Friar’s Corner: Blessed are we who believe without seeing Jesus

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13; 17-19; John 20:19-31

Those of us who continue to come to Sunday Eucharist (Mass) have not yet seen Jesus and still believe and pray for more grace to go deeper into the life of Jesus. We have heard the Doubting Thomas story from the end of St. John’s gospel every first Sunday after Easter. Many preachers focus on the unbelief of Thomas until he could touch Jesus. Jesus tells us, like Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

We need to remember that all of the New Testament was written after the event of Pentecost. Those one hundred and twenty men and women were set ablaze with the fire of God’s love for all of humanity. Jesus also wants to set us on fire with his great love and mercy. Do we want more? I do, much more. Let the fire fall.

Since the latter years of the life of Pope St. John Paul II, we now are able to call this Sunday, Divine Mercy Sunday, as we respond to Jesus’ directive. In his second encyclical letter, Dives et Misericordia, that great pope reminded us that the whole life, death and resurrection of Jesus are the heart and core of our faith, as God’s merciful love for us.

Message of mercy

The fire of the Holy Spirit sent Jesus’ followers, men and women with Mary, into the whole world to proclaim God’s mercy to all they were sent. As we are set more on fire with this great message, we are able, with more confidence, to invite others into the fire of God’s mercy and love.

Jesus, himself, came back to earth, appearing many times to a poor and almost illiterate Polish nun, now St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. He picked her, in her lowliness, to be his secretary telling the whole world what Jesus told her to tell us. Jesus wanted this Sunday to be called Divine Mercy Sunday, this week after Easter. He offered us a plenary indulgence, the forgiveness of all of our sins and the temporal punishment due to those sins under certain conditions on this Sunday. He encouraged us to receive his merciful love and to share that love with others.

New rosary and novena

He also asked us to pray a new and simple rosary, on our normal rosary beads, called the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Jesus also offered us a new nine-day novena, initially from Good Friday to the Saturday before this Sunday. Each day we pray for Jesus’ special intentions for that day. They are so beautiful and necessary that I pray the novena all year long, beginning God to pour out more of his love on all people.

Finally, Jesus gave us a new picture of himself, somewhat described by St. John when Jesus appeared in the Upper Room. There are red and pale rays emanating from the heart of Jesus. He says to us that these rays are his blood and water flowing from his pierced side that flowed from his heart on the cross. Jesus tells us that these two streams are “highways.” He told us, to get on one of these rays and “COME DIRECTLY INTO MY MERCIFUL HEART.”

He offers us direct access into the ocean of his merciful love. We can go directly to Jesus because he loves us so much. We tell him all of our needs and receive from him the answer to our needs. Awesome! One of the results of God’s mercy is an increase of God’s joy. Thank you Jesus, Father and Holy Spirit.

Come each day into the ocean of his merciful love. You will receive much peace, healing and joy.

Have a blessed feast and a wonder-filled week,

+  Fr. Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com

(© 2019 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)