Divine Mercy Sunday

Mercy not Justice

There was a man who once tried to kill Napoleon.

But was caught before he could do so.  

He was to be executed in the public square. 

But his mother came running up to Napoleon and fell

At his feet begging him to pardon her son.

 

And Napoleon responded by saying,

“Your son does not deserve pardon.”

And she answered by saying,

“That is why they call it Mercy.”

Mercy is a gift, 

given only to those who do NOT deserve it. 

If a person deserved it, then Mercy would not be necessary. 

That is the Great Gift of Mercy. 

It is given to those who do not deserve it. 

Who do you know that does not deserve Mercy?

A politician?

A religious leader?

A criminal?

Someone who hurt you?

Yourself?

Those who do not deserve Mercy are the ones who need it the most. 

How willing are we to give it to them?

What makes Mercy Divine

Is that it is offered even before someone asks for it.  

So do not wait!

Be Merciful as your Heavenly Father is Merciful. Lk. 6:36

Saturday of Easter Week

 Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven)

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray.

O God, who have been pleased to gladden the world
by the Resurrection of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we pray,
that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may receive the joys of everlasting life.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday Easter Week

We will catch nothing 

No matter how hard they tried 

And how long they worked through the night;

The disciples had very little to show for all their effort. 

That is how it is in  life. 

Most people spend their lives working morning to night 

And in the end what do they have to show for it?

If only we would listen to Jesus telling us where to cast our nets!

They would be filled to overflowing. 

Overflowing with Love, Peace, Hope, Confidence, Courage and Faith. 

These are riches far beyond silver and gold. 

These are riches that will see us through any crisis or difficulty;

These are riches that bear fruit far beyond what the sweat of our brow and our little intelligence and planning can accomplish. 

And All we have to do before we cast our nets is to ask Jesus,

Where!!!

Thursday of Easter Week

Touch Me! Lk. 24:35-48

After Jesus had risen from the dead,

His body changed. 

He now had a glorious body. 

A body so glorious that the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost.  

But Jesus assured them that they were not,

By taking a piece of fish and eating before their eyes.  

In the creed we profess that we believe in the resurrection of the body. 

Just as our bodies are united with our souls here on this earth,

So On the Last Day,

Our bodies will be reunited with our souls,

In the resurrection of the dead. 

But with one difference,

Our bodies will be glorified. 

And no longer bound by time and space;

But a body nonetheless. 

Wednesday Easter Week

 Where Are You Going?  Lk.  24:13-35

Where are you going today?

Work?

Home?

An Errand?

Visiting someone?

A Walk?

Did you see the Risen Lord walking next to you?

The disciples on the road to Emmaus did not see Him either. Lk. 24:15-16

Yet Jesus was walking right beside them but they did not notice it was Him. 

Every where we go, the Risen Christ is walking beside us. 

But do we see Him?

What prevents us from seeing Him?

For the disciples on the road to Emmaus it was their sorrow. 

For others it might be the distractions of life. 

Others might be in too much of a hurry. 

And others might not even be looking for Him. 

It was not until the Breaking Of The Bread that they recognized Him. Lk. 24:30-31

For in the Breaking Of The Bread Christ is fully present  to us. 

If you are lost along the way;

If tears fill your eyes;

If you are distracted or too busy;

So that you cannot see the Risen Lord walking beside you;

Go to the Eucharist!

Go to the celebration of the Breaking of the Bread!

And there you will see Him!

Easter Week Tuesday

 Why are you weeping? Jn. 20:15

It is not easy to lose someone. 

Sometimes we cannot stop crying. 

This is what Mary Magdalene was going through. 

She went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. 

And her eyes were filled with tears

Because she thought she would never see Him again. 

But the Risen Lord appeared to her

And asked her why she was weeping?

And when she recognized the Risen Lord,

Her tears disappeared. 

One day our tears will disappear

As we too will behold the Risen Lord;

And all those we love. 

Monday of Easter Week

Fearful yet overjoyed Mt. 28:28

Mary Magdalene had gone to visit the tomb where Jesus was laid,

Expecting to anoint His Body,

Only to find the tomb empty. 

Fearful and yet overjoyed for she remembered the words of Jesus,

That He was the Resurrection and the Life.

How would you feel if you went to the cemetery to visit the grave of a loved one and found it empty?

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and come forth. Jn 5:28