4th Week of Easter 2024 - Wednesday - Antioch: Spiritual Home and Strategic Hub for Evangelization

In this part of the Easter season, we hear in our readings from the Acts of the Apostles a lot about the city of Antioch. Yesterday, we heard that it was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians. And so Antioch was a place where the identity of the early Church was developed—a place where we came to understand who we were and our mission in the world.

Antioch was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in the ancient world, serving as a melting pot of cultures, religions, and ethnicities. This diversity provided an ideal setting for the spread of the Christian faith, as it allowed for the dissemination of the gospel message to people from various backgrounds. It was the first city where the gospel was really preached to the Gentiles on a large scale. 

And so Antioch become home to one of the most vibrant Christian communities outside of Jerusalem. Antioch was a center for Christian activity and growth, with believers gathering for worship, fellowship, charitable work, and the sharing of resources. As we heard in the reading today, there were Christians in Antioch with spiritual gifts like prophecy and teaching, so it was a place where spiritual gifts were discerned and developed. The Christians of Antioch practiced fasting and attentiveness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

It was in this atmosphere of vibrant faith in Antioch that the Holy Spirit formed Paul and his companions as missionaries and sent them out into the world. So Antioch, served as a spiritual and strategic hub for early Christian missionary efforts. 

Every parish is called to be a little Antioch, no? For a parish is a place where Christians are to gather together, to understand themselves and their mission, to teach and be taught, to be inspired and challenged by words of prophecy, to fast and pray, and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to be formed for going out into the world. Every parish is a spiritual home, but also a strategic and spiritual hub for our evangelizing mission.

Yesterday, I went to the doctors for my annual check-up and the waiting room reminded me of Antioch. It was extremely culturally diverse: there were jews, muslims, whites, blacks, Hispanics, Russians, and ukranians. And like Antioch of old, the cultural diversity of a place is not simply a challenge or obstacle, but an opportunity for the Gospel to spread out like electrical currents in a body of water, when we are faithful to our mission. 

May the liturgical, catechetical, aesthetical, and charitable life of our parish help us to be attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in sharing the Gospel in this diverse neighborhood, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life, and that during this time of intentional Eucharistic Revival, our faith may be deepened, grace may increase, and our mission may be furthered. 

That the outpouring of charity in Christ’s Eucharistic Self-Sacrifice will become manifest in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, in our concern for the downtrodden and care for the most vulnerable, among friends, strangers, and enemies.  

For those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction or grief; and for the consolation of all the afflicted. 

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

April 23 2024 (school mass) - St. George and the Dragon and Christ's Easter Victory

Since the time I was a boy, I have enjoyed reading and watching the films based on the stories of the author JRR Tolkien. You may have read or seen them. He wrote a book called “The Hobbit” in which Bilbo Baggins goes on a long journey with a group of dwarves to recover a magical treasure from the clutches of the evil dragon Smaug. And they succeed, not because they are physically stronger than the dragon, but because they are courageous and use their minds to outwit the evil beast.

Today on the calendar of the Church is the feast day of a saint named St. George. And there is an ancient legend were St. George overcomes a dragon. According to the Legend a dragon was terrorizing a village in modern day Libya, demanding tribute of trinkets and livestock, and when the people ran out of treasures and animals to feed the dragon, the cruel creature demanded the blood of a princess. The valiant solider George, a Christian came to the rescue and slew the dragon. The town and the grateful young lady were saved.

St. George was later martyred by the Roman Emperor Diocletian around the year 303 for refusing to renounce his Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the Roman gods.

St. George is a wonderful saint to celebrate—he courageously defended the weak and the poor from the powers of evil, and he courageously witnessed to our Christian faith that Jesus Christ was crucified and is risen, and the eternal life is obtained by becoming Jesus’ disciple.

George is a fitting saint to celebrate during the Easter season when we celebrate Jesus’ glorious resurrection from the dead. Because in the story of St. George we see an echo of Jesus’ own triumph.

For as St. George triumphed over evil through the power of good, courage, and self-sacrifice, it is a reflection Jesus' own triumph—his crucifixion and resurrection are the ultimate triumph of goodness over evil. He has defeated the greatest of dragons—saving all of humanity from the clutches of Satan who desires the corruption and eternal damnation of our souls.

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He has defeated death through the power of self-sacrifice and love, and we, like St. George are called to imitate Him. For each of us have dragons to face—dragons such as selfishness, impulsiveness, laziness, resentment, disordered desires and ideas, like greed, and foolishness. And the Wisdom of God, and the Love of God, and the Power of God, Jesus Christ risen from the dead will help us to slay those dragons, that we may walk with God in this life and live with God forever in heaven, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

Gospel

Lk 9:23-26

Jesus said to all,

"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself

and take up his cross daily and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

What profit is there for one to gain the whole world

yet lose or forfeit himself?

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words,

the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory

and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

4th Week of Easter 2024 - Monday - Universal Love, Universal Mission

 During the Easter season we consider the Church’s call to spread the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.

The Lord, in his first recorded post-resurrection appearance to his disciples in the Gospel of Matthew, mandates them to “go and teach and baptize and make disciples of all nations. 

We are sent to all nations and peoples because God loves all nations and all peoples. Our universal missionary mandate is grounded in the eternal and universal love of the Most Holy Trinity. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" writes Paul to Timothy.

And even though this mandate was clearly enunciated by the Lord, it was certainly a challenge to the early Christians. Remember the earliest Christians including the apostles were Jews. The Jews were treated with suspicion and disdain even then, not to mention, they were a conquered people, non-Romans in a Roman controlled world—fisherman and farmers in a world controlled by military might. On top of that, their whole religion was about avoiding contact with the Gentiles, who were considered unclean for a variety of reasons.

Now, yes, there are many scriptural prophecies of how God would use the Jews to gather all nations, how the nations of the world would stream up to Jerusalem to glorify God. But Jesus’ commission wasn’t just to wait around in Jerusalem, waiting for the nations to magically appear—Jesus’ commission was to go out and gather, to put out into the deep. 

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, St Peter explains to the early Jewish converts in Jerusalem how he himself was initially hesitant to go out to the Gentiles, but God kept reminding him, like in the dream he described, not to call unclean what God has made clean. Not only was there a mission to the Gentiles, but through Christ, the Gentile is made clean, equally clean—a brother in the Lord.

Those of us of non-Jewish descent must be eternally thankful that Peter and Paul and the early Church overcame their fears and heeded the mandate. And as they did, so must we, in our own day, in our age, to all people in all places—not just waiting for others to come to us, but to go out and teach and share.

For, the Great Commission given by Jesus is not merely a suggestion but a mandate to actively go out and share the Good News with the entire world. Like those early Jewish converts we must allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with courage to reach across cultural barriers, prejudices, and the fear of rejection—to be motivated by authentic Trinitarian love for all people for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That the love and goodness of the Good Shepherd may be evident in the charitable self-giving of Christians towards the poor; for unity among believers, protection from worldly errors and evils, and the gathering of scattered humanity into the one flock of Christ. 

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ—especially in places afflicted with violence, corruption, injustice and oppression.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction or grief; and for the consolation of all the afflicted. 

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

4th Sunday of Easter 2024 - Called to Communion

 Communion. God desires Communion with us.

Communion is a very important concept for Christians. We speak of Holy Communion, The Communion of Saints, the Community of Believers. We speak of God’s communication with us through Divine Revelation because God wants to share his mind and plan and heart and life with us. We speak of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church to communicate the Gospel to others, so that they can share in communion with God that we share through the Church. 

After the sign of the cross, mass begins with a greeting expressing and praying for Communion: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.” This greeting expresses the communion existing in God Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and at the same time is a prayer asking God to establish that communion more deeply among us. It’s a prayer that your spirit, and my spirit, may reflect and be filled with the Communion of God. 

The Catechism uses the word “Communion” over 1000 times. Right in the first chapter, Catechism paragraph 27 says  “the desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:  The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God”

Our human dignity rests on our call to Communion. About three weeks ago Pope Francis’ Dicastry on the Doctrine of the Faith issued a teaching on Human Dignity. And he quotes that very paragraph from the Catechism—that we find the fullest expression of our dignity and freedom and joy when we are fullest communion with God. 

Communion.  St. Paul liked the word Communion a lot: he speaks about it in reference to the Holy Eucharist through which Jesus shares his life-giving Body and Blood with us. St. Paul writes, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

St. Paul even speaks of his desire to know Jesus Christ so deeply that he desires to share communion in Christ’s sufferings. St. Ignatius of Antioch our patron writes about that as well—his desire to imitate Jesus’ sufferings through his own martyrdom was so great that he pleaded with the Christians in Rome to do nothing to keep him from martyrdom.

The life of the Church is at the service of Communion—proclaiming the call to Communion. And our readings this weekend all illustrate that truth. In the first reading, St. Peter, driven by the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost Sunday, takes to the streets of Jerusalem and preaches that salvation is found in Jesus Christ who was crucified, but is now risen. And that there is no salvation (no communion with God) through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Jesus came to deliver us from our great excommunication from God—the communion with God broken by sin.

And so Peter’s proclamation of Christ—is a call to restored Communion with God in the only way that God has definitely offered Communion—through Jesus Christ. 

The second reading deepens our understanding of what it means to be in this new communion-- “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.” Christians are God’s children. We aren’t mere beneficiaries of a contract between God and man. We aren’t pieces of property that God might cast away if he loses interest in us. Christian Communion means membership in the family of God—an intimate, loving, life-giving communion. And just as human parents rightly provide for the needs of their children—God provides for the safety, guidance, and flourishing of His children.

Now in the Gospel, the Lord teaches about God’s work to establish communion by drawing upon this beautiful image of a Shepherd. The mission of Christ the Shepherd is to gather scattered humanity into One flock—one communion.

And yet, the Lord acknowledges that there are terrible forces which have sought to break our communion with God. Wolves that scatter God’s flock by leading us to turn our hearts away from God.

Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the Old Testament is one story after another of individuals breaking communion with God and their fellow man through sin: Adam and Eve hardening their hearts toward God in the Garden of Eden, Cain breaking the communion of family and God’s natural law by killing his brother Abel, the builders of the tower of Babel making a name for themselves without reference to God, the Israelites crafting the golden idol, even moses allows his trust in God to waver and so does not enter into the promised land. So many stories of men and women and communities—the kingdom of israel pretty much as a whole on several occasions—breaking communion and the consequences that follow—scattering, division, expulsion from paradise, the flourishing of violence and perversion and adultery and injustice and exile. 

And it doesn’t take a biblical scholar to detect that those effects of sin and selfishness and broken communion continue to breed injustice and needless suffering in our own day.

Pope St. John Paul II at the turn of the millennia offered a special exhortation to Americans—in a document called Ecclesia in America, and the saintly Pope spoke about the need of American Christians to work for communion with God in a world suffering the terrible effects of division—the opposite of communion. He said, “Faced with a divided world…we must proclaim with joy and firm faith that God is communion, Father, Son and Holy Spirit…and that he calls all people to share in that same Trinitarian communion. We must proclaim that this communion is the magnificent plan of God the Father; that Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Lord, is the heart of this communion, and that the Holy Spirit works ceaselessly to create communion and to restore it when it is broken. We must proclaim that the Church is the sign and instrument of the communion willed by God, begun in time and destined for completion in the fullness of the Kingdom. The Church is the sign of communion because her members, like branches, share the life of Christ, the true vine. Through communion with Christ, Head of the Mystical Body, we enter into living communion with all believers.”

To work for communion is our task—the communion of humanity with God through Christ. And when we step forward to receive Holy Communion, we are saying “Amen” to being instruments of the communion that God wishes to establish in this world. And we become ever more effective instruments of that communion when the life of God is evident in our speech, in our actions, in our way of life.

Does your life, does your speech attract people to God? Are you doing what you can to shepherd souls into communion with God. If not? Why not? Why has your spirit ceased to draw others into communion? What obstacles have you imposed or failed to remove which impede deep Communion with God?

There are three common culprits for that: Error, Selfishness, and Fear. Those are three big bad wolves of our modern day. Error, which professes ideas contrary to the Church’s Magisterium, Selfishness, which pursues self-indulgence in inordinate or disordered ways, and Fear, which runs away from duty, devotion, discipline, conversion and the cross.

But when you refuse to allow those wolves to dominate your life, you will experience the joy and peace and fullness of life that God desires for you, communion with Himself through Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

3rd Week of Easter 2024 - Friday - New Life through Christ's Flesh and Blood

 Early last week, we read of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John chapter 3, in which the Lord speaks about being born again of the Spirit— the new life that comes from being his disciple. The Church fittingly reads of that conversation about spiritual rebirth and spiritual life during the Easter season—in which we celebrate the risen life of Christ and consider how we are to share in that life—through discipleship and the sacraments and through the life of the Church.

That theme of sharing in Christ’s life continues in John chapter 6—the Bread of Life discourse—in which the Lord teaches that in order to share in his life—and in the life of his Father—on earth and in eternity—we must eat his flesh and drink his blood: “unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life”

Discipleship of Jesus Christ is the path, the only true path to eternal life. That discipleship involves a living relationship with Christ—which includes faith that He is God, acceptance and practice of his moral teachings—including the avoidance of sin and the practice of works of charity, and a true sharing in his very life through the Sacraments of the Church.

We read in the Acts of the Apostles how Paul's sight is restored when he is baptized and given food. New life was given to Paul himself through the Sacraments.

Baptism, in which we are born again by water and the Spirit—begins that life. And eating his flesh and drinking his blood in the Eucharist, sustains that life. Receiving his Body and blood devoutly is part of our Easter proclamation that in Christ is found life—sanctified earthly life that leads to the blessedness of eternal life with God—that there is no other way to eternal life with God than through Christ.

It is a horrific tragedy that so many Catholics who should know better, deprive themselves of the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ, choosing to skip Mass, and fill their lives with so much garbage that does not satisfy, that does not give life. 

Part of our Easter mission is to witness to them that the Eucharist is part of the constant spiritual renewal that God wants for his children. 

In one of his last encyclicals, Pope St. John Paul wrote about how the Eucharist is the source of our life. He writes, “In the humble signs of bread and wine, changed into his body and blood, Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey, and he enables us to become, for everyone, witnesses of hope”

May we witness to our hope in Jesus Christ by receiving the Eucharist devoutly, allowing it to bear so much fruit in our lives—signs that Christ is alive in us and desires life for the world for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life, and that during this time of intentional Eucharistic Revival, our faith may be deepened, grace may increase, and our mission may be furthered. 

That the outpouring of charity in Christ’s Eucharistic Self-Sacrifice will become manifest in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, in our concern for the downtrodden and care for the most vulnerable, among friends, strangers, and enemies.  

For those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction or grief; and for the consolation of all the afflicted. 

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Annunciation 2024 - Mary does not eclipse, but magnifies the Divine Sun

 

Due to March 25 falling during Holy Week this year, the Solemnity of the Annunciation is transferred to the first day after the Easter Octave, that is today, April 8. 

Interestingly, today also coincides with a solar eclipse, a celestial event where the moon passes between the earth and the sun, totally obscuring the sun's light. 

It is a providential coincidence that invites us to consider the profound relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, "God who made the sun, also made the moon. The moon does not take away from the brilliance of the sun. All its light is reflected from the sun. The Blessed Mother reflects her Divine Son; without Him, she is nothing. With Him, she is the Mother of men." 

In the cosmic dance we witness today, the moon, by eclipsing the sun, does not diminish its light but momentarily draws our gaze so that we might appreciate the sun's brilliance all the more when it reemerges. In the same way, Mary, in her humility and obedience announced at the Annunciation, does not overshadow Jesus but reflects and magnifies His divine light. Just as the moon is illuminated by the sun, Mary's life is wholly illuminated by the grace and love of God through Jesus. She is the immaculate mirror reflecting His perfect light into the darkness of our world.

Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, Mary reflects the love and grace of her Son, Jesus Christ. She does not eclipse or diminish His glory but rather magnifies it through her faithfulness and obedience. “My soul”, she says, “doth magnify the Lord.”

The eclipse today, then, becomes a profound metaphor for our spiritual lives. There are moments when our faith seems overshadowed by doubt or fear, just as the sun is momentarily covered by the moon. Yet, these moments do not signify the absence of God's light but rather an invitation to trust in the steady, illuminating presence of Mary, our guide, who always reflects the light of Christ back to us, guiding us through periods of darkness back into His radiant love and mercy.

It is in these moments that we can turn to Mary, our Blessed Mother, who will always guide us back to her Son. As St. Louis Marie de Montfort reminds us, "[Mary] is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus and will surrender themselves to her, body and soul, without reserve in order to belong entirely to Jesus."

On this day of celestial wonder and divine grace, let us renew our commitment to journeying towards Jesus by walking with Mary, the star of the new evangelization, who leads us to her Son. Let the eclipse remind us that even in moments of darkness, the light of Christ, reflected in the heart of Mary, is our ever-present guide and hope, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

Let us offer our prayers to the Father, guided by the light of Christ and accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we present our needs and the needs of the world.

For the Church, that under the maternal guidance of Mary, it may shine forth as a beacon of divine love and truth in the world, leading all people closer to Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

For world leaders and all those in authority, that they may be inspired by the humility and obedience of the Blessed Virgin Mary to serve with integrity, seeking justice and peace for all people. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are experiencing moments of darkness and doubt in their lives, that through the intercession of Mary, they may see the light of Christ and feel His comforting presence amidst their trials. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our community, that we may embrace Mary’s example of faithful service and unconditional love, opening our hearts to God’s will and serving one another with generosity and compassion. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are ill or suffering, especially those among our families and friends, that they may find healing and consolation in the love of Jesus, with Mary as their tender advocate and guide. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all the faithful departed, that through the mercy of God and with the intercession of Mary, they may be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom and enjoy eternal peace. Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear the prayers we offer today, trusting in the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May our lives reflect the light of your Son, Jesus, as we strive to follow Him more closely each day. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Divine Mercy Sunday 2024 - Disciples of Peace and Mercy

 Five times in our Gospel reading today, we find the word, “disciples”—the disciples of Jesus—“the disciples were locked in the upper room”—“the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord”—“the disciples said to Thomas, “we have seen the Lord”. 

The English word, “disciple” comes from the latin—discipulus—a student. To be a disciple of Jesus is to be a student of the greatest of teachers—we are to study his life, his lessons, and his mind and heart. 

In Jesus’ time, a disciple was called, in Hebrew, a talmid, which can refer to a student, but more accurately refers to an “apprentice”. While a student learns head knowledge in order to know what the teachers knows, an apprentice works with the teacher to learn what the teacher does so he or she can imitate what the teacher’s activity in the world. And in Jesus’ day talmidim didn’t just attend a class or read a book to gain knowledge from their rabbi—they left their jobs and families and communities to follow their rabbi and watch how he lived. They wanted to be just like their rabbi—in all things.

The Lord’s call to follow Him—to be his disciple—reverberated throughout Lent and now in Easter.

At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke about discipleship. He said, “This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Notice, the Lord didn’t say, “this is how everyone will know that you are my disciple, if you can properly recite your Baltimore catechism”, but rather, “if you love one another.” Now of course, love and discipleship often includes passing on the catechism to the next generation of Christians, but knowledge of the catechism does not exhaust our call to discipleship, rather...

 “As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.” We know that when our Lord was talking about Love—he wasn’t just talking about a feeling. Being his disciple isn’t just about having bubbly feelings about each other. “There is no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.”

And so Good Friday was the ultimate lesson in discipleship. We, disciples of Jesus Christ are called to love one another, with Christ-like love, that loves God and loves others, all the way to the Cross.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus showed his disciples proof of his love. Entering the upper room, in the midst of his disciples—he shows them, his wounds. This is how everyone will know you are my disciples: will you bear wounds for others—you are to engage in sacrificial self-giving for others.

When he showed his wounds, he wasn’t pointing them out as if to shame his disciples, or to announce his vengeance, his retribution. “Look what you did, now it’s time for you to pay”. Rather, he points to his wounds, and says, “peace”. From the cross, Jesus pronounced, not wrath, but forgiveness: “father, forgive them, for they not know what they have done”. And after his resurrection, he announces, peace.

“Love one another, as I love you.” In the course of the Christian life, we are to engage in Christ-like self-sacrificial love for others, AND we are to practice mercy by extending peace to all, even those who hate us. We cannot love without extending mercy. 

Be merciful, Christ teaches, as God is merciful. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

In our lives, we are often hurt by others, sometimes deeply. To practice Christ-like mercy, we are called to forgive those who injure us, not holding onto grudges or seeking revenge. Mercy isn't a sign of weakness but a profound strength and a reflection of God's mercy towards us.

Jesus’s mercy was evident toward the hungry, sick, and the sorrowful. Practicing Christ-like mercy involves recognizing the physical and emotional needs of those around us and responding generously. We are to offer a listening ear when others are going through a tough time, and doing what we can to help the needy. 

In Matthew 25, Jesus identifies Himself with the stranger, saying, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Practicing mercy involves opening our hearts and communities to those who are different from us, whether they be newcomers, people from different cultural or religious backgrounds, or those who feel marginalized and alone. By extending hospitality and friendship, we make tangible Jesus' love and mercy.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This radical call to mercy involves lifting up in prayer those we may find difficult to love, including those who oppose us or hurt us in some way. Through prayer, we open our hearts to God's transforming love and allow Him to work through us to extend mercy to those living far from God.

In a world marked by division and conflict, practicing Christ-like mercy means being agents of peace and reconciliation. Christian disciples are called to mediating conflicts in our families or communities, working towards justice and peace in our societies, and seeking to build bridges rather than walls. 

Finally, Jesus' ultimate demonstration of mercy was through His sacrificial love on the cross. We are called to live lives of sacrificial love, putting the needs of others before our own, and being willing to bear wounds for the sake of love. Christian disciples are called to make personal sacrifices for the good of our families, communities, and even strangers, mirroring the self-giving love of Christ.

In embracing the practice of mercy, we become true disciples of Christ, reflecting His love and mercy in a world in desperate need of both. As we go forth from this Divine Mercy Sunday, let us carry in our hearts the call to be merciful as our Father is merciful, and to spread the joy of the Resurrection through our words and deeds of love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.