Brothers and Sisters,

How incredibly merciful is Jesus!

Have you ever wondered what you would do after your own resurrection?  In the moving gospel we heard today on this Mercy Sunday, we witnessed what Jesus did on the day of His resurrection.  He passed through the locked door of the room where the apostles were hiding in fear and said to them, “Shalom!” , “Peace be with you!”

Jesus came down from heaven to earth and sacrificed His life to give us peace — a special kind of peace that the world cannot give nor take away.  “Peace, not as the world gives, do I give unto you,” said Jesus at the Last Supper.  The peace that Jesus leaves and gives us is not simply an absence of war and conflict, but rather a harmony with God through the forgiveness of sins.  Without this kind of peace no other form can survive, for sin destroys inner peace — peace in the home, peace between neighbors, peace throughout the community and peace among nations.  And so Jesus on the night of His resurrection, wasting no time initiating the next stage of His peace plan, commissioned the Apostles with bringing peace to the ends of the earth.

Many thanks to our Priests, Sisters and Volunteers for helping us prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.  God reward you!

Your Priest,

Fr. Paul