DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. 27 APRIL, 2025

By Fr. Michael Umoh

1. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
   His mercies never come to an end,
   They are new every morning
   New every morning
   Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord
   Great is Your faithfulness (Repeat 2)
   Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Sunday after Easter ALWAYS!
   Today, 27 April 2014, 2 Popes were canonised; Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.
   Earlier on, on 30 April 2000, Pope John Paull II canonized St Faustina, the apostle of Divine Mercy.
   Just yesterday, the world gathered to bury the Holy Father, Pope Francis, attesting to his humility, love of the poor, apostle of mercy, bridge builder and a believer of humanity without boundaries.
   All the readings and even the psalm for this Sunday are about God’s mercy, and the need for the forgiveness of sins.
   Scripture lessons: God revealed His mercy first and foremost by sending His only-begotten Son to become our Savior and Lord by his suffering, death and Resurrection.  Divine Mercy is given to us also in each celebration of the Sacraments. The opening prayer addresses the Father as “God of everlasting Mercy.”
2. In the responsorial psalm we repeat several times, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever” (Ps 117). The first reading (Acts 5: 12-16), tells us how the early Church grew every day because of the wonderful works of the apostles among the people.
3. Today’s Gospel vividly reminds us of how Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a sacrament of Divine Mercy.  The Risen Lord gave his Apostles the power to forgive sins with the words, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20: 19-23).  For centuries in the liturgy, the Church has proclaimed the mercy of God through the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.  Presenting “doubting” Thomas’ famous profession of faith, “My Lord and my God,” the Gospel illustrates how Jesus showed his mercy to the doubting Apostle and emphasizes the importance of Faith.Mercy is what we hope for as we approach the confessional, Mercy is what is poured on us as we celebrate the Holy Mass. Our celebration today is on MERCY, MERCY MERCY.
4. What is MERCY? St. Augustine in his commentary on the encounter of Jesus with the woman caught in the inappropriate act notes that at the end of the scene we see Jesus is alone with the woman; her accusers have left one by one, Jesus remains.  In order to spare her shame, he looks down, writing on the ground and only raises his face to say, “Neither do I condemn you.”  That is certainly a moment of mercy !  In mercy is grace, forgiveness and love.
5. Saint Augustine comments on the moment when Jesus is left alone with the woman “there are left the two – Misery and Mercy”.
6. In latin, Miseria means misery, while Misericordia means mercy.  According to St. Augustine, mercy stems from misery. It is because there is MISERY that there is MERCY. When one adds heart (cor) to misery, what you have is misericordia – mercy.
7. The heart is always involved in mercy. As such what we call mercy comes about when someone’s heart is moved to enter the misery of another.  Mercy is to bend, to reach out, towards the pain and suffering of another – indeed it’s a willingness to enter their chaos.  When creation was a formless void, a chaos, God entered and spoke a good, creative Word.
8. Pope Francis has been described as a Pope of mercy because his heart and actions naturally gravitate towards the misery of the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised, the vulnerable, the suffering migrants, etc. He always stood by them and spoke up for them.
9. St. Thomas Aquinas says that the merciful is one who has a sorrowful heart; being affected with sorrow at the misery of another as though it were his own. Since he is affected with sorrow of the other, he would want to dispel the misery of the other, which is the effect of mercy.
10. The greatest act of mercy is that action of God when Jesus Christ stooped down to us, taking a human heart to Himself so as to enter and share our misery thereby loving us in a way that saves us from our wretchedness.
11. The truth is that there is chaos everywhere: Family, nation, people’s life, church, society. MERCY MERCY MERCY is needed. The heart is needed more than the law. No matter how beautiful the law may appear, it is always imperfect. Only love is perfect. That is what Jesus demonstrated in the story of the woman caught in adultery.
12. When misery encounters love the result is life. The prodigal son in his wretchedness encountered love, he was restored. The good samaritan. Mercy brings about restoration.
13. The many problems in our nation, family and society in general today is caused by lack of heart. Only love is perfect. Love is the product of the heart.
14. How can we show mercy:
15. WHEN WE BUY PRODUCT FROM A PEASANT TRADER AND LET HER KEEP THE CHANGE!!! OR WHEN WE CHOOSE NOT TO NEGOTIATE TOO MUCH WITH A PEASANT TRADER!!!
    Listening without judgment: When a friend or loved one shares their struggles or mistakes, responding with empathy and understanding rather than criticism or judgment can be a powerful act of mercy.
    Offering support during difficult times: Providing emotional, practical, or financial support to someone going through a tough time, such as a serious illness, job loss, or family crisis, demonstrates mercy and love.
    Forgiving and reconciling: Choosing to forgive someone who has wronged you and working towards reconciliation can be a profound act of mercy, allowing healing and restoration to take place.
    Showing kindness to those in need: Acts of kindness, such as visiting the lonely, helping the poor, or caring for the sick, demonstrate mercy and love towards those who are struggling.
    In the family, choosing to forgive and move forward after a family disagreement or conflict, rather than holding onto resentment, demonstrates mercy and promotes healing.
    Providing emotional, practical, or financial support to a family member going through a tough time, such as a health crisis or job loss, shows mercy and love.
    Responding with patience and understanding when children struggle with learning, behavior, or emotions demonstrates mercy and helps them feel safe and supported.
    Showing compassion and care towards elderly or sick family members, such as helping with daily tasks or providing emotional support, is an act of mercy.
16. Only mercy will redeem our nation and our world.
17. CONCLUSION:
    One of my favourite bible verses is 1. Tim.1v15-17: ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; and I am the greatest of these. For this reason I obtained mercy: that in me Jesus Christ might show forth all patience, as a pattern to them which would hereafter have to believe in Him for life everlasting. To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever’.
18. “Our only hope, our only confidence, our only assured promise, Lord, is Your mercy.” — St. Augustine