Father Nathan | Homily

Divine Mercy Sunday

Today’s Readings:

First Reading — Acts 2:42-47

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Second Reading — Peter 1:3-9

Gospel Reading — John 20:19-31

Divine Mercy Sunday Homily

We will be engulfed and immersed into his mercy.

Today we celebrate the divine Mercy Sunday. It’s the day where we are called to commemorate celebrate the mercy of our lord for our life. Mercy id the gift. There is one thing I wanted to share with you from my personal life.

Right after the ordination I had the privilege to be one of the slum parish of our diocese. Please when I share this experience please take that pronoun I and USE, my ‘calling’ as priest. I believe because I am a priest I had the greatest opportunity to minister those people. I was able to build closer to 25 low-cost houses. I did it to uplift them from their poverty. It’s not my money. It was the donor who helped me. I did it. I was a just a channel. I know till today there are many of the house they have my big picture in their home. It to appreciate it did in their life.

In the same way, I had closer to fifteen teenagers that time with me in the parish, most of them I had the chance to support them for their education. Now almost all of them settle down in their life. When my boys needs some things, just for example, if they need a two chocolate they would tell me number, rather they would tell me “Father I need chocolate “later one day the boys were telling the reason why they tell the count was, just because if they ask me what they want they may get that alone may be the better quality but if I do it all by myself means but they know for sure that I will be lavish.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him”

—Mathew 7:11

I think it’s same with you guys with many in your family. We do our best to your sibling and to your kids…. When we do our best to your people. We are called to think about Gods mercy.  Today is the day we are called to think and appreciate the mercy of the lord into our life. He is lavish, his mercy is lavish and his love is lavish. As I always say it

”our sins are nothing before his mercy” and our stains of sins will be washed clean more whiter than snow at the flood of his mercy”  

psalm 130 : 3 would beautifully talks like this

“If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”

When Jesus appeared to St Faustina, “even if the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy he gives Me the greatest praise and is the glory of My Passion.

When we seek His mercy, we seek to be humble. And when we are humble ourselves, we seek his mercy. In humility when we seek his mercy, we will be engulfed and immersed into his mercy.

Secondly today we are also called to think about the St. Thomas. He is called as doubting Thomas. I love that man. Wonderful apostles. This apostle would say 11: 16 “

“Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

He is the one who said john 20:25

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe”

My father is a military man. Very much reputed in the community. Lived in a small village, extremely small village. There is only one way to enter into our village. My father will come once or twice a month to visit us. I as the kid extremely mischievous kid, but I am my dad’s favorite. Anything I want will be done by my father. But I will wait for my dad… it will be done.   My mom… No very strict officer. God bless her. Wonderful, spiritual women, raised up five boys and a girl all by her self’s right after of dad’s death.  

Now when I come back from my school, I don’t even enter inside the house, I will throw my bag not even going into my house will run to play with my friends. In case if someone see my dad coming home, whey will let me know that my dad has arrived. When I came to know that has has come, All I would do is I would say that they are lying but jump and run toward my house. Even if someone say to me again that they have seen my dad…I will be replying to them that they are lying but never stop running toward my family. I know that he has come to see me. I know that what say is truth but I wanted to see him.

I wanted to see him in person. When I run back and when I see him, all I would do his just that lovable hug. No words nothing at all. Just that HUG.

St. Thomas had the same love to Jesus, as I had love for my dad. I knows it. He knows that he would rose from the dead but him wanted have that personal encounter. If all of my friends could have, WHY NOT ME???

If he has not trusted him or if he has doubted him that great statement of faith “MY LORD AND MY GOD” we could never got it. To me, the deepest expression of love is just SILENCE.

“MY LORD AND MY GOD”

is just that. Let us surrender ourselves to the lord and enjoy his mercy in our lives. Amen.

Stay safe and be reassured that God is with you in this time of crisis and isolation!

Stay connected to others during this time through phone, email and social media.

Have a Blessed Week,

Fr. Nathan