2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER – DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
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MERCY THAT LIBERATES
A man went outside to buy food
for his wife and kids. On the way home, three men shot him, took his wallet,
and left him for dead. In the courtroom where the culprits were about to be
tried, the mother of the murdered man embraced the youngest of the accused and
proceeded to hug his mother too. Then she said: “I do not hate you. It’s not
our way. Showing mercy…that’s our way.”
Imagine what happened at the Resurrection.
As Jesus rose, he pushed open the stone blockade at the entrance of the tomb. Setting
out from there, Jesus left behind the coldness, the darkness, and the dryness of
death to welcome the new light and life he is now to share with his waiting
disciples. But on the contrary, the disciples locked themselves in an isolated
place, huddled in fear of the Jews, as the Gospel says (Jn 20:19). To think
that they too were Jews! Were the disciples afraid of themselves?
Jesus’ first act of mercy to his
disciples was to unlock the doors of their fears and to lead them out of their
isolation, to set them free! Jesus wants his disciples to live in the freedom
he now enjoys.
Today people struggle for
freedom. Young people yearn for freedom to be themselves, to choose their
companions, and to do what they intend to do. Consumers seek for the freedom to
accumulate what they desire. Advocacy groups fight for the freedom to
accomplish their goals. Almost all of us bask in the freedom of the internet
world, where we can travel, study, recreate, pray, research and explore
whatever we want.
The freedom Jesus gives however,
is a different freedom. It is the freedom to be like him, to do as he did, to
give our lives for our brothers and sisters as he offered his. It is not easy
though. Like the disciples do we not feel safe and secure inside a room filled
with like minded people? We are afraid to go out of ourselves, or out of our
group and set about to proclaim our faith, discuss our hope and share our love.
The mercy of Jesus is expressed
in his act of setting people free. Receiving this mercy, this freedom, let us
pray for the grace to set people free by our words and acts of kindness,
forgiveness, understanding and mercy!
