- I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6-7)
- I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners. (Matthew 9:13)
On Divine Mercy Sunday, the
floodgates through which all the graces of heaven flow are open. Our Lord’s love and mercy freely pours out
like the sunshine on a bright clear day; showering down on all human kind. We, his beloved children, need only to stand
in the Light of God, repenting our sins – opening ourselves to his mercy and
grace.
Jesus promised that on the first
Sunday after Easter that: “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy
Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (Diary
699) What a tremendous opportunity
Divine Mercy Sunday presents to us!
Repent, ask God for forgiveness and
receive his mercy and love. Wipe
the slate clean and begin anew - walk in the Light of God, sinless. Take up our discipleship in Christ
Jesus, live fully our life of love and good works – be the face
of Jesus to all we meet, spread the good news to the whole world and love
our brothers and sisters in Christ.
I once received one of those chain
emails we get too often. Most of the
time I get prayer chains (goes with the territory of being a Deacon, I guess),
but this one was different. This email
was empty of love and good fellowship.
It lacked both of Jesus’ two commandments: to love God above all things
and to love our brothers and sisters as we love ourselves.
This email had a list of fourteen
statements - each advocating no love for our suffering brothers and
sisters in Christ – those seeking a life away from poverty, oppression and corruption. People: - men, women and children - who come here
to our shores, to the land of milk and honey - hoping for a better life.
It is easy to vilify the alien, the
stranger, placing the blame on them for a variety of problems; saying, “if we
keep them out - all our problems will be solved,” but in our hearts we know
that is not true and - certainly we know in our hearts it is not the way
we are called to live as Disciples of Christ.
- Jesus asks us to look into the faces of each of these
least of his people and see His face
- Jesus asks us to look into the suffering lives of
each of these people and see His suffering (for our salvation)
- Jesus asks us to look into the hearts of each of these people and see His heart - burning with love for all God’s children
The Word of God, Jesus, the Christ,
asks us to live our lives in a radical new way.
He calls us into discipleship by looking at the world through his eyes;
seeing each of us as beloved children of God.
Just as Jesus is not of this world, we too, as Disciples of Christ, are
not of this world, - a world which worries itself over worldly things, - but we
are called to aspire to higher things – to the things from above.
In Matthew, Jesus tells us:
Do
not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about
your body, what you will wear.
Is
not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look
at the birds in the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are
you not of more value than they?
And
can any of you - by worrying - add a single hour to your span of life?
Matthew 6:25-27
Jesus asks us to trust in him - by
living his Word – to love as he loves – completely - without hesitation:
§
To love our brothers and sisters and not count the
cost,
§
To love others as we would love ourselves,
§
To share our abundance with those who have less;
- with those who have nothing,
§
To care for the sick, the sorrowful, and the lonely
as we too desire care
§
He asks us to greet the stranger with love and
hospitality, to welcome him; giving him, comfort and shelter
§
Jesus tells us to speak up for the voiceless,
the vulnerable and the oppressed;
§
To make room at the head of the table for the poor,
the outcast and the displaced, so they too may have their fair share in God’s
bounty
§
Jesus asks us to be peace makers, speaking out
against oppressors and warmongers who - for lust and greed, - pride and envy, -
fear and hate - victimize and conquer
the weak and defenseless
As disciples of Christ - we can do
no less than to be the face of Jesus; To
be called followers of Christ, - to wear the name of
Christian - is to live the Gospel message, not only this day, but
everyday - and in every way.
So, on this day the Lord has made –
on this Divine Mercy Sunday, - when God’s unending love and mercy is poured out
through the gates of heaven - let us ask God for mercy and forgiveness of our
sins - for what we have done, - for what we have failed to do – and for what
might do better.
Let us seek God’s abundant grace poured
forth from the Fount of Christ’s Mercy, - for us and for our salvation.
Trust in Jesus, - Believe
in the Gospel - and Love as He loves - by loving God and all our
brothers and sisters in the world.
Amen
Peace,
Deacon Don Ron
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