BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
In times past, the Second Sunday of Easter was called Domenica in Albis since the newly baptized, the neophytes, would put aside their baptismal garments on this Sunday. The Second Sunday of Easter was also called formerly “Low” Sunday, probably as a comparative for the highest liturgical ranking day of all, Easter Sunday. Today, the second Sunday of Easter is that of Divine Mercy, according to the indication of the Roman Missal. For centuries (at least as far back as the 1570 Missal of Pius V), on the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church has proclaimed the Gospel passage that is sometimes referred to as the Gospel of “Doubting Thomas,” John 20:19–31. In that passage, we hear of the Risen Jesus’ appearance to his disciples, “On the evening of that first day of the week …”. John goes on to tell us that “Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came … .” Most of us are very familiar with this Gospel account, with Thomas’ words of “doubt”: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my fingers into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” We are also familiar, as the story continues, with Jesus’ appearance a week later, his gentle, but firm invitation to Thomas to “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” We then hear, what I believe is Thomas’ beautiful (and “heart-felt”) response, “My Lord and my God.”
On the weekend of the Feast of Divine Mercy last year, in my column, I quoted a summary from the website of EWTN, which I will share again because I find it to be an excellent summary of how the “Second Sunday of Easter” became “Divine Mercy Sunday”:
“During the course of Jesus’ revelations to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy He asked on numerous occasions that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that this feast be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. The liturgical texts of that day, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, concern the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, the Tribunal of the Divine Mercy, and are thus already suited to the request of Our Lord. This Feast, which had already been granted to the nation of Poland and been celebrated within Vatican City, was granted to the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the canonization of Sr. Faustina on 30 April 2000. In a decree dated 23 May 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stated that “throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come.” These papal acts represent the highest endorsement that the Church can give to a private revelation, an act of papal infallibility proclaiming the certain sanctity of the mystic, and the granting of a universal feast, as requested by Our Lord to St. Faustina.”
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/feast-13356
We can certainly see the way in which Divine Providence was working through these two Saints, Sr. Faustina (b. August 25, 1905) and Pope John Paul II (b. May 18, 1920), both born in Poland 15 years apart, to “give” this Feast of Divine Mercy to the Church and the world, in times when the need for Divine Mercy has perhaps never been greater. As I did last year, I would encourage those who would like to learn more about Sr. Faustina, the Feast, Devotion, Novena, and “Chaplet” of Divine Mercy to go to the website of the Marian Fathers: https://www.thedivinemercy.org
As we approach and celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy in this year of 2023, my thoughts turn to St. Thomas the Apostle, a.k.a. “Doubting Thomas,” and the beautiful Gospel text (Jn 20:19–31) that the Church gives to us at Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday. It is surely a “Gospel of Mercy” because, as cited earlier, it is one of the texts in which we see Jesus’ “institution” of the Sacrament of Penance, the “Tribunal of Divine Mercy.” There are (at least) two other aspects of this Gospel account that can help us to do what Jesus, in another place, told the Pharisees to do: “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ … .” (Mt 9:13)
First, as is often the case, the Gospel tells us “what” Jesus said, but not “how” he said it. After Jesus tells Thomas that he can, indeed, put his finger in His hand and put his hand in His side, He invites him to “not be unbelieving, but believe.” From Thomas’ reply, “My Lord and my God,” we can be sure that the words of Jesus must have been a profound experience of “Divine Mercy” and compassion for Thomas, not condemning or judging him for his “lack” of faith (or doubts), but a loving invitation to experience reconciliation, healing, and peace through the gift of faith. Jesus also “invites” all of us to that same, trusting faith, as He says to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
The second way in which I believe that this Gospel passage “teaches” us about “Divine Mercy” is through the words that Jesus repeats three times, “Peace be with you.” He greets the disciples with those words twice in the first appearance and again when He appears a week later. These are words that we hear Jesus repeating again and again, both before and especially, after His Resurrection. We recall at every Mass that, at the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (Jn 14:27)
In order for us to know and receive the peace that Jesus wants to give us, we need to accept His mercy, His forgiveness, and we need to forgive – ourselves and one another. We need to “learn mercy.” With mercy and forgiveness comes healing and peace. These are gifts that are given to us through the gift of Faith, through the Church and the Sacraments, just as they were given to St. Thomas and all the Apostles, to St. Faustina, St. Pope John Paull II, and all the saints.
In “receiving” the gift of the Feast of Divine Mercy in “our times,” we can see that our Merciful God is inviting us (and all sinners) to receive and accept His Mercy and Forgiveness so that we may know His Peace and can share it with the whole world.