Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday
- St Joseph's - Thame
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
I was very encouraged a while ago to read a headline that said that church
attendance in the UK is now not declining, or even standing still, but actually
growing. According to a survey by the Bible Society and YouGov, church
attendance has risen over the last six years. This isn’t just people returning
following the pandemic, as they compared figures from 2018 and 2024. The
most dramatic increase is among young adults, particularly young men. In
2018, just 4% of 18-24 year-olds said they attended church at least monthly,
whilst in 2024 it had risen to 16%. The biggest growth across the
denominations has been among the Pentecostals and the Catholic Church, and
there are now over two million more people attending church than six years
ago. Oddly enough, there has been an increase in church attendance across
every age range, apart from those between 45 and 65, where there has been a
decline on average of 1.5%. In the most recent meeting we had of Oxford
South Deanery, two of the priests there were also saying they had noticed an
increase in people coming to Mass, particularly young families.
What has been behind all of this? Dr Rob Barward-Symmons, a co-author of
the report, says one possible reason is people are looking for meaning. His
opinion is: “With much of the population struggling with mental health,
loneliness and a loss of meaning in life, in particular young people, church
appears to be offering an answer. We found that churchgoers are more likely
than non-churchgoers to report higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of
connection to their community than non-churchgoers. They are also less likely
to report frequently feeling anxious or depressed – particularly young women”.
Take a look at the Gospel today. The disciples were locked indoors in fear –
Jesus had died, they had abandoned Him, and now who knows what will
happen next. Our Lord appears and completely changes everything: “Peace be
with you”, He says. He changes them, and He then sends them out to change
the world. And He gives them a very important tool: “Receive the Holy
Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold
forgiveness from any, it is withheld”. - A great way of reducing people’s
anxiety levels.
Many people around the world, not just Catholics, have been saddened to hear
the news that Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. I must admit myself that
my first response when I heard the news was one of shock. He had been in
hospital for five weeks, and then gone home and told to rest for the next two to
three months, so it seemed that he was out of danger. Maybe, like the disciples
following the death of Christ, you too felt like hiding away, perhaps with those
closest to you. There was a similar response among some of the cardinals, at
least of shock, surprise and sadness, when Pope Benedict announced his
forthcoming retirement back in 2013. But he finished with these important
words: “And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of our Supreme
Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ...” [end of quote]. It’s so true that the Church
belongs to Jesus Christ, and He is the One who can make all things new again.
Reflecting on the life of Pope Francis, one of the themes that has been spotted
is that of mercy. Today we celebrate that mercy given to us in the sacrament of
reconciliation, and living in the special Jubilee Year that Pope Francis
instituted, when there are special graces available, let’s hear a quote from him
about the very theme of mercy:
“God’s mercy is our liberation and our happiness. We live for mercy, and we
cannot afford to be without mercy. It is the air that we breathe. We are too
poor to set any conditions. We need to forgive, because we need to be
forgiven.”
Today’s feast of Divine Mercy Sunday goes back to the apparitions of Our Lord
to Saint Faustina back in the 1930s. Jesus said to her: “I do not want to punish
aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart”
(Diary Revelations 1588). He asked for a special image to be painted, and for
it to be blessed on Divine Mercy Sunday. He also said:
“On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole
ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The
soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain
complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine
floodgates through which graces flow are opened.” (Diary Revelations 699)
Later on, He added: “Even if a soul were like a decaying corpse, so that from a
human understanding, there was no hope of restoration and everything was
already lost ... the miracle of Divine mercy can restore that soul in full” (Diary
Revelations 1448).
So today, Jesus turns our sadness into joy. He is our merciful Saviour, to whom
we entrust ourselves and Pope Francis.
Curious about exploring things further? If you would like to ask further questions about the topics raised in these homilies (or maybe think it wasn’t explained too well!), please feel free to e-mail Fr Michael at stjoseph.thame@rcaob.org.uk