Today is Divine Mercy Sunday which occurs within the Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis. It is also the Easter Season in which we celebrate the mercy of God manifested in the saving deed of Jesus Christ. We celebrate, therefore, the trifecta of Divine Mercy!
God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden; can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). ... Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth…and make justice and peace flourish.
These wonderful words of Pope Francis remind us of the depth and power of God’s mercy. In order to fully experience the power and depth of God’s mercy, we must acknowledge our need for that mercy. We are all sinners. None of us live in perfect fidelity to what God expects of us in our relationship with God and in our relationship with other persons. When we recognize our sinfulness, recognize that we are not living our lives in a way that leads us into the richness of life that is God’s only desire for us, and then our hearts will seek the mercy that God freely and abundantly offers us. There is no sin, no human fault, and no human action that is greater than the mercy of God! In this Easter season, pray for the grace to feel God’s mercy for you in the depth of your heart. Allow God to touch your heart with God’s mercy and you will be transformed.
And we know that the mercy of God is transforming our lives when we become agents of God’s mercy, channels though which God can water the earth, that is, persons who are instruments of life and hope, instruments of justice and peace, in our world. If God’s mercy has truly touched your heart, then you should be able to forgive the person who has offended you. If God’s mercy has touched your heart, you should be an instrument of reconciliation within your family if there is now division within your family. If you have been touched by God’s mercy, then you should be a person who shows that mercy to those who are in need. If you have been touched by God’s mercy, then you should offer that same mercy to immigrants and refugees.
The mercy of God is an incredible gift and one that we must share with all persons!

Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.