Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy SundayDivine Mercy Sunday re-echoes the central message of our Christian faith… God loves us and cares about us irrespective
of who we are, where we are and what we may have done in the past. God revealed His mercy, first and foremost, by
sending His only begotten Son to become our Saviour and Lord by His suffering, death and Resurrection. Through his death
and resurrection Divine Mercy is experienced in every sacramental celebration as they sanctify our lives and offer us unmerited opportunities to participate in the divine life of God. God through the scriptures and in the living traditions of the church stands and wait for our return and like the loving father in the Parable of the Prodigal son He will always welcome us into his warmth embrace.

Jesus through the writing of a Polish nun Maria Faustina reminds us that aching humanity would find no rest for itself until peoples embraced the mercy offered by God. God, for his part, has no desire to condemn the world. Indeed, he would much rather that sinners turn back to Him and experience true peace and freedom. He wants us to receive the fullness of His gifts. It was for this very reason that He died upon the cross. But so many people still don’t know about this or choose not to act upon it. And so, in order to make the richness of God’s mercy more widely known, Jesus asked that a special feast of Divine Mercy be established. Today is that very day.

This feast invites us into firstly a realization of our own need for mercy, secondly invoke God’s mercy upon ourselves and thirdly we are called to extend mercy to others.

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday.

Fr Pontianus Jaffla

Easter Sunday

Easter SundayLord we lift our hearts to you. As the dawn breaks, may we carry the unity we share into every moment knowing that we are one with the risen Christ. Lord, we lift our eyes to you.

As the sunrises, may this moment stay with us, reminding us to look for the beautiful colours of promise in your word.

Lord, we lift our prayers to you. As the dew air falls, may we breathe this morning in and know that like the earth, you sustain us, keep us and work within us always.

And so, we lift our voices to you. We celebrate the greatest day in history, when Jesus rose from death, defeated darkness and bathed the world in stunning resurrection light.

May we ever live to praise you!

Amen

Palm Sunday

Divine Mercy SundayLord Jesus, in the midst of the festive crowd, you entered Jerusalem. Obedient unto death, you handed over your spirit to the Father, giving your life to save us. The lips of those who today acclaim you as the “Son of David”, will tomorrow shout “Crucify him!” The same disciples that promised to remain with you unto the end, abandon you.

And I, Lord? I realise that I struggle to keep up with you. I realise that I struggle to express myself in prayer. I babble. I stop. I reflect. I realise that, like Judas, I am ready to betray Love with a kiss.

Like Pilate, I am ready to defend the truth as long as it doesn’t cost me anything.

Like Peter, I am ready to promise you many things, but I am equally ready to abandon you.

Like the disciples, I am ready to promise fidelity to you, and then disappear in anonymity. I also discover that…

Like the sorrowful Mary, I know how to accompany you in silence with a wounded heart along your Way of the Cross.

Like the beloved disciple, with Mary, I know how to remain at your side even under the cross.

Like the good thief, I know how to acknowledge my errors and entrust myself to your merciful heart.

Like the centurion, I know how to recognize you as my Lord and my God.

Jesus, Crucified One, Son and brother, have mercy on me! Help me stay behind You, with You, to live in You and for You.