The disciples expected Jesus to be powerful. They thought that he would come and overthrow the Romans, restoring freedom to Israel through political control. They weren’t prepared for the kind of power Jesus had in mind.
On Good Friday, Jesus surrendered his power and laid down his life to save us. In his resurrection, Jesus conquers death and shows himself to be omnipotent, all-powerful. However, Jesus comes back not to use his power for vengeance, but for forgiveness. The all-powerful God returns from the dead, and the message to those who betrayed and abandoned him is simply, “Peace be with you.” That’s power. That’s Divine Mercy.
Today’s homily considers some amazing stories of mercy and forgiveness, including St. Paul, St. Maria Goretti, and two people you may never have heard of, Pam Molnar and Joan Magette. God is always capable of taking something that looks like a disaster, like Good Friday, and turning it into to something beautiful, like Easter. That’s what happens in these stories. That’s Divine Mercy.
There’s so much hurt in the world today and all of us can probably think of countless ways in which we have been wronged, how we are a victim and life is not fair. But Jesus gives us a way forward. The Father sent him on a mission of mercy and forgiveness. Jesus then tells us “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” We are not meant to see ourselves merely as victims, but as missionaries, missionaries of mercy.
They say that “hurt people hurt people.” But I believe that “forgiven people forgive people.” If there’s a relationship that needs healing and you can do something about it, then go do it. You have the power to change someone’s life today, especially your own, with three little words: “Please forgive me” and “I forgive you.” That’s the power of the peace Jesus offers. That’s the power of mercy.