The eighth day or octave of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. The Great Feast of Easter is all about the mercy of God. Mercy is the word that sheds light on the reason for the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”.

On the cross, Jesus poured out himself for us to the very depths… to the last drop of his blood.  That Friday, at what seemed to be the end, a soldier pierced the side of Jesus and blood and water gushed forth.  this is the image of divine mercy.  When Jesus appeared to St. Faustina, his chosen instrument for magnifying the message of God’s great mercy for all humanity, he appeared standing with his right hand extended in blessing with two rays symbolizing blood and water emanating from his heart.  The Blood signifies the Eucharist and the Water signifies Baptism… the means to come into communion with him… ultimate gifts of his Divine Mercy.

Jesus said he came not for the righteous, those with no need for repentance, but for the sinners. Sinners like St. Mary Magdalene and St. Paul, whose jubilee year we are celebrating, who said: “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Tim 1:15-16).

Tomorrow is a special day for us sinners—a day when the floodgates of  grace and mercy pour down upon earth overflowing it. This article  gives further details on Divine Mercy Sunday.