This Second Sunday of Easter is celebrated as "Divine Mercy Sunday" in all Catholic Parishes throughout the world. In our Gospel Reading today we hear the story of Jesus' appearance to his disciples on that first Easter night. After giving them the greeting of peace, Jesus commissioned his disciples by saying: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Then He said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." This Sunday we focus on the great gift of divine mercy given to us by Jesus, particularly through his establishment of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The real presence of the Risen Lord is among us not only in the Eucharist, but also in the forgiveness of sins made readily available to us each time we go to confession.

On April 30, 2000, when Pope John Paul II canonized St. Maria Faustina, he proclaimed the Second Sunday of Easter to be celebrated every year as "Divine Mercy Sunday." St. Faustina, who died in 1938, was a Polish nun who had visions and messages from Christ urging us to accept the mercy of God in our lives and pray for divine mercy for the whole world.

In addition to frequenting the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, the Divine Mercy devotion of St. Faustina includes the veneration of the Divine Mercy Image present in our churches, praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet, and the commemoration of Divine Mercy Sunday each year.

This Sunday at 3:00p.m. (considered the hour of "great mercy" because this is the hour that Christ died on the cross for our sins) we will have a special Holy Hour in honor of the Lord of Divine Mercy at St. Joseph Church. We will have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a homily regarding this devotion, and Benediction. Please join us for this hour of prayer and learn more about St. Faustina and this devotion which has been promulgated by our Holy Father Pope John Paul II. This holy hour will take the place of our usual First Monday Holy Hour at St. Joseph Church.

As we complete the Octave of Easter this Sunday, I would like to thank all of our parish staff and parish volunteers who worked so hard to make our Holy Week and Easter Triduum liturgies such beautiful ones! Brother David did his usual tremendous job of decorating both St. Joseph and Immaculate Conception. Congratulations to Theresa Vitt and all our music ministers, cantors, and choir members for a superb job of singing God's praises throughout the Triduum!

May the Risen Lord continue to bless you and your loved ones throughout this fifty-day Easter Season!