On Mercy Sunday…

Thoughts on Divine Mercy Sunday…

The readings this weekend speak of the recreation brought about by Christ’s sacrifice; and the overflowing of Divine Mercy which cleansed us all and restored the spiritual nature of man in grace.

Joseph Solovetchik wrote in The Lonely Man of Faith, about the covenental community created in Genesis II. Man is created in humility, from dust; he tends the garden and keeps it safe, he is alone.

And that is not good!

When Eve is created, he and Eve are now in a covenental relationship with one another and with God. I, Thou, God. The loneliness which exists in our hearts, often as a relestness, is an experience which leads us ultimately to our Creator, in community with others (the other, as it were.) That’s precisely the type of community we see in Acts 4:32-3:

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

It’s not communism, or socialism. It’s living in community and working in mercy and wisdom while retaining the genius of one’s precious and unique individuality, made in the image and likeness of God. One lives in community with others, and with God’s Spirit permeating the lives of the community.

Genesis I speaks of man being created with woman, and together they live in creation, working in its splendor as noble beings created in the image and likeness of God.

In the second reading today the Apostle John writes:

And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Being victors of the world through faith in Christ, a very simple idea, is presented to us as a result of Christ’s death and resurrection. The idea of dominion over the created realm echoes forth from Genesis I; all things are restored in Christ.

Mercy… “is said to be a virtue influencing one’s will to have compassion for, and, if possible, to alleviate another’s misfortune”.

St. Catherine of Siena described the unfogiveable sin as a refusal to accept God’s mercy. One can think upon Judas Iscariot who, after betraying Jesus, confessed he was wrong yet went and hanged himself rather than finding repentance and mercy. The Apostle Peter betrayed Christ in a different way, yet endured to the end, seeking the humility needed for forgiveness and mercy.

St. Catherine also wrote that we grow in love only during our life on earth. That’s not a great amount of time when compared to all of eternity. It’s a reminder to accept some of life’s misfortunes with humility, to find in our hearts a place for repentance, forgiveness and understanding, and to dwell upon the concept of mercy as it shows in our actions, our thoughts, our words. God is, and can be, merciful unto us. Are we merciful to others, living in Christ’s peace as we sojourn upon Earth?