by Deacon Michael Bickerstaff | April 7, 2024 12:05 am
Jesus is waiting for you right here, right now. He is all holy and He desires you to be in communion with Him. For that, you do not in this life need to be perfect; you need to be forgiven, to be healed and to be contrite and desire holiness. Give your life to Jesus today. Make that commitment.
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
The Divine Mercy Awaits…
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (John 20:22-23).
Since 2000, through the efforts of St. John Paul II, the Second Sunday of Easter is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
And yet today, many of us who need forgiveness and healing do not truly grasp what is offered to us and who it is that offers it. Sin darkens the spiritual senses and harms the body and soul. The more we sin and the longer we put off reconciliation, the harder it becomes to truly know the Lord and His healing. Our struggles may have gone on so long that we are either no longer aware of them, don’t care about them or simply believe that we are broken beyond repair and even become frightened of seeking forgiveness.
So, it is important that we have a correct image of Jesus in our life. He does not stand above us wagging His finger and offering criticism as we sin; He stands before us with outstretched arms and healing hands desiring to embrace us and tell us that He is with us and that everything can be okay.
Jesus is waiting for you right here, right now. He is all holy and He desires you to be in communion with Him. For that, you do not, in this life, need to be perfect; you need to be forgiven, to be healed and to be contrite and desire holiness.
We can only imagine what joy and glory awaits us if we let Jesus into our hearts to cleanse and renew us with the ocean of His Divine Mercy. Here is what Jesus said to Satin Faustina about His Mercy:
“My daughter, do you think you have written enough about My mercy? What you have written is but a drop compared to the ocean. I am Love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted – it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it.”
– Diary of Saint Faustina, 1273
Give your life to Jesus today. Make that commitment… right now and go see Him in the Sacrament of Confession.
Into the deep…
“Vilnius” Divine Mercy Image (detail) by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski (1873-1939)[1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A popular and engaging speaker, Deacon Bickerstaff is available to speak at your parish or event. Be sure to check out his Speaker Page[2] to learn more. Into the Deep[3] is a regular feature of the The Integrated Catholic Life™.
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