Have you ever wondered if you could be forgiven for something you’ve done? Jordan Jones, SJ, reflects that the Divine Mercy of Christ is open to all people, regardless of their circumstances. Based on readings for Divine Mercy Sunday.
Can I be forgiven?
Hi, I’m Jordan Jones, and this is my one-minute reflection.
On this Second Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday. The popular devotion emerged from the mystical visions of a Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, right before World War II. It’s almost like God, knowing the horrors and evil that the war would bring, wanted to ensure that we would not forget his promise of forgiveness.
The greatest lie we can ever be told is that God cannot forgive us. But isn’t it hard to believe in the absolute power of Jesus’ forgiveness? Of course it is! In our Gospel today, Thomas says that he won’t believe in the Resurrection until he can put his fingers in the nail marks of Jesus’ hands and put his hand in Jesus’ side. Thomas needs to feel Jesus’ wounds to trust him.
Jesus gives Thomas that invitation and he, likewise, implores us to trust in his divine mercy. As he told St. Faustina, “If you do not believe my words, at least believe my wounds.”