• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Donate Now
  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
    • Being Benedictine
    • Benedictine Monasticism
    • Meet Our Community
    • Holy Name Academy-Alumnae
  • What We Do
    • Mission, Vision and Our Partners
    • Retreats
      • Invitation to Retreat
      • Accommodations
    • Vocations and Formation
    • Volunteer Programs
    • Oblate Program
    • Spiritual Direction
    • Aqua/Hydroponics
    • More of Our Ministries
  • What’s Happening
    • Articles of Interest
    • Events
    • Commemorative Bricks
    • Newsletters
    • Brochures
    • Links
  • Support Us
    • Gifts of Support
    • Wish List
  • Stories Shared
  • Galleries
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Contact Us

Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Sunday

April 12, 2021 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

In a by-gone tradition, tomorrow was known as “Low Sunday” – a lesser Easter celebration – or “Quasi-modo Sunday” from the first two words of the Entrance antiphon at Mass: “Like newborn infants” referring to those baptized at Easter.  It is the day that the newly baptized officially put away their white robes, hence, it is known liturgically as the “Sunday of putting away the albs.”  And yes, the name of this feast, Quasi-Modo is the origin of the name in Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”  The foundling was so named because he was discovered at the cathedral on the second Sunday of Easter.

Another bit of trivia: in England, there was a strange custom on the Monday and Tuesday after Low Sunday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon.  These two days became known as “Hoke Day.”  (“Hoke” – related to “hocus pocus” is to perform in an exaggerated or overly sentimental way.)  On Monday, men “captured” women to auction.  On Tuesday, the women reciprocate by capturing the men for ransom and both days the money was given to the Church.

Now leap ahead to the Second Sunday of Easter in the Jubilee Year 2000.  At the Mass for the canonization of Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul II made a surprising announcement in his homily: …” from now on throughout the Church, the second Sunday of Easter will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.’ ”  Thus, while it is clearly not a new feast, neither is it an optional title for this solemnity; rather, Divine Mercy is the integral name for the Second Sunday of Easter.  For centuries the Easter liturgies have proclaimed the mercy of God.  In tomorrow’s responsorial psalm we will sing four times, “His mercy endures forever.”

The Gospel for this feast begins with the risen Christ appearing to the apostles on Easter night.  Jesus calms his disciples by sharing with them “Peace.”  He shows them the scars of his Passion, his wounded hands and side, the evidence of his saving work through his suffering, death and resurrection.  Then he breathes on them and explains what the divine breathing means with the words, “Receive the holy Spirit.”  He gives to the apostles, from His treasury of divine mercy, the assurance there is nothing to fear.  So important to remember especially this year.  Think of it – this is our second celebration of Easter in pandemic times.

Pious devotions such as the rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet foster the virtue of trust in God’s mercy making participation in the sacraments, especially the liturgy of Eucharist and Reconciliation, more vital and fruitful.

There is a trend of late among many media services (thankfully) to close the evening news with an effort to balance stories of violence, horror and tragedy with illustrations of volunteer service, almsgiving and one-on-one forgiveness and kindness and other examples of “divine mercy” in action.  Stories that stand out: heroism and neighborliness in times of COVID, floods and tornadoes, the expanding problem with world hunger, homelessness and closing of businesses; over-crowded hospitals, death, dying and stranded migrant children.  And it is likely you may recall earlier stories.  Like the one from 2006, the story of the Amish community that walked to the home of the man who had killed 5 of their children to tell his widow they forgave her husband for what he had done, and they consoled her for the loss of her spouse.  They buried their anger before they buried their children.

Another not-to-be-forgotten story of forgiveness, you may recall, was depicted on the cover of TIME magazine 1984.  Two men sit knee-to-knee, up close and personal in a prison cell.  The younger man wears a black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans and white running shoes.  The older man is dressed in a white robe and a white skullcap on his head.  The two spoke quietly so as to keep others from hearing their conversation.  The young man was an attempted assassin; the older man was Pope John Paul II, his intended victim.   The pope held the hand that had held the gun with the bullet that had torn into his body.  At the end of their 20-minute meeting, raising the pope’s hand, Ali pressed to his own forehead as a sign of respect.  John Paul shook Ali’s hand tenderly.  When the pope left the cell he said, “What we talked about must remain a secret between us.  I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust.”  John Paul’s deed has become an icon of living mercy.

These, and other stories, teach us that forgiveness is central.  They show us in a real sense that God’s forgiveness depends on our being the first to extend forgiveness – starting with forgiveness of self for short-comings.  That’s what the mercy of God is all about.  These are but a few examples of God’s divine mercy in action.  This is the gift of mercy we celebrate on Divine Mercy Sunday.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

 

First Reading: Acts 4:232-35     Second Reading: John 5:1-6   Gospel: John 20:19-31
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Christ, Divine Mercy, Divine Mercy Sunday, Easter, Follow Him, Jesus, Pope, Pope John Paul II, prayer for forgiveness

Just Like Kneading Dough

April 9, 2018 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Have you read the reflection for tomorrow in THIS DAY?  Or, if not, do you remember watching someone, maybe your mom or grandmother making bread and kneading the dough – making biscuits or rolls or maybe you’ve seen someone tossing pizza dough?  Just thinking about it, don’t you get that feeling???  You can’t just “watch” – you have to get your hands on it, in it.  That reflection in THIS DAY continues with a quote from C.S. Lewis, “If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.  Thomas couldn’t just nod his head and blindly accept the news his friends excitedly shared that Jesus had visited them.   He had to put his hands on Jesus …  feel the warmth of His body, trace the scars.  The NASA engineer, a woman of color, I heard recently at PHSC, speaking of aspirations said it this way: You can’t aspire to something you’ve never seen.”  Thomas had to feel Jesus to know He was really, REAL.  You know what it is like when we haven’t seen a friend for a long time, we have to clasp hands, hug each other to assure ourselves us the moment is REAL.

This weekend we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday.  How can we learn mercy if we never see mercy in action?  That thought alone should be an impetus to model a spirit of mercy in all our interactions.  Mercy isn’t weakness – it takes patience, insight, control of your tongue, a peaceful spirit to be merciful.

The celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday is a relatively new addition to our church calendar.  It was first promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2000, the day that he canonized Saint Faustina.  Christ appeared to a Polish nun, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska, in a series of visions that took place over almost eight years.  In one of the visions Christ asked Sister Faustina to pray for nine days, beginning on Good Friday and ending on the Saturday after Easter—the eve of the Octave of Easter.  Thus, since the 9 days of a novena are commonly prayed in advance of a feast, the Feast of Divine Mercy—Divine Mercy Sunday—was born.

Sister Faustina is quoted from her diary:

“Oh, if only all souls knew Who is living in our churches?”  This belief is a taste of what Thomas experienced when, in his presence, Jesus appeared the second time to his disciples.  He was invited to “touch and believe”.  He recognized Jesus, his doubt was vanquished, and he professed His belief in Christ.

Do we recognize the Christ among us?  When the Eucharistic minister looks you in the eye to greet you: “Body of Christ.  Blood of Christ” is our AMEN simply a rote, expected response?  Or does your AMEN signify a true conviction that “yes, you and I are Christ for each other?”  If we cannot greet Christ in each other, how will we recognize Jesus at the pearly gates?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading  Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35    Second Reading   1 John 5:1-6
Gospel John 20:19-31
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: C.S. Lewis, Christ, Divine Mercy, Easter, Good Friday, Jesus, Kneading Dough, spirit of mercy

Footer

Prayer / Newsletter / Info

 Contact Info

Benedictine Sisters of Florida

PO Box 2450
12138 Wichers Road
St. Leo, FL 33574-2450
(352) 588-8320
(352) 588-8443

 Mass Schedule

Related Links

Copyright © 2021 · Benedictine Sisters of FL · Touching Lives Through Prayer and Service

Copyright © 2021 · Bendedictine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in