Feast of Divine Mercy Homily

Last Sunday in the city of DBQ the Power of Prayer, Inc. sponsored a special Mass at 2 pm at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in honor of the Divine Mercy. The main celebrant & homilist was Fr. Michael Podhajsky, associate pastor of Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church in DBQ. Here is his homily:

"My sister-in-law is a good woman and a faithful Christian. She happens, however, not to be Catholic. when I was visiting with her on Easter, she was lamenting the fact that her parish had decided this year not to have any service on Good Friday. Her pastor explained that the cross is just too depressing; it's too upsetting, too saddening. How many Christians share this opinion, that the cross is just too depressing. After all, this is the Easter season and we are an Easter people, a people of the resurrection. So, let's just skip over the cross which is too messy, too difficult, too upsetting, and instead let us focus on the joy of the empty tomb.

I don't know about you, but to me the cross is not depressing. I'll tell you what is depressing, the world without the cross! Without the cross what do we have: a world full of human misery, suffering, pain, distress, despair, all of which have absolutely no meaning or purpose. Without the cross we are trapped in sin, alienated from God, oppressed by the agony of the world. Wtihout the cross we are in the same position as Job whose friends counseled him to "curse God and die".

The cross is not depressing. The cross is mercy! Because now Christ has redeemed our misery, he has freed us from our sins. God does not remain aloof from our problems. He is not far removed from the human conditino. Instead, He has sent His only begotten Son to bear the full brunt of human weakness, sorrow and suffering and to give it new value. Now that which formerly oppressed us, that which alienated us from God is that which unites us most closely to Him. Now we can join our sufferings to the sufferings of Christ. Now, we can lay down our lives as Christ laid down His life for us. Now, as Christ offered up His suffering for the salvation of the world, so too can we offer up our sufferings for the salvation of the world. The cross is not depressing. The cross is mercy!

We see this in our Gospel reading. The apostles were locked away from the world in fear, in despair. Our Blessed Lord breaks through those locked doors and says to them, "Peace be with you." And then as a pledge of His peace, as a sign that He has truly won the right to give them peace, He shows them His hands and His side. The wounds of victory, the scars of love, as if to say, "See. Do you see what I have done for you? I have given up my life to give you peace. I have suffered so that you no more may suffer. I have laid down my life to redeem yours."

And this is what that great doubter, Thomas, wants to see. He says, "I want to see His wounds. I will not believe in any Messiah who is not willing to suffer for me. I will not follow any Christ who is not willing to lay down His life for me." So Christ returns, and again says, "Peace be with you." And then to Thomas, He says, "See, Thomas. See what I have suffered for you. See that it is I, who have laid down my life for you." And Thomas cries out, "My Lord, and my God! You have laid down your life out of love for me. Now I shall lay down my life out of love for you." And this is precisely what he did. All of the apostles were to lay down their lives for Christ and suffer for Him in martyrdom. All except John, that Beloved Disciple, who had the great vision of heavenly worship. And he saw there the Son of Man, the Christ, in all of His glory. Who holds in His mighty hand the keys to death and the nether world. The one who died and now lives for ever and ever.

The apostles laid down their lives for Christ because this was the commission they had received from Him. Our Blessed Lord breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." As the Father has sent me to suffer and die for the world and so win for it salvation, so I send you to suffer and die for the world and win for it salvation. Christ did this establishing that wonderful sacrament of confession whereby we experience the depths of God's mercy. How often, and with what devotion, should we make use of that glorious sacrament.

And Christ gives us the same commission. He says to us, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Not that we have the power to hear confession, but that we are to go into the world and show forth the depths of God's mercy. For, how many people in the world are longing to know of God's love. How many people are thirsting to know that God cares for them. How many people crowded around the apostles in the hope that the slightest part of Peter's shadow might fall upon them, and as many as it touched were cured. There are still thousands of people longing to be touched by the shadow of God's mercy. There are still vast crowds desiring to know of God's love and care through the shadow of our good works, so that those who are mourning may know comfort, and those who are lonely may know companionship, and those who are ill may know healing, and those who are in distress may know help and those who are in despair may know hope.

Is this not the message of Divine Mercy given to St. Faustina? In that beautiful image of mercy our Lord showed her, His one hand points to His pierced heart, out of which flows the rays of mercy. His other hand is raised in blessing so that the fruits of His mercy may be extended to all the world.

My friends, you and I are being called today to embrace this message of mercy, to instill in ourselves and extend to others a true devotion to Christ in those wonderful words, "Jesus, I trust in Thee!" "

(c. 2007 Fr. Michael Podhajsky, Used with permission, All rights reserved)

Fr. Podhajsky, who is a friend of mine, gave me his permission to share his homily. Mille Grazie amico mio!