It is into a closedness and fear Christ comes close, and speaks to them in the consoling words, “Peace be with you.”
He calls Thomas from his search, and shows his wounds. “It is me, Thomas, put your finger on the marks of the nails, and keep your hand on my pierced side, and believe.”
God desires that we go close to him with sincere heart. God is open to welcome, accept build us once again. This open and welcoming heart of God is the mercy we reflect on. We may be afraid, closed, broken, bitter, and lost. God’s mercy is available for us. We can join our pains and woundedness to the wounds of Christ. He will offer us confidence, strength, hope and new love.
He breathed on them and said, “receive the Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Forgiveness for us is not an act of kindness, but an action of power and work of the holy Spirit. To offer such kind of forgiveness we need to be confident of being forgiven ourselves. To forgive and be forgiven is the way of peace.
The message of hope here is that God’s kindness can overcome all sins, and bring peace to the world. Though in the midst of troubles and fears, only our confidence in the divine benevolence can heal us of our divisive attitudes, hate, and fights for domination.
It was very much message of hope and consolation especially in the context of the World war I. Though the worse one was yet to come people were already in fear and hopelessness. They could not see any sign of the presence of God.
To this context the Divine mercy is a concrete proposal which require concrete application.
Asking for God’s mercy includes humble acceptance of our own arrogance and hardness of heart, sincere effort to remove every form of suspicion, daring to come out of closedness and narrow securities. He will enter into our rooms and show mercy to us.
More than we plead for mercy, mercy is an invitation that we confidently trust in the heart of love, and go to him.
It is very important for us that we learn to trust as it is an act of sincerity and faith. As we place our trust in Jesus, Jesus also asks us to learn to trust in our spouse, family members, neighbours, nations, communities ...As war begins from heart the building of peace also begins at heart and our attitudes. As the saviour shows his mercy and heals us, he asks us to turn this mercy into action, “Be merciful.” It goes beyond a mere 3 O’ clock devotion or a prayer in the name of divine mercy.
All these graces and mercy are directed towards the communion with God. St. Faustina says that all these graces and wonders are like ornaments. What really forms our human nature and bring to completion is our relation with God. This sanctity is the grace and mercy lived in our life. Perhaps it was such a realisation that happened in Thomas when he said, “My Lord, an my God.”
More than we plead for mercy, mercy is an invitation that we confidently trust in the heart of love, and go to him.
It is very important for us that we learn to trust as it is an act of sincerity and faith. As we place our trust in Jesus, Jesus also asks us to learn to trust in our spouse, family members, neighbours, nations, communities ...As war begins from heart the building of peace also begins at heart and our attitudes. As the saviour shows his mercy and heals us, he asks us to turn this mercy into action, “Be merciful.” It goes beyond a mere 3 O’ clock devotion or a prayer in the name of divine mercy.
All these graces and mercy are directed towards the communion with God. St. Faustina says that all these graces and wonders are like ornaments. What really forms our human nature and bring to completion is our relation with God. This sanctity is the grace and mercy lived in our life. Perhaps it was such a realisation that happened in Thomas when he said, “My Lord, an my God.”
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