Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. The reading of the Gospel has to do with the mercy that Jesus showed to the Apostle Thomas in revealing to him His risen body a week after Easter morning. It was this loving act that enabled Saint Thomas to overcome his doubt and his heart was flooded with faith and joy in the Risen Lord.
This love and mercy is not just for Saint Thomas, but it is extended to all of us. Jesus came to set us free from sin and to give us the gift of faith.
One of the things that seems to hinder us from receiving the mercy of Jesus is falling into the modern way of thinking that sin does not exist, and even that hell does not exist. If we are influenced by this way of thinking, then we are unable to enjoy the Lord’s mercy because we don’t believe that we need it.
Just recently I was visiting with the second graders from Mary Immaculate School. They are preparing for their first confession and their first Holy Communion. We were talking about the sacrament of reconciliation and the different parts of that sacrament. We confess our sins, express our sorrow for what we have done, receive absolution, and then do our penance.
There was much discussion about sin and a sigh of relief when I explained the seal of confession and that I could not reveal to anyone what they told me in confession. Then there were the questions about penance. Why should they have to do something to atone for their sins, if they said they were sorry and had received forgiveness from God? I explained that every sin, no matter how small, offends God, but it also causes hurt to the Body of Christ which is everyone in the Church. No sin is secret even if no one on earth knows about it; it is still an offense against God and His Church.
I explained that each sin has a consequence. For example, if you are playing baseball and your ball goes through a neighbor’s window, you will apologize and be forgiven, but the window is still broken and must be repaired. It is very likely that your parents will ask you to pay for the window out of your own money.
That is how penance works. We do penance to atone for sins we have committed. When we are aware that we are sinners and reflect on our sins and try to correct them, it makes us a better person. We are able to live a life of virtue and we receive the mercy that comes from God.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Msgr. Cox Christ and Doubting Thomas, Paolo Cavazzola (1522)