Imparting Christ’s mercy to all

WITH the celebration of the Second Sunday as well as the

Octave of Easter that happens also to be the Divine Mercy Sunday, we

are reminded of our duty to know how to dispense Christ’s mercy to

all. It’s truly an overwhelming task since it requires nothing less

that our vital union with Christ. It requires our assuming his mind

and heart that is full of mercy.

  

            What may console us is the fact that as this Sunday’s

gospel reassures us (cfr. Jn 20,19-31), it is Christ who will take the

initiative, the first move, to come and appear to us. Ours simply is

to welcome him and to learn as much as we can from him.

  

            That may create some problem because in spite of

everything that Christ has already done and given to us, we can still

be like the doubting Thomas who needed a direct vision of Christ’s

wounds in his hands and side. Christ had to reprimand him: “Have you

come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have

not seen and have believed.”

  

            We somehow have to understand that the words addressed by

Christ directly to the apostles are also meant for all of us in ways

that depend on our state in life and personal circumstances: “As the

Father has sent me, so I send you.” And this sending can only mean, in

the end, imparting Christ mercy to all, since that would be the

ultimate sign of our redemption.

  

            We need to know what is involved in imparting this divine

mercy. Yes, for this purpose we have to study well the doctrine of our

faith and morals, now authoritatively taught by the Church

magisterium. We need to be generous with our time and effort so that

that divine mercy can be readily given to everyone.

            This way we can hope to be father, a friend, a judge and a

doctor to the others insofar as their spiritual and moral lives are

concerned.

  

            More than that, we really should pray so that we can see

more directly and reflect in our attitudes, our thoughts, words and

deeds the very passion, death and resurrection of Christ which in the

end is the very substance of divine mercy.

  

            The ideal situation is that we be filled with holy desires

to ask for forgiveness, to atone and make reparation for our sins and

the sins of others. It’s a mindset that we have to deliberately

cultivate, always getting inspiration from the example of Christ

himself.

             I wonder if our idea of what Christian life ought to be

includes this very important factor. Until we have these desires to

dispense divine mercy to others can we sincerely say that we are truly

Christian, another Christ if not Christ himself, as we ought to be.

             In our daily examination of conscience, let us try to see

if we have been doing something concrete in this regard. Are we

willing to bear the sins of others, in an effort to reflect Christ’s

attitude toward all of us who are all sinners?