On Divine Mercy Sunday we read in Psalm 118:13-14, “I was hard pressed and falling, but the LORD came to my help. My strength and my courage is The LORD.” Strength and courage are His Divine Mercy in us!
All of us are broken in some way, hard pressed and falling. Our brokenness is caused either by something done to us or by some recurring sin we can’t seem to shake. Still, how often has the Lord come to your aid with His Divine Mercy? How often do we enjoy second and third chances, and more?
Think about how Peter denied Him. Thomas doubted Him. Even so, Jesus treated them with mercy. He came and stood in their midst when they were hiding behind locked doors (Jn 20:19-20). He said to them, “Peace be with you.” He says this to us. John 14:27 reads, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”
How has the Lord given you a sense of His peace when you face trials? How has His peace given you the strength and courage to bear adversity? What mercy has God shown you? What healing have you experienced – physical, emotional, and spiritual?
As we say at Mass, “By His cross and resurrection, He has set us free.” He is risen! By our faith and trust in Him, He overcomes all of our trials, temptations, illnesses, brokenness, even death. And He encourages us, “Be not afraid.” We can trust that He comes to our help. He is our strength and might. He loves us. He forgives us. Be at peace.
How can we thank God for his Divine Mercy? I think of the woman who was so grateful for having been forgiven for so much that she overwhelmed Jesus with her love by bathing His feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair (Lk 7:44). What a lavish expression of humble gratitude. What return will you make to the Lord in humble gratitude for His Divine Mercy?
Photo Credit: Robert Davis
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