, self-absorption in the extreme, is part of problem in the world today; why so many are trapped in the prison of addiction, unable to relate to a greater good outside of self-identity.
I believe that a relationship with Our Lord is meant to be lived in communion with others; in that community, we are called to be living instruments of His mercy here on earth. To receive His mercy, we must show mercy to others – even those we think do not deserve it – that would certainly be following Jesus’ example.
To quote the sage wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” So, the change our hurting world needs so badly starts with each of us living our part. The message of Divine Mercy is in our hands; to show others that by grace through faith we can move from darkness to the light and there find redemption and joy. That is our mission.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
– Hebrews 4:15-16
My prayer for all of us: Lord, do not look upon our sins, but look upon our trust in Your mercy. Amen.
Reflection questions:
- For a more detailed explanation and history of the Divine Mercy story check out this site: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/celebrate/greatgrace/dms
- There are many moments in Scripture where we see the merciful hand of God. The following link is for the Mercy Moments Bible Study that explores some of these passages in detail: https://divinemercyplus.org/mercy-moment-bible-study?utm_source=Divine+Mercy+Daily&utm_campaign=832b74c9cf-DMD_04_02_24_Mercy_Moments_Bible_Study&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7ed46db94b-832b74c9cf-124777393
- How do you reconcile the connection between justice, mercy, and forgiveness for yourself?
Scripture References
Isaiah 30:18 Ephesians 2:4-5 Hebrews 4:15-16
The Spirit Moves In Wondrous Ways 
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