Divine Mercy

Misericordia - a heart for the afflicted

To touch the wound of others. Because wounds signify humanity, and touching them builds the solidarity of humanity. 

Not just a devotion or asking God mercy, but to answer God's call to mercy, to feel for others.

Jesus I trust in you, that you will give me the grace to be merciful, more self giving and less oblivious to others. 

The Spirit of Jesus Christ is the power of forgiveness. He is the power of Divine Mercy. He makes it possible to start all over again - ever anew. The friendship of Jesus Christ is the friendship of the One who makes us people who forgive, the One who also forgives us, raises us ceaselessly from our weakness and in this very way educates us, instils in us an awareness of the inner duty of love, of the duty to respond with our faithfulness to his trust.

In the Gospel passage for today we also heard the story of the Apostle Thomas' encounter with the Risen Lord:  the Apostle is permitted to touch his wounds and thereby recognizes him - over and above the human identity of Jesus of Nazareth, Thomas recognizes him in his true and deepest identity:  "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20: 28).

The Lord took his wounds with him to eternity. He is a wounded God; he let himself be injured through his love for us. His wounds are a sign for us that he understands and allows himself to be wounded out of love for us.

These wounds of his:  how tangible they are to us in the history of our time! Indeed, time and again he allows himself to be wounded for our sake. What certainty of his mercy, what consolation do his wounds mean for us! And what security they give us regarding his identity:  "My Lord and my God!". And what a duty they are for us, the duty to allow ourselves in turn to be wounded for him!

Let us not be afraid to be wounded. Many times, we are afraid of being wounded. Our guard is up, naturally attacking others at any moment of their infliction, be it their words or deeds, their passive-aggression which cut deeper. Let us allow ourselves to be wounded, unprotected, so that we can be protected in his love, in his wounds. Despite being wounded, misread, mistreated and unrecognised by others, in His wounds, we are recognised and loved. For as Jesus is glorified in his wounds of love, so will we be, in ours.