Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. Our Gospel reading from John 20 gives some insight into Divine Mercy and the sacrament of Confession.
Jesus appeared to the Apostles and said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." First, Jesus gave the Apostles, our first priests, the power, authority and ability to forgive sins. And how would they know what sins to forgive or retain? They had to be told, of course.
Jesus gave this ministry of forgiveness to the Church, to our priests. We all have access to God's mercy, always. But Jesus chose to exercise this ministry of mercy through the sacrament of Confession. We're all in need of God's mercy. Without it we would all be lost. So receive his mercy in the sacrament and hear those words of Jesus in your heart: "Peace be with you."
Father, we thank you for your great mercy. Help us to avail ourselves of that mercy in the sacrament of Confession. Amen.
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