Divine Mercy Sunday April 27 2025
John 20: 19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
On Mercy Sunday, we are invited to reflect on the boundless mercy of God revealed through Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus appeared to His disciples, His first words were “Peace be with you.” He offered them not only peace but also the power to forgive sins—a profound act of mercy. Thomas, often called “Doubting Thomas,” reminds us of our own struggles with faith. Yet Jesus met him with patience and compassion, allowing him to touch His wounds and believe. This encounter highlights the depth of Divine Mercy, a mercy that meets us in our doubts, fears, and failures, offering forgiveness and the gift of new life. As we celebrate Eastertide, may we open our hearts to receive God’s mercy and be instruments of His peace and forgiveness in the world.
Prayer: Merciful Jesus, on this Divine Mercy Sunday, we thank You for the gift of Your unending love and forgiveness. Just as You appeared to Your disciples and offered them peace, come into our hearts today and calm our fears. Help us to trust in Your mercy, even when we falter in faith. Teach us to extend Your compassion to others, to forgive as we have been forgiven, and to be bearers of Your peace in our families, communities, and the world. Strengthen our faith, Lord, and draw us closer to You, that we may always live in the light of Your resurrection. Amen.