Divine Mercy and the Victory of Christ applied to us in the Sacraments

Here in Australia it is a day late… but blessed Divine Mercy Sunday to you all! 

Divine Mercy Sunday is my patronal feast in the eremitic life, with my full religious name being Br Jerome Mary of Divine Mercy. I chose this because the mercy of God is something I realise has been such a big part of my own spiritual journey, as well as my calling as a hermit. 

When I was not living my faith and was in a period of living an active gay lifestyle, I would often struggle to pray. Now I love Our Lady and the rosary, but unfortunately for me I have always associated the rosary with guilt, and so it’s something I would struggle to regularly pray. So when I had my moments of wanting to pray, I would pray the Divine Mercy chaplet as it never had any negative associations for me. I specifically loved to chant it as I had learnt to chant it many years before, and so those would always be special moments of grace for me in prayer while chanting the chapel. I believe this played a huge part in me keeping my faith and eventually coming back to God and now living as a hermit. So this is why the Divine Mercy is special to me and why I chose it as my religious name. 

In the Gospel for today, it can sometimes be overlooked that this is when Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession. It was this moment that Jesus gave the Apostles the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. It was the Resurrected Jesus, victorious over death and ful of power who now imparts the life giving Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. 

The beautiful way that the Divine Mercy devotion is linked to the Sacrament of Confession and the way that the graces of the Passion and Resurrection are dispensed to us, poured out through the sacrament is something I find very beautiful. The Divine Mercy devotion highlights sin and how much we need to repent and turn to our Saviour. But it also tells us that we should not fear Jesus - we should trust in Him, turn back to Him, allow Him to wash us, clean us, bathe us in His love and mercy. His mercy is a soothing balm for our hurt and wounded souls. What more beautiful way do we experience this than when the priest raises his hand over us and prays these words “through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace. I absolve you of your sins in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

What peace and joy this gives to us! Do we always feel it? Not necessarily. But the beauty of the Sacraments is that they are not based on our emotions or feelings. They are concrete physical signs and actions, that impart and convey the reality behind what it symbolises. This is why we have the Sacraments, because we are physical beings - we are spiritual and physical. So through the Incarnation and specifically His Resurrection, Jesus has redeemed creation, and now it can be vessels of grace and goodness in the economy of salvation. 

We know that we can ask Jesus for forgiveness of our sins at anytime. This is what it means to be living a life of conversion and repentance - to continually turn back towards Jesus anytime we go astray, miss the mark or fall down. We look to Him, reach out our hand and say “Jesus I’m sorry, I help me. I trust in you, have mercy on me”. In that very moment we are in the arms of Jesus, our Good Shepherd who knows our weakness and comforts us.  

But our spiritual life can become messy and tricky. The devil loves to play with our mind, causing temptation, doubt, scrupulosity… does God really love you? Are you sure you repented fully? If you’re forgiven why do you keep doing the same sins over and over again? How do you know you’re forgiven? Are you even saved? Does God even care? 

These are all the many ways that Satan attacks us, tricks us, wears us down to isolate us, make us feel shame and fall into despair. But Jesus has already given us the solution to this! The Sacrament of Confession! When the priest prays over us and absolves us - we are guaranteed 100% that our sins are forgiven! No doubts, no ifs and buts. We have been forgiven, absolved, cleansed and freed from those sins that burdened us and chained us down. But we NEED to hear those words, because we are physical beings. So through the person of the priest, it is Jesus Himself who says “I forgive you… go in peace”. Hallelujah!! 

Is there any wonder why so many of us are scared of confession? Why we have wrong ideas and conceptions of the Sacrament? For many it can cause anxiety, stress and fear. This is exactly what Satan wants. If he can make us so scared to run to Jesus and fall into shame and despair, then he can trap us just like he did with Judas. 

But Jesus is the Victorious one who has already won the battle. He had defeated Satan and risen from the dead. He has conquered and overcome, He has redeemed us, freed us, saved us and is now able to transform us. So whenever we go to the Sacrament of Confession it is the Victory of Christ being applied to our life. We are receiving the graces and blessings from the Risen Jesus who washes us in His mercy, soothes us and applies His Victory over sin and the devil to us again and again and again. 

This is why in the Responsorial Psalm for today we hear “there are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the just” (Psalm 128:15). Jesus is Victorious! He has conquered death and won the war for us. Jesus is still with us in His Sacraments and the Church. His Victory is continuously being dispensed and applied to us in the Sacraments. The Gospel is continuously being announced, proclaimed and declared over our lives. The Church through the Sacraments continuously proclaims to us over and over “you are forgiven, you are redeemed, you are healed and saved.. go in peace!” 

Doesn’t this make you want to say “WOW!!” For me, it feels me with awe, wonder, joy and gratitude. It helps me to understand what a true gift the Sacrament of Confession is and why Jesus continues to heal and restore us through this precious and wonderful Sacrament. 

The glory of the Resurrection shines precisely through the sacred wounds of Jesus. Although he is Risen, and alive He still bears His wounds. Why? 

Because St Thomas Aquinas teaches that this is the trophy of His Victory! His wounds shine out always for us, reminding us how much He loves us and that through our own woundedness, that is exactly where He can be found - soothing us with the tender balm of His mercy. Washing us clean, annointing us, comforting us and strengthening us. Renewing is always through the new life He shares with us now. 

This is the beauty of the power of the Sacraments flowing to us from the Paschal Mystery. The Victory of Christ is dispensed, poured out, given, announced and applied to us physically in the Sacraments. All of this is highlighted for us in the devotion to Divine Mercy - we see the rays pouring out from Christ’s wounded side, His Sacred Heart bursts forth with love and mercy for us. All we need to do is to open our eyes and our heart, to accept His mercy and healing, to bask and soak in it as we say: 

“My Lord and my God - Jesus I trust in you”