Second Sunday of Easter (or Divine Mercy Sunday)

Year of Saint Joseph

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

In other years: Saint Stanislaus of Cracow, Bishop and Martyr, Patron of Poland (c. 1030-1079); Saint Gemma Galgani (1878-1903)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 58:1-16 The Procedure for Receiving New Brothers

Mass: Acts 4:32-35; Resp Ps 118; 1 Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20:19-31

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love is everlasting.

HEART OF JESUS, PATIENT AND MOST MERCIFUL,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Never lose hope in God's mercy.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 4:74)

Welcome to Divine Mercy Sunday. Something to embrace this glorious day comes from Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), the "Apostle" or "Secretary" of Divine Mercy: "God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted." There may be things that you do not believe or doubt, but believe and have faith, for God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Indeed, His mercy endures forever. So "having received mercy, let us now become merciful" (Pope Francis, homily, Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, 2021).

Mercy is made tangible, it becomes closeness, service, care for those in difficulty. I hope you will always feel you have been granted mercy, so as to be merciful to others in turn.

(Pope Francis, Twitter, April 11, 2021)

Why not pick up and put to good use one of Saint Benedict's Tools for Good Works, for example, "relieve the lot of the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and bury the dead. Go to help the troubled and console the sorrowing" (RB 4:14-18).

Or put another way, engage in a Work of Mercy:

SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY

Counsel the doubtful.

Instruct the ignorant.

Admonish sinners.

Comfort the afflicted,

Forgive offenses.

Bear patiently with those who do us ill.

Pray for the living and the dead.

CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY

Feed the hungry.

Give drink to the thirsty.

Clothe the naked.

Welcome the stranger.

Heal the sick.

Visit the imprisoned.

Bury the dead.

VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF MERCY,

SAINT JOSEPH,

SAINT MARIA FAUSTINA KOWALSKA,

SAINT STANISLAUS OF CRACOW,

SAINT GEMMA GALGANI, 

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Apple blossoms in the garden. 

© Gertrude Feick 2021