Sunday of Divine Mercy

Lectionary: 45

Do not be afraid.
I am the first and the last, the one who lives.
Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.
I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.

Easter celebrates the mercy of God revealed, especially in the reprieve, vindication, and glorification of a carpenter’s son. This man of no particular family; without patrons, sponsors, or mentors; owning nothing worth boasting about; defenseless, unarmed, abandoned by family, friends and disciples; who was savagely executed for no reason anyone can remember except that he bothered the authorities -- has been raised up and revealed as the Only Begotten Son of God.

The celebration of Mercy Sunday begins with rejoicing in the mercy God has shown to Jesus. Of the billions of human beings who have ever lived, this man most deserved to be shown mercy – for the good he did and for who he was.

But when he died we had no reason to believe that would happen. The time for mercy, we thought, had passed. Nor could we expect history to be  kind to this nonentity. He was just another victim of the powerful and self-righteous. He would be removed from the cross, buried, and forgotten. If anything, his death proved that mercy and justice are illusions. Fabrications to help us sleep at night. The only reality is power and power will always win in the end.

But Easter proved us wrong. Easter showed us that power is the illusion. It evaporates like the morning dew; melts like a snowman in spring. Whether it is political, military or financial; religious, social or intellectual; power must bow down before Justice. It must finally accept the government of Mercy.

Secondly, on this Mercy Sunday, we celebrate the kindness of God to us. He has raised up Jesus and restored him to us despite our treatment of him. He was murdered by a conspiracy of Roman military authorities, Jewish religious authorities, citizens of Jerusalem and the Apostle Judas Iscariot, with the tacit consent of his family and disciples. The Father certainly "owed" Jesus vindication, victory and glory -- but he owed us nothing. As Saint James said, "...judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy."

Nevertheless, God's original intent could not be frustrated. He sent his Son to save us and his Son poured out his life -- spirit, blood and water -- in that supreme work of mercy. As deep as our sins are, God's mercy is infinitely deeper.

Finally, on this Mercy Sunday, we celebrate the mercy we show to others -- especially to the despised unborn, aliens, criminals, addicts, Muslims, Jews and others minorities. The Passion, Death and Resurrection has shown us the rightness of being merciful to others. We cannot do less. We must go the extra mile for others since the Lord has gone an infinite distance with us.