2nd Sunday of
Easter (Divine Mercy)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
OLR, NOLA
Luke
tells us in Acts that when the disciples devoted themselves to the
apostolic teachings and gave themselves to a communal life in Christ,
that when they broke bread together in prayer, “Awe came upon
everyone.” Awe came
upon everyone. Awe is
a powerful passion. It's an overwhelming feeling of reverence, of
worship, and sometimes dreadful fear. The disciples – while living
as Christ taught them – experience the sublime presence of God.
They experience His presence as Mercy. The apostle Thomas could tell
them a thing or two about mercy. Without the divine mercy he would've
been left with his refusal to believe in the Risen Lord. He would've
abandoned by his need for material proof, bereft of the Spirit that
binds us all to Christ. In his mercy, Christ invites Thomas to test
his doubt. And Thomas comes to believe b/c Christ is merciful. What
is divine mercy? What does it do for us? To us? And most importantly,
what can divine mercy
achieve with our cooperation?
To
answer these questions, you will have to show me a bit of mercy of
your own, and allow me to put on my professor's hat. We cannot
understand divine mercy if we do not understand who and what God is.
The classical Catholic tradition teaches us that God is simple and
eternal; that is, God is not composed of parts, and He is outside
time. Human persons are composed of a body and a soul. Each part has
several parts. Each of these parts has a specific purpose and
function. My intellect and will can be at odds b/c they are different
parts. I know the Good but I do not always do the Good. Sound
familiar? God is simple. And eternal. No parts. No conflicts. God's
intellect and will are one. God's love is His truth and His truth is
His goodness. These are not separated parts, struggling to work
together but one and the same God Who is Love. Because we are limited
creatures (composed), we experience God as having parts. So, we talk
about God's will as if it were somehow different than God's love.
However, God cannot will what is unloving. He cannot will what is
untrue. His nature is Love; He is Love. So, when the disciples in
Acts and Thomas in the gospel experience the presence of God, they
experience Him as the limited, composed creatures that they are. They
experience God as
Mercy. For them, and for us, God's overwhelming and eternal love for
us feels and behaves like mercy – unearned, abundant, never-ending
forgiveness. In light of this reality, “awe” seems like a pitiful
reaction. But awe is what we need to receive His mercy.
Now, why spend so much time on
the philosophy of God? Simply put: b/c God is simple (not composed of
parts like we are) and eternal (outside time) every truth He has ever
willed, is willing, or will in the future will has already been
willed from all eternity. He has willed, is willing, and will
continue to will that we be forgiven our sins. In other words, every
sin you and I have ever committed, are committing, and will ever
commit has always, already been forgiven. Christ death on the cross
and his resurrection from the tomb are two historical events with
eternal consequences. Because Christ died and rose, human nature is
healed. We've done nothing to earn this healing. God didn't owe us
this healing. A healed human nature is God's gift to us from all
eternity. This is what we mean by Divine Mercy – the always,
already present forgiveness of our sins. Sin is part and parcel of
our damaged human nature. When that nature is healed, we are freed
from sin and death. All that is left for us to do is to receive or to
reject His mercy.
Luke
tells us that the disciples are in awe of God b/c they were living as
Christ taught them. Thomas is in awe of Christ b/c Christ forgives
his rejection and allows him to satisfy his doubt. These are both
examples of receiving and living out the Divine Mercy we have given
from all eternity. How do we receive His mercy now? First, we must
stop thinking that God loves us more or less based on our behavior.
God is Love. He cannot not Love us. Our good behavior makes it
possible for us
to better receive His mercy, and our bad behavior makes it more
likely that we will not receive His mercy. Second, we must stop
thinking of His mercy as something we earn through prayer or
devotions or the sacraments. Mercy is a gift. It's free. It's not a
wage or a reward or a debt that God pays us. All we need to do is
receive it. Third, and most importantly, we must show mercy to
others. We cannot give what we do not have. Receive God's mercy and
show mercy to those who have wronged you – friends, relatives,
neighbors, strangers, enemies. Showing mercy to those closest to you
– family – is vital to your relationship with God. Husbands,
wives, children, in-law's need your mercy most. And lastly, show
yourself mercy. Holding yourself to a high moral standard is
praiseworthy and right. Right and wrong don't change just b/c we find
it difficult to be morally good. However, Christ died on the cross
and rose from the tomb so that you and I might live in this world
free from sin and death. When you fail – and you will – receive
the mercy that Christ died to give you.
In the Church, our ordinary
means of receiving mercy is through the sacrament of confession. We
confess our sins, resolve to sin no more, and the priest absolves us.
That absolution is our guarantee that we have received God's mercy.
Because we all need His mercy to function as powerful witnesses to
the Good News, I urge you to go to confession. Beyond your once a
year obligation to go to confession, I urge you to make frequent use
of the sacrament. Once a month, once a week. The more often you
receive the Divine Mercy, the likely you are to show mercy to others;
thus, growing more and more in holiness. The disciples are in awe of
Christ's life among them. Thomas is in awe of Christ's presence among
the apostles after the crucifixion. What could be more awesome for us
in 2017 than to be instruments of the Divine Mercy in our families,
among our friends, and for the whole world?!
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