April.12,
2015 Sunday homily: Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI
Acts
4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31
For
Readings
“I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a
refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially poor sinners. On that day the
very depths of my tender mercy are open. The soul that will go to Confession
and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and
punishment." These are the words of Jesus given to us through St. Faustina
as per diary 699.
Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, the 8th day
of Easter. In the words of Saint Pope John Paul II, today we receive the Easter
Gift. And what is this very special Easter Gift? It is the special gift of the
total forgiveness of all sins that the Catholic Church offers in the form of a
plenary indulgence today. But, why today? Today is the Octave Day of Easter.
This day we celebrate the richness, meaning, participation in and application
of God's mercy for us. This day we cry out with St.Thomas: "My Lord and My
God". It is a wake-up call to the people of the World to repent of their
sins for salvation.
What do we mean by Divine Mercy? The word
“Divine” means “given by God” or “like God”. The word “Mercy” means “the
refraining from harming or punishing offenders”. So simply put, Divine Mercy is
“God refraining from punishing offenders”.
Gospel passage presents the story of the
doubting Thomas who said that he would not believe that Jesus had resurrected
until he could touch the marks of the
nails and the side of the Lord. But once Jesus had appeared to St. Thomas, he
suddenly came to believe. St. Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" Not
only did St. Thomas perceive at that moment that Jesus was His Lord and
teacher, but that He was also the eternal God manifested in human form. It was
a surrendering faith in Christ.
In the Old Testament, God told Moses to
celebrate their most important feast called the ‘Day of Atonement’. On the last
day, God would forgive their sins. Jesus authorized His Apostles to forgive the
sins of others in His Name. Jesus told them, “Whose sins you forgive are
forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”. This statement of Jesus
testifies to the truth regarding the Sacrament of Confession. The sacrament of
Baptism opens the door to our salvation through the forgiveness of the original
sin and the sins committed before our Baptism. To maintain that righteousness,
we must receive the Sacrament of Confession on a regular basis.
The Sacrament of Confession that returns
our state of grace is still insufficient for our salvation. We still need the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that leads to the salvation
to our souls. On Divine Mercy Sunday the Church provides a great opportunity to
receive grace in abundance by receiving the sacraments of Confession and
Eucharist keeping our faith in Christ.
In short, to live our lives peacefully and
ensure our salvation, we must depend upon Divine Mercy. To depend upon Divine
Mercy, we must have faith in Jesus and confess our faith as St.Thomas did. To
live our faith in Jesus we must receive the Sacraments of the Holy Church. To receive
the sacraments worthily, we must resolve for a sinless life, and make sincere
efforts and preparations. To lead a sinless life we must abide by the
Commandments of God. By doing these things, we will have life in His Most Holy
Name. By becoming and growing in The Divine Life, let us live a peaceful and
joyful life, which is ever growing and Spirit filled. God will bless us with a ‘rejoicing
life.’ God bless you.
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