Peace and Mercy: Divine Mercy Sunday

Last updated on: March 25, 2016 at 6:35 pm by Father Pablo Migone

Peace and Mercy: Divine Mercy Sunday 2016-03-25T18:35:11-05:00 Father Pablo Migone

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Last year I celebrated Easter Mass at a state prison. Usually about eight to ten men attended Mass when I’d go, but for Easter about thirty-five came.

I became skeptical at first: why so many? Did they come just to get a free rosary to hang around their necks? Did they come to get out of the heat of their cells into the cool air conditioning of the multipurpose room where Mass was held? Maybe they actually wanted to join in our Easter celebration? Why so many?

They came because a guard had been stabbed in the eye earlier in the afternoon and there was a lot of commotion in the prison. Half of the prison was on lock down as they investigated who had done it. The men came hoping to hear some news, to mingle and chat about the incident. Two guards remained in the room throughout Mass, usually only the chaplain’s aid was present to keep order.

During my homily (which I had quickly modified in my mind) I told the men, “if one person at a time in the whole world had a change of heart by turning to Christ and received his mercy, the world would be a very different place; if one person at a time here at this prison had a change of heart, recognized his sinfulness and asked for forgiveness, for mercy, this prison would be a very different place.”

Some men in the back looked at me as if I were crazy. One of them shook his head in disagreement before I even finished my statement, he already knew where I was going. I told them to allow themselves to dream a bit: a prison where every heart turned to Christ and found forgiveness. “There would be peace in this prison,” I told them, “if you repent and turn to Christ.”

I was surprised by the quick rejection of my proposal by the inmates, my proposal to allow themselves to imagine a prison where every heart turned to Christ and found peace. Truth be told, I should not have been surprised: most of the men at that institution were young and serving several life sentences. To the world they had absolutely nothing to look forward to, they had lost all hope. Their experience was hell. In their minds, there was no room for redemption. They had no peace.

In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to Faustina, a Polish religious sister in Krakow, Poland. He said to her, “mankind will not have real peace until it turns with trust to my mercy.”

The peace of Christ is tied to openness to receive his mercy.

In the Gospel passage we just heard proclaimed, Jesus three times says the same thing to his apostles, “Peace be with you” and in that giving of peace, he also says, “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” These words that assure us of forgiveness, of God’s mercy, are the source of our joy and peace. Peace and mercy go together.

God desperately wants to forgive our sins so we may live free from the chains of sin and live in the freedom of the children of God. Living reconciled with God and neighbor is finding true peace – though the world be falling apart, though we be imprisoned at the state prison, we can still find peace in God.

If the peace of Christ is established one heart at a time, then the world would know peace. A peace that is not simply the lack of conflict, but the joy that comes from living in harmony with God and those around us.

There is a part of us that acts like Thomas. We doubt the redeeming power of wounds of Jesus Christ. We live as if they did not exist. We doubt God’s mercy and love. We doubt his ability to forgive us. We allow doubt to keep us away from the mercy God freely offers us through the cross and resurrection of his Son.

But if we could only grasp a little the mercy God shows us. Saint John Vianney wrote, “Our sins are nothing but a grain of salt alongside the great mountain of the mercy of God.”

Peace is Jesus’ Easter gift to us. His mercy is His greatest attribute.

None of us are too far from being that inmate shaking his head at the back of the room, rejecting the possibility for God’s mercy to transform our hearts.

A man in prison can become a free man with God’s mercy, while a free man living a life of sin can certainly become a prisoner.

On this Divine Mercy Feast when Jesus Himself promises to pour fourth innumerable graces, soften hardened hearts and manifest His mercy, open up your hearts. Dream a little bit. Allow God to surprise you with His mercy and love, and you will find peace, the true peace only Christ can give, and you will find joy.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 1, 2013

Beauty and Power in Christ

Next Post

April 17, 2013 Christian Unity at Savannah Clergy Conference

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Article Catholic Lima Christmas Commentary History Homily Immigration martyrs Meditation Pope Reflection Saint Story Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 January 2010 June 2009 September 2008 August 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which of their sons did Adam and Eve lose first?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Japheth Cain Seth Abel