APRIL 27.  Divine Mercy Sunday.  Easter 2C.  “Do not be faithless but believe. Fr Sylvester had a few thoughts to share with the people on this Sunday.  “How did the early church grow?” he asked.  “Were the disciples all fired up immediately?  No.  They needed extra help, right, like we all do, all the time.”   You could say that Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrating God’s mercy as that extra something, but something that is always available to us.  There is the special Divine Mercy devotion attached to this which is practiced in many countries.   It focuses on God’s mercy and our trust in God as we acknowledge our sinfulness and need of mercy and forgiveness.  We priests have been given special sacramental powers to forgive sins in the name of God.   In all humility I really wish more people would appreciate what that can mean for them.  It can be a real way of ‘touching’ Jesus who heals and forgives.”    

Reflect, share and act. Scripture. “Put your finger here and see my hands and put out your hand and place it in my side; do not be faithless but believe.”  Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God.” Read John 20:19-31.   Pope Francis. The Church is commissioned to proclaim the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the mind and heart of every person. It will become possible for the balm of mercy to reach everyone, believers and those far away, as a sign that the kingdom of God is already present in our midst.  AL309. JUBILEE. More recent saints, like, Saint Teresa of Calcutta and many others, have spoken with deep devotion of the heart of Christ.  The experiences of Saint Faustina Kowalska, re-propose devotion to the heart of Christ by greatly emphasizing the glorious life of the risen Lord and his divine mercy. Inspired by her experiences and the spiritual legacy of Saint Józef Sebastian Pelczar (1842-1924), [151] Saint John Paul II intimately linked his reflections on divine mercy with devotion to the heart of Christ:.  DN147    Explore and practice the Divine Mercy or other devotions to the Sacred Heart.