Thomas and Divine Mercy

Thomas shows us his humanity, in his suspicion and doubt about the risen Jesus. He did not believe the testimony of the other Apostles, men whom he had accompanied for three years, at the side of the Lord. Thomas put down conditions to his belief: to see and touch the risen Lord and His wounds. Although we may scoff at his stubbornness, stupidity and doubt (or whatever we want to call it), in each one of us there can also be that placing of conditions on the Lord: "If you do this for me, I will believe," or "Work this out for me, and I will trust you." At times we are not that different from Thomas. We too are called to believe without having "seen". But we have seen the Lord! In our lives the Lord Jesus has been active, revealing Himself to us over and over again, if we are willing to open our eyes, our eyes, our minds and our hearts. It takes a great deal of reflection in order to recognize Jesus in and around us.

Poor fellow, throughout history we have been calling people who aren’t convinced a “doubting Thomas.” But a deeper look at the Gospel shows that Thomas was not without faith, he was an empiricist: an “I’ll believe it when I see it” type of guy. Jesus had appeared to everyone but him and the Apostles were now filled with zealous faith. Thomas just wanted the same experience. Can we blame him? Wouldn’t things be easier if only Jesus would appear, breathe upon us and fill us with His Holy Spirit so we would have that same unwavering faith, trust and hope!

It may surprise you, but Jesus does sometimes still appear! On the cold winter morning of Feb. 21, 1931, The Lord unexpectedly appeared to a simple Polish nun named Sister Faustina Kowalska, of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow. He was clothed in a white garment, had one hand raised in blessing and the other touched His garment at the breast. From an opening in the garment came two large rays: one white, representing the water (“which makes souls righteous”); one red representing the blood (“the life of souls”) that flowed from His heart as He was pierced by a lance as He died upon the cross. He told Faustina “Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter.”

As a lasting sign of His forgiving love, Jesus told Faustina to paint an image of what she saw, with the inscription: “Jesus I Trust in You.” He also called for a Feast of His Divine Mercy to be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. On that day, He promised “the depths of My Mercy will be open to all. Whoever will go to confession and Holy Communion on that day will receive complete forgiveness of sin and punishment.” “Mankind will not enjoy peace until it turns with confidence to My Mercy.”

On April 30, 2000, Sister Faustina was canonized by Saint Pope John Paul II who officially designated this Sunday as Divine Mercy Sunday. He re-emphasized the message given Faustina: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy.” “Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.” A week later, Jesus also appeared to Thomas who simply exclaimed “My Lord and My God.” Jesus told Thomas blessed are we who believe but have not seen him. He also told Faustina that His Divine Mercy is offered to all. Do we need visual proof? Or do we have the faith to say “Jesus, our Lord and our God, we Trust in You!” ….with “all our hearts.”

The First Day!

We made it! It is over, we crossed the finish line...time to CELEBRATE! 

The past forty days of Lent we “wandered the desert with Jesus” through our fasting,penance, alms giving and works of charity. For the last three days, we entered the mystery of the Passion of Jesus: ate our last supper with The Lord; listened to his final words; carried his cross and grieved as He lay dead in the tomb. But today we CELEBRATE! Today  is the first day of a new chapter in our lives. Lent is over and we can go back to our regular lives, business as usual. Or can we? 

Something has happened today that should preclude us from EVER returning to our regular (“old”) way of living. Today something has occurred that has never happened before. Today THE TOMB IS EMPTY! Not because the body was moved as some surmised, but because as was promised by God for eons through the prophets, and as Jesus Himself told His Apostles: the love of God RESURRECTED Jesus from the dead and given Him NEW LIFE. Jesus defeated Satan and defeated our ultimate enemy: death. 

This first day of the week, Easter Sunday, Jesus rose in glory and has promised that those of us who commit our lives to this event, and to Jesus personally, will also conquer sin and RISE TO ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM AND THE FATHER. Because the tomb is empty we can never go back to our old way of life nor should we. 

Since the beginning of Lent, have we recognized any changes? With giving up certain foods, have we

gained more self- control? Have those extra prayers, or going to mass regularly or more frequently created a stronger sense of hope and trust? If so, then why go back to business as usual? Why return to those things we recognized we needed to give up? What would next Lent look like if we keep what we have achieved and build on it next year? Easter really shouldn’t be an end. Rather it should be the first day of a more spiritualty tuned new life. 

If going to mass more frequently or consistently was a Lenten resolution, please feel that you are always welcome here. Know that God loves you and we do too. Each Sunday we come together at mass and celebrate a mini-Easter. We commemorate the last supper, death and resurrection of Jesus who gives us the strength to deal with life and promises us everlasting life. Please come and join in our on-going Easter celebration on this first day and every day after...make it about EASTER WITH US.

MORE OF HIM, LESS OF ME : CONSTANCY

Would You Crucify Him? It is a chilling question really. Surely our response would be the same as Peter’s: “Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be.” “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.” But...even Peter in the end, three times denied ever knowing Jesus. How easy it is for people to abandon even the highest principles or ethics when the personal cost seems too high!

At the beginning of Mass, we opened with the Gospel of Matthew (chp.21) hearing of Jesus riding triumphantly into Jerusalem. The crowds hyped with excitement threw their cloaks and palm fronds onto the ground in front of Him. The long-awaited Messiah had finally arrived! But within a few days, in chapter 26, Matthew describes that same fickle crowd SCREAMING “CRUCIFY HIM!” Yes, sadly, it appears we would crucify him because of the inconstancy of human nature.

Matthew tells us Jesus prayed “My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking

it, your will be done.” Let’s not fool ourselves, Jesus did not want to face what awaited him in Jerusalem:  rejection, scorn, humiliation, torture and death by public crucifixion, all at the hands of these same revelers! But Jesus knew the Father’s perfect will and what awaited him Easter Sunday: resurrection and new life for himself and for all of us! 

For our sake, he stayed constant to his mission, never wavering; teaching us how to endure our Christian mission. How blessed are we to experience this constant, consistent love of Jesus, even as we constantly falter in our Christian trust and faith!

Today we begin Holy Week, the most sacred time in our Catholic calendar. It is the perfect time for us to recommit ourselves to our baptismal calling to carry the cross of Jesus and test our constancy: would we give of ourselves totally for Jesus, or would we too cry “CRUCIFY HIM?”

Please join St Mary of the Visitation Parish  at 7:00pm on Holy Thursday to be with Jesus at the Last Supper and the foot washing, then again Friday at 11:00am (families with young children), 3:00pm to for the Veneration of the Cross and to meditate on Jesus’ last words, at 7:00pm for our Passion Play. Finally, we will come together at the Easter Vigil at 7:00pm Holy Saturday or one of the many Easter Sunday morning masses to celebrate Our Lord’s constant love for us the victory of the His Resurrection!

MORE OF HIM LESS OF ME : RECONCILIATION MEANS RESURRECTION

Lent is an intentional time, a special invitational time, a mini retreat time if you like. A time to slow down, pause and reflect; to examine, reframe, and deepen our relationship with God, others and self. This Lent we will be focussing on the theme “More of Him and Less of Me.”  It is a time to take the focus off of ourselves – “what we are doing for Lent” and instead to connect with “what God wishes to do within us for Lent.” I pray that this Lent will be a time of blessing for you and all in your small group.

In addition to this written guide, and our audio of the Sunday Message, we have also developed a series of video follow ups. We encourage you to use these are the commentaries during the Season of Lent – and they will form the small group questions which will guide you.

Our progress to date has been significant....we have looked at the temptations that take us away from Cross of Christ (same as Jesus in desert). We have glanced together at the invitation to Go, Join and See the will and way of God for us and how this means we trust, follow and desire a new perspective to see Christ in a transfigured way and so we can honour the God Beyond All Praising. We have heard the call to live soul fully as we quench our thirst and embrace not the fleeting things of life but the eternal things and last week we looked at saying an authentic “Yes”.

Listen to our Series Theme Song

You may also as a group wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message

Please watch now the Video Commentary for this Week

When I was in the second grade, Sister Eleanor told us as a class: “listen carefully to the question asked of you before you answer it.”. In the Gospel of today, Martha and Mary take Jesus to grave of their brother Lazarus and there Jesus asks them a very important question: “ Do you believe?”

But, not just “do you believe” in the resurrection on the last day – because all faithful Jews would have believed that. But rather He asked do you believe “I am the resurrection and life?” They said “yes” and we too do as His disciples – for this means that we have life and life in abundance, not only in the future (on the last day), but also in the present as we journey with Him.  With their belief stated, Martha and Mary see a great miracle. Jesus orders the grave opened and Lazarus to “come out” and as he does, then Lazarus is unbound, set free, and not only does his life change, but the lives of Martha and Mary (and all who saw the miracle) change – because of a Yes.

As we come to the almost finish line of the Season of Lent, as we soon will see the statues covered, and readings which promise salvation will turn toward the bright white vestments and the glorious fulfillment of Christ’s promise contained within His question - “I am the resurrection and life.”

Our readings this Lord’s day remind us that Jesus did not come simply to be a philosopher who asks questions or a sage who provides wisdom, but He came to bring new eternal and full life and to take away our sins. Thus the power of our Day of Mercy this Thursday and the opportunity to celebrate the Sacramentof Reconciliation. This miracle of raising Lazarus is Jesus’ last recorded miracle before heading to Jerusalem, as He arrives they know He has power over death. Jesus also has power over sin and desires to work that miracle in your life today through the beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

During this Season of Lent we have been on retreat – one desiring to make it a season of More of Him and Less of Me. We have turned down the volume of the world and asked God to open our ears to His voice. So that we might grow, love and see even more His will and way. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the pinnacle opportunity to do such that, to culminate our retreat by coming out of the tomb and enter into the new Season of Easter in fullness of life