Paschal Octave Sunday: Divine Mercy Sunday - Paschal Joy, No Longer Lukewarm Soul

Ever since Paschal Vigil Mass, throughout Paschal Octave, we have been reading excerpts from the resurrection narratives of all four canonical Gospels for Mass everyday.  

Paschal Vigil Mass	Matt 28:1-10 (A); Mark 16:1-7 (B);  Luke 24:1-12 (C)
Paschal Sunday Mass	John 20:1-9
Paschal Sunday Afternoon Mass	Luke 24:13-35
Monday of Paschal Octave	Matt 28:8-15
Tuesday of Paschal Octave	John 20:11-18
Wednesday of Paschal Octave	Luke 24:13-35
Thursday of Paschal Octave	Luke 24:35-48
Friday of Paschal Octave	John 21:1-14
Saturday of Paschal Octave	Mark 16:9-15

And these readings constantly remind us that how difficult and slow it was for the disciples to recognize that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day from his death, as foretold by Jesus multiple times (Matthew 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19), ever since when they were with him in Caesarea Philippi, Galilee, where Jesus asked them who they think he is (Matthew 16:13-23). And this was to fulfill the fourth servant song, description of the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, which is the First Reading of Good Friday.

Nevertheless, none of the disciples recognized the resurrection of Jesus when they saw and heard about the empty tomb. They needed to be told by an angel that he was raised from the dead (e.g. Matthew 28:5-6) to know that the empty tomb means the resurrection. But they did not believe it (Mark 16:11), because it made no sense to them (Luke 24:11), when Mary Magdalene told them as the angel told her about the resurrection.

Even when risen Jesus himself directly appeared to them, Cleopas and another disciples did not recognize him (Luke 24:13-15) until he broke the bread (Luke 24:30-34). Mary Magdalene did not recognize him, either, when he was right besides her, until he called her by name (John 20:16).

Now in completing Paschal Octave on the Second Sunday of Paschaltide, the Gospel Reading describes Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on the evening of the resurrection Sunday and the following Sunday (John 20:19-31).

In this Gospel Reading, risen Jesus mysteriously and suddenly appeared in the midst of the fear-stricken disciples, who were hiding in the firmly locked Cenacle. It was absolutely impossible for a human person to sneak in. Perhaps, not even a little mouse could enter that room. However, risen Jesus had no problem at all because he is God though he has been made fully human through the incarnation (i.e. John 1:1, 14) by the power of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:30-35).

Then, the risen Jesus greeted them with peace, showing his wound marks on his hands and side. It was when the disciples’ fear, doubt, and confusion, dissipated and gave way to overwhelming joy. And risen Jesus said to them:

Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21).

So he gently poured his breath on them, saying:

Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (John 20:22-23).

Too bad, Thomas missed this great encounter with risen Jesus on the first night. But they told him about it, saying to him, “We have seen the Lord”(John 20:25). However, Thomas did not believe it, protesting, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe”(John 20:25).

On the following Sunday, Thomas was with the rest of the “disciples in the Cenacle. And risen Jesus appeared again, offering peace. Knowing Thomas’ doubt, Jesus said to him:

Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe (John 20:27).

Seeing is believing, indeed. Thomas immediately recognized risen Jesus in the Paschal truth of the resurrection, uttering, “My Lord and my God!(John 20:28).

In response, Jesus said:

Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed (John 20:29).

What is a take-home lesson in this Gospel narrative of the Paschal Octave Sunday, which is also known as the Divine Mercy Sunday? Does this story have anything to do with the Divine Mercy?

Yes, the Gospel narrative is about the Divine Mercy in risen Jesus.

It is about the Divine Mercy because it describes how risen Jesus established the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And he charged them to offer this Sacrament on his behalf. So, he sent the Holy Spirit on them through his gentle breath. This is like a preheating oven before roasting a big turkey for dinner. Jesus warmed and softened the disciples’ cold stiff hearts, heavy with grief,  by the Holy Spirit in his breath. As their hearts were thawed with the warmth of risen Jesus’ mercy and love, they were filled with Paschal joy and set for receiving the powerful Holy Spirit on Pentecost to be sent out. It is not just a story about how the disciples came to recognize risen Jesus but how he established the Sacrament of the Reconciliation and pre-commissioned them toward their great apostolic mission on Pentecost.

The disciples’ sin of lukewarm faith, which prevented them from recognizing the truth of resurrection, resulting in doubt and skepticism, was forgiven in peace. So, we celebrate the Divine Mercy on Paschal Octave Sunday, as Jesus told St. Maria Faustina with these words:

My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.

Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy (Diary of St. Faustina, 699).

We call Thomas “Doubting Thomas” for he did not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead even though the rest of the disciples told him that they had seen risen Jesus. But, we cannot single out Thomas. All the disciples doubted the resurrection.

When Mary Magdalene told them, “I have seen the Lord”(John 20:18), the disciples obviously did not believe it. When the disciples told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord”(John 20:25), he did not believe it. It took all of the disciples a personal encounter with risen Jesus to fully believe that Jesus is risen from the dead. And risen Jesus forgave their sin of lukewarm faith (i.e. Revelation 3:16-17), resulting in disbelief because of the Divine Mercy (cf. Revelation 3:19). Our lukewarmness really hurts Jesus (Diary of St. Faustina, 1228) because it thwarts his salvific efforts (ibid., 1682).

In the evening of the resurrection Sunday, risen Jesus entered where the disciples were hiding in a locked room without knocking (John 20:19). For us, risen Jesus may knock on the doors of our hearts to enter into our lives with the Divine Mercy so that our hearts are no longer lukewarm (i.e. Revelation 3:20-21).

Have you encountered risen Jesus? Has he entered in you, as you in him? Have you received the Divine Mercy? Unless you answer “Yes” to all of these questions, your Paschal joy is not complete.

With “Yes” to all of these questions, with our complete Paschal joy now, our faith and souls are no longer lukewarm. And we say, Jesus, I trust in you! , on this feast of the Divine Mercy and everyday.