So I send you…

Sometimes we need to adjust our focus. As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, our immediate focus might be on forgiveness of our sins. However, God’s mercy doesn’t focus on sin, but on action, especially on behalf of others.

God’s mercy is revealed to us in many of Jesus’ parables and actions. The Good Samaritan showed mercy when he responded to the need of the man who had been robbed and beaten. He put himself and his resources at the service of the one in need. The father restored his son to his inheritance and celebrated his return to the family, without mentioning forgiveness for any transgression. The Good Shepherd, probably with great time and effort, sought out the lost sheep and restored it to the flock. Jesus healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and raised the son of the widow of Nain and his friend Lazarus from the dead. Rarely did Jesus focus solely on forgiveness of sins; when he did mention an individual’s sins, he accompanied that by healing of some kind in order that the person could live the fullness of their potential. Jesus shows us that mercy is defined by a generous response to another’s need.

In the Gospel, Jesus once again expresses mercy when he encounters the disciples gathered together. There is no denunciation of their cowardice, their abandonment of him during his passion. Rather, he empowers them by breathing the Spirit upon them and sending them out on mission: “as the Father has sent me, so I send you”. Jesus handed over his mission to the disciples in the upper room and to us.

Divine mercy is about being empowered and sent to live out our vocation as disciples. It means being open to whatever way God is calling us to live that discipleship. St. Eugene de Mazenod experienced the power of God’s mercy and dedicated his life to serving the most abandoned.  We have been given new life in Christ and received the Holy Spirit; are we ready to respond with that same generosity to the needs of those around us?

By Richard Beaudette, OMI
Vocation Team – East
613-806-3435
vicar1@omilacombe.ca