Have you come to believe because you have seen Me?

St. Faustina

Divine Mercy Sunday
Acts 4:32-35/1John 5:1-6/John 20:19-31


On this Divine Mercy Sunday, I have to admit something right off the bat--it took me years to finally crack open St. Faustina's Diary and read it, despite the fact that it had set on my bookshelf for longer than I care to admit, wrapped in cellophane and untouched. My reasoning was this: What could St. Faustina have to offer me that hard-core spiritual books like Kempis' Imitation of Christ didn't? After all, Faustina Kowalska lived a sheltered life in Poland, was not a great scholar and intellect like Edith Stein, or a great social reformer like Dorothy Day. Faustina didn't lead a renewal or start a movement, in fact, many of the sisters who lived with her thought her a bit daft, speaking to Jesus and all! Mercy, after all, is overrated, isn't it? It's soft, warm, and fuzzy. In today's world and Church, we need education and adherence to divine Doctrine and Teaching to get society back on track!


If you haven't given up on me yet, here comes the clincher. A few years ago I went to confession and confessed, for the umpteenth number of times, that I had been impatient with another. The priest, whom I knew well, looked at me, smiled, absolved me from my sins and gave a penance. Afterwards, I went to Mass where he was the celebrant. His sermon stopped me cold.


"You know," he started, "I hear confessions a lot and the number one sin is that people are impatient." I wasn't sure where this was going, but I admit I was feeling a bit uncomfortable! He continued, "It's not that they are impatient--they are merciless!!!" I gasped. I looked around to see if anyone else was sweating. Merciless? Me? He continued to link impatience with the pattern of judging people and when folks didn't measure up to our high standards, one's ability to write them off.


Ouch! But you know what--he was right! How many times have we played judge and jury to another--whether a sibling, parent, or other relative, co-worker, neighbor, or random stranger? How many times have we assumed things about another and made a decision, without taking into consideration all of the circumstances or the fact that they are human and in their humanity, they, like us, make mistakes? In short, we play God--judging and condemning others based on our standards of what should be, rather than letting God make the call.


That's where Divine Mercy comes in. God is love. Love is unconditional. If we are to be the image and likeness of God, then we must hone our ability to love to be pure, like His. The blood and water that gushed forth from the side of Christ crucified is the bath that washes over all of us--and is also the font that we are called to be in the world today.


In the Gospel we hear the story of Doubting Thomas. Poor guy--stuck for all eternity known as the one who did not believe until he could place his fingers in the nail marks in the Lord's hands and the wound in the side of Christ. We live in a world of doubters today. People who would like to believe, but are searching for Jesus. How will they 'touch' Christ? Through encounters with His disciples; through our actions of love and mercy. The question is--are they able to 'see' Him in us?


Acts of the Apostles gives us a glimpse of what the early Christian communities were like. "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common" (Acts 4:32). St. John goes on further in his letter to say that, "Everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by Him. In this way we know we love God and obey His commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep His commandments" (1John 5:2-3)


The communities of believers imitated Christ's love for God and others without thought of personal gain. Mercy and forgiveness was genuine. There was no room in the community for parochialism or selfishness. They so emulated Christ that people were attracted to them, despite threats of persecution. Imagine if our communities of faith, our parishes, our Church, acted as one heart and mind!


We are all sinners. None of us are perfect. St. Faustina, as the conduit of Jesus, reminds us of this in her Diary. In one of the most beautiful passages in the diary, Jesus tells her:


My daughter, look into the abyss of My mercy and give praise and glory to this mercy of Mine. Do it in this way: Gather all sinners from the entire world and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. I want to give Myself to souls; I yearn for souls, My daughter. On the day of My feast, the Feast of Mercy, you will go through the whole world and bring fainting souls to the spring of My mercy. I shall heal and strengthen them (The Diary, #206).


Who are the fainting souls that we know? Those struggling with their faith? Those searching for love? Those are going down paths that lead away from the Lord? Instead of judging, instead of becoming impatient with them and writing them off, look into the loving eyes of Christ and into His Most Sacred Heart and ask for the strength to lift up that fainting soul so they too may drink from the font that gives life and love. Let every beat of our heart be in sync with His so that our arms may be the arms of compassion and our words be the words of love and forgiveness. Amen!