THIS Sunday, April 23, 
has been designated by the Church as Divine Mercy Sunday. A Polish nun,
St Faustina, the first saint canonised in the new millennium, received messages from the Lord with the message of God’s mercy. Recent Popes have stressed the need for us to realize and to proclaim the reality of God’s mercy.
In fact we had a Year of Mercy recently. The Popes know that the way to God is through his mercy. No matter what our failings are, the way back to God is through His mercy.
Parishioners at Hampton Park introduced me to this message. They asked me to hear confessions on this Sunday, and I was amazed at the response to the promises of a plenary indulgence. People who had been away from the Sacraments for years, made their way back to the Lord.
Many are familiar with the image of mercy, showing the risen Lord with rays of blood and water flowing from His heart. These are signs of God’s forgiveness and life and love given to us in the Sacraments.
This message is also a call to us to be merciful and compassionate to others. We know God’s mercy and so are called to show mercy to others.