Divine Mercy gets to the heart of Sacred Scripture. In fact, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners" (1849). Right there: That summarizes it. Divine Mercy is the Gospel. It's the good news. And so, it gets to the very center of our faith. Moreover, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, "Divine Mercy is not a secondary devotion, but an integral dimension of Christian faith and prayer." Benedict even goes so far as to say, "[M]ercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message."
The Resurrection of Jesus is such overwhelmingly Good News that a single day is not enough to celebrate it. The Lord’s Resurrection is meant to be celebrated intensely for the whole week following Easter (known as the Octave), the whole liturgical Season of Easter (lasting until Pentecost, this year June 5th), and every Sunday thereafter (each as a mini-Easter).
We celebrate the Passover of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the most valuable time in our liturgical calendar. Pain and death are transformed into joy and resurrection. “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has risen. He is not here.” May the joy of the first Christians help us treasure the happiness of the resurrection of the Lord. Happy Easter to you and your family! Fr. Luiz