In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome....
Mercy Sunday celebrates the compassion of God who calls the errant sons and daughters of the Church and urges them to come home. It also celebrates the merciful Church which has spontaneously generated this additional opportunity to turn to the Lord. (The original being the forty days of fast, charity, and prayer we completed last week.) The feast originated in a Polish convent, was promulgated by the first Polish pope, and enthusiastically welcomed by millions of parents and siblings. Enthused by the thrill of the Lord's Resurrection, they urge their prodigal sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends to accept this opportunity.
Mercy Sunday reminds us that God's commandments are not burdensome. Rather, our sins weigh too heavily on us. Widespread divorce, with its catastrophic effects on children and families, hangs like a nuclear cloud over the earth; it blankets the sky and hides the sunlight of God's mercy. Out of its failure, alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual adventurism are born. This nuclear winter has lasted so long many suppose it's normal and defend its ill effects as natural.
Mercy calls us to give it up. We can't go on this way. Exploiting the earth and our human resources are not paying off; no one benefits in this toxic atmosphere. Easter has reminded us of that Day, so many years ago, when sinful humanity in universal agreement attempted to destroy God once and for all. But we were defeated on that day for our resurgent God took the opportunity to destroy sin and death forever.
We cannot forget that Day. Remembering the Lord's command to, "Eat this, drink this, and do this in memory of me!" we feel the same lightness of being as the disciples who saw Him appear in the Upper Room.
But we do not boast of our fidelity for we know it is the Holy Spirit who can generate new disciples from the dust of the earth and the stones of our cities. Because our own children too often abandon the faith and our numbers are sustained by converts, we have nothing to boast about.
"In this way we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments."
The Octave of Easter calls us to celebrate ourselves, the merciful Church; and to welcome our errant children home. This second Sunday of Easter reminds us that the faithful have never missed a Sunday Mass since the Lord gathered us to his Last Supper in the Upper Room; and then found us hiding in the same room three days later. He went clear out to Emmaus to break bread with us. Everyone who belongs to the Lord must gather with us weekly. And we miss it powerfully when we miss it.
On this day we laugh at our hesitation and our doubts. The story of Doubting Thomas recalls the reluctance everyone has experienced when we are called to turn away from sin and back to the Lord. If we were persuaded that our religion was meaningless and our trusts betrayed, Easter proved those convictions premature and wrong.
God is good. And we are good. God is merciful. And we are too.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.