The Divine Mercy Sunday came and went by. It was Jesus himself who said to St Faustina: I want the first Sunday after Easter to be the Feast of Mercy (Diary, 299). Furthermore, Jesus added: I want the Feast of Mercy to be a refuge and sanctuary for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the depths of My mercy are open; I pour out a whole sea of graces on souls that approach the fount of My mercy. Any soul that makes its Confession and receives Holy Communion will have its sins and its punishment completely remitted. On that day are open all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow (Diary, 699).
As he magnificently teaches us from the Gospel itself, Jesus is about actions of mercy. Let us never forget what He tells us about those who talk and don’t walk their talk through their actions: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matt 23:2-12).
Here Jesus not only demands practice of what we are supposed to do as Christians but also clearly reminds us that in so doing we are humble servants as the Son of God is the Father’s most humble servant. Let us not forget what Jesus himself tells us in the Markan Gospel: For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Jesus is all the more coherent. He never ever wavers from his message. What He told us in the Holy Gospel He actually said to Faustina herself in her Diary. In fact, the same message is found in the entries 741 and 742 of the Diary. Here Jesus tells her and us: My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My mercy, you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it. I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (Diary of St Faustina, 741-742).
In these days when we celebrated the Divine Mercy Sunday the students of the Minor Seminary in Malta took at heart what Jesus is asking from St Faustina and us, namely to love Him by imitating His unfathomable mercy in the way we behave with Him in our neighbour who is suffering by doing an outstanding initiative. Each student made a card for the occasion and gave it to one of the cancer patients we have at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre.
On the font page of the card there was the famous poem Footprints in the sand whereas on the back of the rosy card there were five hands stretching towards heaven and each hand holding a heart in its palm. Underneath there was written the beautiful bold phrase I’m here for you. It would be wise and encouraging for all of us to listen to some of the messages which, I am sure, must have meant alot to our patients.
Here are some examples of these cards: At times you might feel helpless and lost but remember that God is by your side helping you through your problems. Another card message said: Keep up the courage because Jesus is always there for you. I wish you the best in your life and you are always in my prayers. Keep fighting. The third card message went: God is always with you in your life no matter what happens. I’m here for you. The fourth card’s message conveyed this thought: God will always be with you.
These are simply some examples from the great grace our patients recently received for the Divine Mercy Sunday. Why don’t you encourage your faith community or the school you work in or where your children go to adopt a similar initiative for people who are suffering like the patients at the hospital? Did not Jesus tell us: I was sick and you visited me (Matt 25:36). Is this not a fruitful way of putting the Divine Mercy message into practice? Is this not a powerful way of celebrating, each and every single day, the Divine Mercy Sunday Feast?
