by Val Conlon

Jesus’ death on the cross was in atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus told us at 3 O’Clock to immerse ourselves in His Passion, like John the Baptist who immersed people in water because it is a symbol of cleansing. So too is the water and blood that flowed from Jesus’ side. The blood to renew us and the water to cleans us of our sins, because He wanted to give us the effect of what water does for the body, repentance does for our soul.

What Jesus asks us on the Feast of Mercy to immerse ourselves in the Blood and Water which flowed from His side; the Water to cleanse us and the Blood to renew us, like a blood transfusion renews a very ill person who has lost this vital live-sustaining body fluid.

What happens on the Feast of Mercy is that you are baptised again, given a new life, a new beginning. You are a new person, you standing at the Foot of the Cross; He is making present at that moment when He died, for it was at that moment that Divine Mercy was won for the world. Dismas was the first person to benefit from His victory because Jesus was given the power of Divine Mercy by His sacrifice.

On the Feast of Mercy, we are revisiting that hill on Calvary and we, like Dismas, are being cleansed by the blood and water that flowed from His side, which is Confession, and then we are beginning a new life by the transfusion of His scared Blood, which is Holy Communion. So, today we are at the Foot of the Cross receiving His grace of Divine Mercy by being immersed in His Divine Blood and Water. Our presence at the Feast of Mercy is also giving witness to our faith and acknowledging to our belief in what Jesus for died on the Cross. On the Feast of Mercy, we are commending our souls to the Father, through the Passion and Death of our Saviour, His Son, Jesus Christ.

The gift you will receive on the Feast of Mercy and the partaking of the Blood and Water that flowed from His side on Calvary, is that which He gave to Dismas, “This day you will be with Me in Paradise”. If you died the following day, you would go straight into His presence in Paradise. For on the Feast of Mercy, you’re whole past life is forgiven and there is nothing you will be judged for.

We should be mindful that the Feast of Mercy is a feast of forgiveness. It is one of our failings as humans not to forgive our trespassers, even though we expect to be forgiven ourselves for the wrong we have done in life. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (John 1:8-10) The truth is that everyone has sinned. Everyone has offended God in some way. It is not just to say, “I can be forgiven for my sins, but they should not be forgiven for theirs”. On the Feast of Mercy, we must forgive our enemies and pray for them and also ask to be forgiven for the sins we have committed. Then the love of God will embrace us and grant us the graces He has promised us on the Feast of Mercy.