Homily for April
8, 2018
Divine Mercy
Sunday – Second Sunday of Easter
My Jesus Mercy
So here
is your Jeopardy question of the day: what famous American has on his tombstone
the epitaph “My Jesus Mercy”?
Answer:
Al Capone. One of the most famous – or infamous – gangsters ever, Al Capone is no
model of virtue. Ol’ Scarface, as he was known, worked his way up through the
mafia as a bouncer at brothels, before running an entire empire of liquor
during Prohibition. He was ruthless, willing gun down seven rival gang members
in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and was even named Public Enemy #1 in the
city of Chicago. Eventually jailed for tax evasion, he died of syphilis at a
young age. Not at all a saint or a role model to anyone!
And yet,
he dared to hope in Jesus’ mercy. This says far more about Jesus than it does
about Al Capone – to have a Savior whose mercy even extends to the depths of
human depravity! Whether we are a saint like Mother Teresa or a sinner like Al
Capone or the vast mass of humanity in between, we can all turn to the mercy of
God with confidence and hope.
It is so
valuable that our Church gives us this feast only eight days after we
celebrated the Resurrection, because there is a close connection between Jesus’
Passion, Death, and Resurrection and the abundance of His Mercy. Jesus was only
able to give the Apostles the power to forgive sins now, on Easter Sunday
night, because it was Good Friday that purchased the power! It was Good Friday
that broke open the floodgates of mercy, and now He entrusts His Church with
the power to apply that mercy to souls.
In fact,
that is the entire reason why Jesus came! The name “Jesus” means “God saves” –
and what did He save us from? Our sins. Why did we need saving from our sins?
Because sin is more than just breaking a law – sin deprives us of the very
divine life of God in our souls. Sin separates us from God who is Love Itself.
Our hearts desire love, life, meaning and purpose – and sin gives us only
death, despair, hopelessness.
Thus,
Jesus Christ came to bestow mercy upon us. No matter what we have done, how far
we have strayed from the Lord, His mercy awaits to bring us home again.
St.
Jerome wrote a wonderful meditation on this. He was imagining the conversation
between the soul and Christ. The soul looks upon the nail marks in His hands
and His feet and says, “Jesus, You have gone to such great lengths to save me!
How can I ever thank you?”
Jesus
responds, “If you wish to thank Me, offer Me your praise and Adoration.”
The soul
replies, “Yes, Lord, I will, but I wish I could offer you more! My money? My
possessions?”
“I made
the entire world – I have no need of money or possessions.”
“Then
what can I give You, Lord? What would adequately thank You for Your love?”
Jesus
responds, “If you wish to thank Me, give Me your sins. Give me your past, your
shame, your weaknesses. Let Me take them on My shoulders on the Cross, and let
Me pour My mercy upon you. That will give Me the greatest joy.”
What a
beautiful meditation; what a beautiful Savior! He Who could have anything in
the world wants nothing more than your sins, laid upon His shoulders, so that
He can forgive them. There is nothing in the whole world that gives Jesus
greater joy than forgiving our sins.
And this
isn’t just for huge sinners. All have fallen short of the glory of God, St.
Paul tells us. All of us need repentance, to turn back to Him. It says in
Scripture that “the just man sins seven times a day” because the little things,
too – the lack of honesty, the impure glance, the sharp word, the grudge – prevent
us from the abundance of life God wants for us.
So, my
friends, let us resolve to repent and trust that His mercy can cover us. Repent
every day by examining your conscience before you sleep for the night, and beg
God for His mercy. Repent by frequently going to Confession. Repent by
apologizing to those you have harmed. If Al Capone could trust in the mercy of
Jesus, how much more can we believe that He will have mercy on our souls?
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