Happy Easter! As we celebrate this octave day of Easter, we celebrate what has become known in the Church as Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Faustina, who in many ways could be considered a “Missionary of Mercy” wrote, “For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving
and comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray—that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy.”

As much as we celebrate the great mercy that God has shown to each of us, Divine Mercy Sunday also invites us to reflect on how we are vessels of that mercy in our world today. As much as we hope for God’s kindness and compassion to be extended to us for our sins, how do we also, do we, extend that kindness and compassion towards others? God’s mercy isn’t just meant to be given, the mercy of God is meant to be shared. May we not just be receivers, may we also be vessels. Do people look at us, as individuals, as a Church, and see vessels of judgment or vessels of mercy?

Many of us pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and in that Chaplet we pray the words, “For the sake of His sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.” On this Divine Mercy Sunday as we pray and reflect upon those words, let us challenge ourselves to reflect not just upon the mercy of God that is shown to us, but also the mercy of God that is shown through us. How can we, through our words and through our deeds, become “Missionaries of Mercy” ourselves?