Por Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB

It takes a sinner–or person extremely aware of the darkness of sin–to fully grasp the mercy of God. St. Augustine, still young, was muddied in grave sin. When at last converted, he wrote, “O Beauty, ever ancient, ever new, too late have I loved you.” That was not exactly true. The God of whom he spoke was and is a God of unending love and mercy, ever ready to forgive. Augustine, finally ready to confess his sinful life and greatly aware of its malice, would become a beacon guiding others to the mercy of God through Jesus, victor over sin and death.

Often, the God of the Old Testament is viewed as a wrathful God who is ever ready to punish. In our day, we prefer to see Him as a God of goodness. He is not a God to be feared but loved. For many, love is the beginning of Wisdom, not fear of punishment. And it does seem that the Lord Himself agrees. A long chain exists of persons inspired by close love for Jesus through His Merciful and Sacred Heart.

Catherine of Sienna, died 1300, Francis de Sales, died 1622, Margaret Mary, 1690, now Faustina in 1938, canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000—all these and others too have written of teir love and affection for God alive in them, and of His loving mercy. Jesus repeatedly requested of St. Faustina that this second Sunday of Easter be celebrated as the Feast of Divine Mercy. St. John Paul II declared that on April 30, 2000, when he canonized Faustina.

Sacred Scripture, Old or New, abounds with pleas that the Divine Mercy be honored. Our Gospel today presents the conversion of St. Thomas as just one splendid example. Unwilling to accept the fact of the Resurrection, Thomas boldly resisted for a full week. On the eighth day of Easter, merciful Jesus manifested himself to Thomas so convincingly that He won from him words that have also become ours who believe, “My Lord and my God.” 

Periodic interventions from on high recognized by our Church have never permitted deep faith in the loving and merciful indwelling of God to fade away. Rather, by the will of God, faith in it has grown stronger and stronger. And as Jesus said to Thomas, so He says for us, ‘Blessed are those who believe.’  

“Believing, may we glorify God’s boundless Mercy for endless ages. Amen.” (St. Faustina, Diary)