Homily of St. John Paul II, Divine Mercy Sunday 2001
For the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, Messenger of Divine Mercy
The elevation to the honors of the altar of this humble religious… is not only a gift for Poland but for all humanity. Indeed the message she brought is the… answer that God wanted to offer to the questions and expectations of human beings in our time, marked by terrible tragedies. Jesus said… "Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy" (Diary, 300).
Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity at the dawn of the third millennium.
The Gospel… helps us to grasp the full sense and value of this gift… Christ… transmits to the fearful, astounded disciples the mission of being ministers of Divine Mercy… and… entrusted to them the gift of "forgiving sins," a gift that flows from the wounds in His hands, His feet… His pierced side. From there a wave of mercy is poured out over all humanity… an inexhaustible source… of love and forgiveness.
The Heart of Christ! His "Sacred Heart" has given men everything: redemption, salvation, sanctification. Saint Faustina saw coming from this Heart… two rays of light which illuminated the world. The two rays… denote blood and water (Diary, 299). The blood recalls… the mystery of the Eucharist; the water… makes us think of Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Spirit...
Through the mystery of this wounded Heart, the restorative tide of God's merciful love continues to spread over the men and women of our time. Here alone can those who long for true and lasting happiness find its secret.
"Jesus, I trust in You!" … we too would like to abandon ourselves trustfully in Your hands, 0 Lord… A simple act of abandonment is enough to overcome the barriers of darkness and sorrow, of doubt and desperation. The rays of Your Divine Mercy restore hope… to those who feel overwhelmed by the burden of sin.
Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us always to have this trust in your Son, our Redeemer. Help us too, St. Faustina... Fixing our weak gaze on the divine Savior's face, we would like to repeat with you: "Jesus, I trust in You!" Now and forever. Amen.
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