Today, we celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy, which was inaugurated by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000, This feast arose from a series of apparitions that Jesus gave to a Polish nun, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, during the 1930’s. The purpose of today’s feast is to honor and commemorate God’s infinite mercy.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus appeared to his apostles behind locked doors ‘for fear of the Jewish authorities.’ To alleviate their anxiety, he said ‘Peace be with you’ 3 times. He then showed them his hands and side and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit to forgive sins (they themselves needed to know they were forgiven by Jesus for abandoning him at the cross). St. Thomas wasn’t with the apostles when Jesus appeared to them and he doubted. When Jesus appeared to the apostles AGAIN behind locked doors, Thomas was finally present. He            witnessed the Risen Jesus and he worshipped Him!

Like Thomas, we can have doubts about God’s place in our lives. Does He love us? Does He care for us? Many of our anxieties in life arise from the doubts we harbor: We may have doubts about our own worthiness to approach Jesus. We may doubt God’s power and goodness or His desire to forgive us. We may have difficulty believing that Jesus has the ability to bring about greater good out of an evil situation in our lives. Despite ourselves and our doubts, Jesus is always looking for opportunities to forgive us, which is why confession is a main staple in the life of the Church and the Divine Mercy devotion. If we feel confused, anxious or full of doubts, may we recall the words of Jesus “Peace be with you.” With these words in mind, may we place our entire trust in Him!

 

Fr Pierre