Divine Mercy Sunday

04-06-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Aruldoss

Dear people of God,

Alleluia! Alleluia!! Praise be Risen Christ. First of all, I express my sincere thanks to all the Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers, Deacon Edward, Janice & Choir members, Office Assistant, Decors, PCCWs, Council members of our three parishes for having helped us to celebrate this Easter in a meaningful way. Special thanks to Debra Kujak for coordinating all the liturgical activities. I also appreciate all those who donated for purchasing of Easter flowers.

This Saturday, April 6, our St. Boniface Catholic School, Waumandee is having its Spring Fundraiser. You are welcome for this exciting event.

On this second Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We celebrate this feast today since God’s mercy was shared with us through the resurrection of Jesus. The access to Divine Mercy has been with us since that time. Many centuries later, in 1931, Jesus revealed specific instructions to a nun named Sr. Faustina to help further spread the message of His Divine Mercy. In the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II established this new feast. He said that we receive the Easter Gift. It is the special gift of the total forgiveness of all sins and punishment that the Catholic Church offers in the form of a plenary indulgence today. The word “Divine” means “given by God” or “like God”. The word “Mercy” means “the refraining from harming or punishing offenders”. So simply put, Divine Mercy is “God refraining from harming or punishing offenders”. The feast of Divine Mercy, according to the diary of St. Faustina , receives from Jesus the biggest promises of grace related to the Devotion of Divine Mercy, in particular that a person who goes to confession and receives holy communion on that day, shall obtain the total forgiveness of all sins .

This is an annual feast to get perfectly right with God. The Sacrament of Eucharist and Confession comprise the Fount of Divine Mercy. The two sacraments needed to receive the total forgiveness of sins. Recall what Jesus said to His Apostles in the Gospel today: “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”. This happened on the very night of the Resurrection when the Apostles were hiding from fear of the Jews.

He is asking us not to be afraid to approach Him and to ask Him for His mercy in the Sacrament of Confession. He is calling us to wash away our sins and to receive Holy Communion without stain of sin, because He wants to give us the absolute greatest gift possible today. The Catholic Church allows about 20 days for Confession, before or after Divine Mercy Sunday, to gain the special plenary indulgence that is being offered today. If you think that you are in the state of serious or mortal sin, the Church teaches that you must go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion. If you have gone to Confession but have fallen back into venial sin, you should make a perfect Act of Contrition before receiving Holy Communion.

Have a Blessed Sunday!