Divine Mercy

The 2nd Sunday of Easter
Today’s Readings: Acts 4:32–35; Ps. 118; 1 Jn 5:1–6; Jn 20:19–31 [Link to Readings]

Back in the late 1980’s when Kappi, Greg and I had our advertising agency in New Jersey, we always tried to take on at least one or two clients we could do “pro bono” work for—free services to support some good work being done in the community.

I’ll never forget the time that a fellow named Tom came in to talk to us. He headed up an organization called the Rainbow Foundation, which he himself founded—and for the most part funded. Tom explained that they provided what he called “financial first aid” to desperately ill children and their families to cover all kinds of expenses, including some of the dying wishes of terminal kids. The more “case histories” he told us, the more hooked we became. We decided on the spot that we wanted to help Tom and his foundation.

One time, when we got to know Tom better, we asked him how he had gotten involved with this. He was obviously a man of some means, and we were impressed by his zeal and single-minded focus on helping youngsters.

That’s when Tom opened up and told us his story. It seems he was a Wall Street wheeler-dealer, and very good at it. He was making a ton of money, but as he described it, the state of his soul wasn’t so good. He rarely saw his kids; his marriage was teeter-tottering; and he was ruthless in his dealings with other people. If he could make a buck, he’d step on anyone.

One day, Tom was leaving his office building to meet someone for lunch. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of what New York’s financial district looks like at noon: tons of people rushing along the sidewalks and swarming through the streets, going in and coming out of every building and shop and restaurant. So here comes Tom. He pushes open the big glass doors of his building, takes a step onto the sidewalk, and immediately collapses onto the pavement with a massive heart attack.

He said that he couldn’t move. He just lay there, face down on the sidewalk. Some people were stepping over him; others were gathering around trying to help. But it was all very distant and disconnected.

While all this activity went on around him, Tom was meanwhile having a “God moment.” He realized in this instant that he was going to die. He realized, too, that his life had been a disaster. He had no relationship with God; he had broken every commandment in the book; he used and abused friends and family alike. He was going to stand before his Maker empty-handed… and this fallen-away Catholic was some scared.

Now Tom was a deal maker. Would his skills work on Almighty God? He prayed, “Lord, if you let me live, I promise that I will change my life. I will give up my present life—all of it—and devote myself entirely to you. I swear. Please, Jesus, help me.”

Tom amazed the paramedics and doctors, because he did indeed make it. And he kept his vow to God. He left Wall Street for good and poured himself into his new Rainbow Foundation. He had found his true vocation, and the man positively radiated a joy and peace that were contagious.

Very dramatically, Tom experienced divine mercy. God could have let Tom die on that downtown sidewalk and sent him off to hell—or at the very least, to purgatory for a very, very long time. But no. When this precious child of God, despite his persistent history of sinfulness and refusal to have anything to do with Jesus or his Church—when he called out for mercy to the Lord with a whimper and stark honesty, the Savior’s heart melted in love. “Yes, my beloved son. I will show mercy and give you another chance.”

Some years ago, Pope John Paul established the Sunday after Easter as “Divine Mercy Sunday,” and this is the breathtaking truth we focus on today. We are sinners and we are undeserving beyond words, but God will bail us out in an instant… if only we turn to him with humility and faith and contrition.

While God is infinitely merciful, he is no fool. People have another thing coming who think they can go through life using and abusing others, condemning and judging and tearing people down… and then at the last minute, count on the Lord to ignore all their evil and receive them into heaven with open arms! Oh no. Scripture makes it abundantly clear that it doesn’t work that way. We are going to have to give an account for every sinful word, thought, desire, deed and omission of our life—unless we have humbly kneeled down at the throne of divine mercy and asked for forgiveness.

The mercy of God is mind-boggling. How can the Lord make it so easy for us? Why doesn’t he demand payback for all the times we were so rotten? Why does he give us chance after chance after chance?

That’s what love is. That’s what motivates everything that God does for us and for every other human being. That’s why he came to earth and died for us. This is the most important truth and reality in the universe. It’s a gift with your name on it.

What’s even more astonishing is how many people don’t seem to care. No wonder our Lord stood over Jerusalem and wept.

What about you? Do you have the faith to act on the Lord’s offer of divine mercy? Do you have the faith to believe? Will you look over your past life… admit the things you’re ashamed of… and turn with humility to the divine one and ask for forgiveness and another chance?

“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (Jn 20: 29).

Amen. Alleluia!