Pastor's Note from Fr. Szparagowski 📝 - [April 12th Bulletin]

Dear St. Philip Neri Family and Friends,

We give praise and thanks to God for the graces and blessings. Today, on this Second Sunday of Easter, the Church invites us to stand in the light of the Resurrection—but with a very particular focus: mercy. This is Divine Mercy Sunday, a day that reminds us that the Risen Jesus does not come back with judgment, but with compassion… not with condemnation, but with peace.

In the Gospel, we find the disciples locked in the upper room. The doors are shut. They are afraid. They are confused. They are carrying the weight of Good Friday—their failure, their abandonment, their fear.

And what does Jesus do when He appears to them?

He does not scold them. He does not shame them. He does not remind them of how they ran away. Instead, His first words are: “Peace be with you.”

This is Divine Mercy. Jesus comes into their fear, their brokenness, their doubt—and He brings mercy, healing and peace.

And then He shows them His wounds. Think about that for a moment. The Risen Christ still bears His wounds. Why? Because those wounds are not signs of defeat—they are signs of love. They are the source of mercy. From those wounds flows forgiveness, healing, and new life.

Then He breathes on them and says: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” Here, mercy becomes a mission. The disciples are not only recipients of mercy—they are sent to be instruments of mercy.

Then there is Thomas. Thomas often gets labeled as “doubting Thomas,” but in many ways, he represents all of us. He wants to see. He wants to understand. He struggles to believe without proof.

Again, how does Jesus respond? With patience. With gentleness. With mercy. He returns just for Thomas.

“Put your finger here… see my hands… do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Jesus meets Thomas exactly where he is. He does not reject him for his doubt. He enters into it.

This is the heart of Divine Mercy: God meets us where we are—not where we should be, not where we pretend to be—but where we truly are.

And Thomas responds with one of the most beautiful professions of faith in all of Scripture:

“My Lord and my God!”

My brothers and sisters, this Gospel speaks directly to our lives. We all have moments when we are like the disciples—locked behind doors of fear, anxiety, guilt, or uncertainty. We all have moments when we are like Thomas—struggling to believe, wanting proof, wrestling with doubt.

And into those very places, Jesus comes—not with judgment, but with mercy.

Divine Mercy is not just a devotion. It is the very heart of God. It tells us: No sin is greater than God’s mercy. No wound is too deep for His healing. No fear is too strong for His peace.

But here is the challenge for us today: If we have received mercy, we are called to give mercy. In our families… In our school community… In our workplaces… In our parish…

Are we quick to forgive? Are we patient with others’ weaknesses? Do we show compassion, or do we hold onto grudges?

Divine Mercy is not meant to stop with us—it must flow through us.

Today, let us bring to Jesus whatever we carry: our sins, our doubts, our fears, our wounds.

And then, strengthened by His mercy, let us go forth and be mercy for others.

Please, when you have time, look at the Divine Mercy devotions Jesus gave us.

“Jesus, I trust in You.”

Please invite someone to Mass today.

St. Philip Neri, pray for us.

Have a blessed Easter,

Fr. Szparagowski