Divine Mercy Sunday

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we stand before one of the greatest mysteries and consolations of our faith: God’s infinite mercy. On this Second Sunday of Easter, the Church invites us not just to celebrate Christ's Resurrection, but also to rest in the depth of His Divine Mercy — a mercy that is boundless, personal, and tender.

In today’s Gospel, we meet the disciples gathered behind locked doors, gripped by fear. They had abandoned Jesus. They had denied Him. They were broken and ashamed. Yet, what is the first word the Risen Lord speaks to them?
"Peace be with you."
Not a word of anger. No scolding. Only peace, healing, and forgiveness.

This is Divine Mercy:
It meets us not when we are strong, but when we are weak.
It finds us not when we are proud, but when we are broken.
It lifts us not when we are faithful, but even when we have fallen.

And then we encounter Thomas — poor Thomas, often remembered as "Doubting Thomas." But if we are honest, don't we see ourselves in him? How many times have we doubted God's love? How many times have we locked the doors of our own hearts, too afraid or ashamed to open them?
Yet Jesus comes again — just for Thomas.
He doesn't reject Thomas' doubt. He invites him closer:
"Put your finger here... reach out your hand and put it into my side."
Jesus exposes His wounds not to shame Thomas, but to heal him.
He shows that His wounds are now wounds of love — channels of mercy that flow out to all who seek Him.

My dear friends,
Today Jesus says to each one of us:
"Do not be afraid of your wounds. Bring them to me. Let me heal you. Let me love you."
This is the heart of Divine Mercy. It is not about earning God's love; it is about receiving it. It is not about being worthy; it is about being willing.

Saint John Paul II, who established this feast, once said,
"Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to humanity."

Today, Christ offers us that gift again.
Will we open our hearts?
Will we allow His mercy to flow into the hidden, hurting places of our lives?
Will we, in turn, become channels of His mercy for a world so desperately in need of compassion?

Jesus, I trust in You.
Even when I fail — Jesus, I trust in You.
Even when I am weak — Jesus, I trust in You.
Even when I doubt — Jesus, I trust in You.

May this simple prayer be the song of our hearts not just today, but every day.

May the Risen Christ, rich in mercy, bless you and your families with His peace, His forgiveness, and His everlasting love.

Amen.

Easter Sunday

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Happy Easter!
Today is the day the Lord has made—Let us rejoice and be glad! The tomb is empty.
The stone is rolled away. And the silence of death has been broken by the voice of Life Himself.

Today, we don’t just remember a miracle that happened long ago.
We celebrate a living truth: Jesus is alive—and because He lives, we too shall live.

In the Gospel today, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb early in the morning.
She sees that the stone has been moved.
She runs to the disciples, and Peter and John run to see for themselves.

They don’t fully understand yet, but they sense it—
Something holy has happened.
Something that has turned the world upside down. And that something is this:

Jesus Christ, who was crucified, is no longer dead. He is risen.

This is the central truth of our faith.
This is the heartbeat of Christianity.

Without the Resurrection, we are nothing.
But with it, we have everything.

Easter is not just about Jesus rising from the dead.
It’s about us rising too.

– From despair to hope.
– From fear to faith.
– From guilt to grace.
– From a life lived in shadows to a life lived in the light of His love.

Today, the Risen Lord stands before each of us and says:

“Do not be afraid. Peace be with you. I am with you always.”

Let His voice echo in your heart.
Let His victory lift your soul.

Easter is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning.

The empty tomb sends us out, like the disciples, to share the Good News.
Not just with our words, but with our lives.

Let your joy show.
Let your kindness speak.
Let your forgiveness shine.
Let your hope be contagious.

Because the world needs Easter.
It needs to see that love is stronger than hate,
that mercy is greater than judgment,
and that Christ is alive in His people.

You may not have seen the angels or heard the voice from the empty tomb—
but the Risen Jesus is just as real, and just as close to you now as He was then.

He is with you…
– in your prayer,
– in your suffering,
– in the Eucharist,
– in the quiet moments of the heart.

He comes to you today not with blame, but with blessing.
Not with judgment, but with joy.

Dear friends,

This Easter, let us not just celebrate Christ's Resurrection—
Let us live it.

Let your heart rise.
Let your life be made new.
Let your soul rejoice.

And go forth from this church today as Easter people—
people of joy,
people of hope,
people of the Risen Lord.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is truly risen!

Amen.

Palm Sunday

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we begin the holiest and most solemn week of the Christian year. The liturgy opens with palm branches and joyful hosannas, but soon descends into betrayal, suffering, and death. We walk with Jesus from the gates of Jerusalem to the hill of Calvary.

Palm Sunday is not just a memory; it’s an invitation. We are not spectators; we are participants. The same question comes to each of us: Who is Jesus for me? A passing figure of interest, or the Lord of my life?

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Not a war horse, not a chariot, but a beast of burden. Why?

Because He is the King of Peace, not of power. He conquers not by the sword, but by the cross.
He rules not from a throne, but from the wood of Calvary.

People lay down cloaks and branches, shouting, “Hosanna!” Yet within days, the crowd will shout “Crucify Him!” Such is the fickleness of the human heart — a mirror to our own spiritual lives.

How often do we welcome Christ in joy, but fail to stand by Him in sacrifice?

Luke’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Merciful Savior, even in His passion:

• He heals the servant’s ear.

• He looks at Peter with compassion after the denial.

• He forgives His executioners: “Father, forgive them...”

• He welcomes the repentant thief: “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.”

What kind of love is this?

A love that does not retaliate.
A love that never gives up on us.
A love that embraces the cross, not for Himself, but for you and me.

This is not a tragedy. It is a triumph of divine love.

This week, Christ asks you: “Will you stay with Me?”

• Will you be like Simon, helping Him carry the cross — by carrying the burdens of others?

• Will you be like the women of Jerusalem — weeping for the sins of the world?

• Will you be like the good thief — turning to Jesus, even in your brokenness?

Or will we be like the crowd, the soldiers, the indifferent — standing by, letting the moment pass?

Holy Week is not a drama to be watched. It is a journey to be lived.

Yes, today ends in sorrow. But we know: Easter is coming.

Jesus does not run away from suffering. He embraces it — to redeem it.
And if we walk with Him, even through pain, we too will rise with Him.

Let us not rush to Easter without standing by the Cross.
Let us not skip the silence of Holy Saturday before we sing the Alleluia.
Because only by passing through death can we truly rejoice in life.

So, my dear friends, Let us welcome the King of Glory — not just with palms, but with hearts open to His love.
Let us follow Him not just on the road of joy, but on the Way of the Cross.
And let us trust that with Christ, death is never the end — it is the door to resurrection.

Amen.

5th Sunday of Lent

Dear brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we continue our Lenten journey, today’s Gospel presents us with one of the most powerful encounters between Jesus and sinners- the story of the woman caught in adultery. This passage beautifully illustrates God’s mercy, justice and the call to conversion.

The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, not because they are genuinely concerned about the law, but because they want to trap Him. If He condemns her, He contradicts His message of mercy. If He forgives her, He seems to ignore the Law of Moses. But Jesus, full of wisdom: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’’

One by one, the accusers leave, realizing that none of them is without sin. This reminds us that we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy. Lent is a time for us to acknowledge our own failings, not to judge others harshly. Instead of condemning, Jesus offers the woman mercy, but He also calls her to change: “Go and sin no more.”

Dear friends, how many of us carry secret shame? How often do we fear that if people saw who we truly are, they would reject us? Yet here is Jesus, who sees everything — and still says, “Neither do I condemn you.”

This is not leniency. This is liberation. Jesus doesn't ignore sin — He frees us from it. His mercy is not permissiveness, but power — the power to start again. The power to walk away from the places where we’ve been stuck. The power to believe we are more than our past.

So many of us carry stones — stones of guilt, stones of regret, stones we hurl at others, and worse, stones we throw at ourselves. Lent is the season when Jesus gently asks us to lay them down.

Can we hear His voice today?

“My child, I see your heart. I know your struggle. I know what you hide from others. And still, I love you. I do not condemn you. Come — walk with Me. Let Me lead you to life.”

Let us not be afraid of the silence where mercy speaks. Let us not fear the gaze of Jesus. It does not condemn — it restores. It does not shame — it heals.

As we approach Holy Week, may we come before the Lord with humble hearts, open hands, and deep trust in His mercy. Like the woman in the Gospel, may we leave behind our fears and walk forward — forgiven, renewed, and deeply loved.

Amen.