You shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them!

The Book of Ezekiel dates back to the early sixth century B.C. And, although it is not one of today's readings, it contains a vision which has a similar message to Divine Mercy Sunday, that we celebrate today. The vision came to the Prophet Ezekiel

In this dramatic mystical vision, Ezekiel describes the restoration of the nation of Israel from their exile and imprisonment in Babylon. The Jewish people were exiled in Babylon because they refused to heed the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, they refused to repent of their sins, and they refused to trust God's messenger. Abandoning the Faith and failing to trust in God always has the same consequence: sin. And, sin always brings death and imprisonment – a death by our own hands and a prison of our own making.

In the vision, Ezekiel looks out over a field of dry bones, a battlefield of long dead, unburied corpses. The dead bones have long withered into white skeletons. The bones symbolize stamina, the ability of Israel to stand, but the birds of prey, which symbolize their own sins, had long finished destroying their flesh. The nation of Israel was like dead, dried bones, defeated in battle, defeated in their sin, and filled with utter despair. Realizing the depth of their fall, their hearts returned to God. They longed for the Temple that was destroyed, and to receive God's favor once again.

Ezekiel was commanded by God to prophesy to these bones, to revive them. In his vision a massive earthquake occurs, the bones rush together in an eerie clamor, and cartilage and tendons begin to grow. The bones are filled with marrow. Flesh fills in the bones and then skin covers the regenerated bodies. Then breath, the Spirit of God, comes from the four corners of the earth, and the dead bodies come to life again. Now standing on their feet, a great and immense army of revived souls prepares to return to Jerusalem - to the Holy City of God.

Ezekiel's vision may not have been regarded at the time as a sign of the coming of the Messiah, nonetheless, it is fulfilled in Christ Jesus. It follows a pattern of events where God brings life where no life is possible. Israel was restored to life in their exodus from Babylon, just as we are restored to life in God's Divine Mercy. When Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”2 Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”3 And then, Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb. Jesus called Lazarus to life from the dead. He calls us to life from the misery of sin, and restores us to the fullness of life in His sacraments, in His Church, and in His Love. Jesus releases us from the burdens that weigh us down. He takes away our guilt and shame. He restores our freedom, and He does all of this in this great Feast of Divine Mercy.

You shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them!

In the gospel we hear that “Thomas … was not with them when Jesus came.”4 On hearing his brothers say that they have seen the Lord, Thomas replied, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."5

Thomas certainly had ample evidence to believe. He had ample evidence to know that Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah. He was there when Jairus's daughter was raised from the dead. He was with Jesus at Nain, when Jesus touched the coffin and said, 'Young man, I tell you, arise! and the dead man sat up and began to speak.”6 Thomas didn't lack courage. It was Thomas, on hearing the Jesus was going to Jerusalem, who said, “Let us also go to die with him.”7 And when the stone was rolled away Thomas saw Lararus emerged from the tomb “tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face … wrapped in a cloth.”8

We don't know why Thomas wasn't with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them, nor do we know where Thomas went. However, as Jesus was arrested at night, crucified, and rose on the third day, it is likely that Thomas knew the events that took place. While on the Cross, “Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit … And the earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.”9

Thomas didn't lack courage, so that was not the reason for his disbelief. He, like Peter, was willing to die with Jesus. However, as events unfolded, they were far different from what Peter or Thomas expected. So, why was Thomas not with the other disciples, and why did he refuse to believe? We can only guess that Thomas, like the other disciples, was in a paralyzing stage of grief and shock..

All the disciples, except John, deserted Jesus. If you recall the story where Jesus raised Jairus' daughter, you know that Thomas was a man who had to be certain of what he believed. In his heart he believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Perhaps the events that occurred clouded his judgment. Perhaps, he couldn't deal with his own desertion. Perhaps, he fled to save his own life. Jesus had told them, “This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed.”10 Perhaps, it happened so fast. It was all too much for Thomas to handle.

You shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them!

We all have graves we need to rise from: graves of anger, injury, grief, betrayal, broken relationships, guilt, unforgivingness, despair, and regret. We all have graves that only Jesus can reach – bones that need to be brought back to life, and the stamina to stand again. And, that is the underlying meaning of this gospel account. That is the reason for this day, that is the reason for the Feast of Divine Mercy.

In His encounters with St. Faustina, Jesus promised that the soul who would go to confession and receive communion on this day would receive a complete pardon of their sins, and a complete pardon of the punishment due to their sins. On this day, through a simple act of faith and trust, we can make full reparation to God's Justice by glorifying His Mercy. The Sacrament of Penance and the Holy Eucharist; these are miracles of God's mercy. Jesus asks us to celebrate this Feast by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, venerating the Image of Divine Mercy, and exemplifying His Mercy, Forgiveness, and Love. What could be easier! What could be more profound!

In the 'Stations of the Cross' Jesus asks, “What more could I have done and did not do?”14 When we think about salvation, we usually think in terms of getting to Heaven, that through His sacrifice on the Cross Jesus opened the gates of Heaven for us. And that is certainly true.

However, salvation has a much deeper meaning. In his First Letter, Peter tells us, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, .. in His great mercy [has given] us a new birth to a living hope.”15 “A 'new birth' and a 'living hope' is a another way of saying we are presented with the possibility and invited into a radical change.”16

Jesus calls us into a life that is much more powerful, attractive, and magnetic in our daily lives. We are invited into something more than a reality that yet is to come. “A new birth into hope is about you and me having a deep abiding hope fulfilled.”17 It is about moving past our hurts and fears. It is about moving past our disappointments and guilt. It is about finding meaning and purpose in our lives today, a place of wholeness and peace. The Feast of Divine Mercy is like a new baptism, where we are made new in spirit, made new in hope, and made new in love.

Salvation includes awakening and healing our souls, here and now. It is about being resurrected from that which is buried deep within us. Jesus doesn't want us to live in guilt. He doesn't want us to bear the burden of our guilt and shame. He doesn't want us to live in fear of the future or fear of punishment. He wants to breathe new life into our dead bones, not just to prepare us for eternity, but to be with Him here and now, and to share fully in the mission of the Gospel to bring life to the decayed faith of a lost world.

The challenge we face is not so much to put things in order: to dot all the i's and cross all the t's, but to seek and restore that divine life that was ours from the beginning – to restore that childlike trust in God in the depths of our being where there is order and peace. Jesus is the person, if we submit our hearts in love, who can resurrect our true selves, and bring to life His divine nature within us. The season of Easter, and the Feast of Divine Mercy, is about Jesus inviting us, calling us, begging us to enter a state of renewal, transformation, and change.

Jesus asks, “What more could I have done and did not do?”18 In, Divine Mercy in My Soul, St. Faustina's diary, Jesus tells us, “Oh, if only [you] would turn to Me then, I would help [you] to cleanse [your] heart, and I would fulfill everything in [your] soul; but without [your] knowledge and consent, I cannot be the Master of [your] heart.”19

Jesus calls us to come forth from our graves. We will know that Jesus is our Lord, when He opens our graves and we rise from them. Jesus asks us to put our hands into His, to touch His side, to rest our heads on His heart, to embrace the fullness of salvation, and to rejoice in the gifts He has freely given. Jesus wants us to claim His Love and celebrate His Mercy. Jesus wants to bring life to the dead bones of our complacency and sin. Jesus calls us. He implores us. He begs us, “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”20 Jesus promises to fulfill all the desires of our souls, if we would only come to Him in trust.

What a truly amazing gift the Feast of Divine Mercy is for our times. What soul would not want to end his spiritual suffering! What soul does not want relief from the burden of guilt and shame! What soul does not want complete forgiveness! We all long to be free! Who would refuse such a great pardon! Who would not want to receive the ocean of graces our Lord offers, ours just for the asking, given to us in this great Feast! Jesus begs us. He effectively tells Thomas. and us, 'Do not persist in your stubbornness! Open your heart!' “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

(Inspired by a homily from Father Thomas Rosica )21

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