THE GOD OF MERCY

The Homilist, Rev. Fr. Paul Amenaghawon

Rev. Fr Paul Amenaghawon and Priest-In-Charge, Rev. Fr. Theodore Martinos during the Homily

Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, (Divine Mercy Sunday) YEAR C by Rev. Fr. Paul Amenaghawon.

Today we Celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday as declared by Pope John Paul II  on  22nd April 2001.  It’s a Very special one for me personally as My Journey through Priesthood was Sponsored by the Divine Mercy devotion of My Parish(St Antony)
There are Several Promises attached to saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Venerating the Image of the Divine Mercy!
The Image of the Divine Mercy has various significances –
 The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (Dairy 299). By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (Dairy 742).

In today’s Gospel, we recount the events of the passion and death of Jesus which were so devastating to his apostles and disciples, so they hid themselves in a closed room. It was in this room where they are locked up that the Risen Lord appeared to them. He knows that they are afraid of what the Jews could do to them. Jesus greets them with his peace: “Peace be with you.” Assuring them of his closeness and proximity to them and us. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them, empowers and emboldens them before sending them on a mission, the mission of LOVE and MERCY. Thereby giving us a glimpse of the meaning of what we call this Sunday  “Divine Mercy Sunday.” 

Thomas  wasn’t there when Jesus visited the remaining 11. The next week Jesus appears in the same way giving them his peace before dealing with the doubt of Thomas. Thomas did not do anything that the others haven’t done. When he returned to the group, they told him: “We have seen the Lord.” And he replied: “Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.” Thomas represents each and every one of us who seek faith based on scientific proofs but faith is only in unseen things still hoped for. When we see, when we touch, we have knowledge not faith. It was for Thomas that the Lord came the next Sunday. As soon as He came in and greeted them the usual way, He turned to Thomas: “Put your finger here; look here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.” Thomas through his response to this wonderful act of mercy has won for us a blessing because of his sincerity and truthfulness: “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believed.” In the second appearance of the Risen Lord to the community, Thomas saw beyond the physical. He expressed the supernatural. He saw and was proud to express his belief in the Risen Lord.

We might not be able to see God but we can see and also demonstrate the characteristics of the new family of God: live in unity and harmony, be the source of amazement to all, draw others to God and perform wonders in the name of the Risen Lord as the early Christians did in the first reading of today. Our lives and that of our families is the Bible for so many people.
We are also encouraged to endure our pains and suffering like John who wrote to the persecuted Christians. John said: “I am your brother and share your sufferings, your kingdom and all you endure.” He was able to encourage the Christians because he had been encouraged by the Risen Lord himself. Jesus said to him in a vision: “Do not be afraid; it is I, the first and the last; I am the living one. I was dead and now I am to live forever and ever…” It was the Risen Lord and Saviour of the world that kept John faithful even in his suffering.

Are you a doubting Thomas? Are you sincere enough to make your doubts known to others? Are you finding solutions to your doubts? Are you afraid? Are you being persecuted or unjustly treated? Even if you are afraid of opening up to others. Even if you don’t trust anyone. Go to the Risen Lord! He is loving, merciful, compassionate and understanding. He cleared the doubts of Thomas. He encouraged John banished to the island of Patmos. He increased and fortified the early church.
The God we serve is bigger than all our Worries…All our Sorrows…All our troubles!! Hold on to him
 He is waiting for you…Come to him in Prayers and Adoration✝

Jesus ………I trust in YOU!!!!

Happy Sunday!!

TEN(10) QUOTES ABOUT GODS MERCY FROM ST MARIA FAUSTINA DIARY(Patron Saint/Apostle of the Divine Mercy)

1. “Tell souls not to place within their own hearts obstacles to My mercy, which so greatly wants to act within them. My mercy works in all those hearts which open their doors to it. Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy.” (1577)
2. “Let Souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy.” (1578)
3. “I received a deeper understanding of divine mercy. Only that soul who wants it will be damned, for God condemns no one.” (1452)
4. “I have opened my Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good. Whoever places his trust in My mercy will be filled with My divine peace at the hour of death.” (1520)
5. “And I understood that the greatest attribute of God is love and mercy. It unites the creature with the Creator. This immense love and abyss of mercy are made known in the Incarnation of the Word and in the Redemption [of humanity], and it is here that I saw this as the greatest of all God’s attributes.” (181)
6. “Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice…” (1146)
7. “The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!.” (1074 – paragraph 2)
8. “Tell My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.” (1074 – paragraph 4)
9.” There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted-it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I  myself take care of it.” (1273)
10. “Today the Lord said to me, Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls.” (1602)

NOTE: The Numbers in Parentheses () are the Numbers of the Diary as it can be found there!

             SUNDAY SCHOOL CORNER

Rev.Fr. Paul Amenaghawon Sprinkling the children with Holy Water

Fr Paul Addressing the Children


The Parish Sunday School for children between ages 7-14 resumed after a brief Easter break..The Children recapped the Events of the Easter up until this Sunday, the Divine Mercy Sunday.

The Divine Mercy devotion and it’s importance was explained!
The Preacher of the day, Mrs Chinyere explained the gospel of today …stressing that each and everyone of them should avoid doubting especially as Christians and Catholics, they should have 100% faith in God and the teachings of the Church❗

Finally! The Children were Urged to Come to Jesus who is the Prince of Peace and Mercy ..

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

The Memory verse of the week is Psalm 118:24 -“The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.”

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