Optional Memorial of Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin

Brief Background:

St. Faustina Kowalska was a Polish religious sister who lived from 1905 to 1938 and is known as the Apostle of Divine Mercy. Through her mystical encounters with Jesus, she helped spread the message that we are called to trust in God’s mercy and share that mercy with others. Her writings inspired the Divine Mercy devotion, including the image of Divine Mercy and the Chaplet. She is often associated as a patron saint of mercy and Divine Mercy.

REFLECTION:

One of the things I hear from teachers all the time is that students love to test boundaries. A teacher says, “No phones in class.” And immediately someone thinks, “Okay, but what if it’s under my desk?”

The teacher says, “No talking.” “Well, I wasn’t talking. I was whispering.” “Stay in your seat.” “I am in my seat! My chair is just over here.”

Students somehow become lawyers when it comes to classroom rules! They want to know exactly where the line is and how close they can get to it without technically crossing it. But before the adults start laughing too much, we do the exact same thing with God.

That is what happens in today’s Gospel. The scholar asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus tells him to love God and love his neighbor. That should have been enough. But then he asks, “And who is my neighbor?” In other words, “Okay, Jesus, but where is the line? Who exactly do I have to love? How far does this rule go?”

And Jesus responds with the story of the Good Samaritan. A man is beaten and left on the side of the road. A priest sees him and passes by. A Levite sees him and passes by. But the Samaritan stops.

He does not ask, “Am I required to help him?” He does not ask, “Is this my responsibility?” He simply sees someone who is hurting and he shows mercy.

And that connects beautifully with St. Faustina, whose life was centered on the Divine Mercy of Jesus. In her Diary, she speaks about three ways that we practice mercy: by our deeds, by our words, and by our prayers.

That gives all of us, students, teachers, parents, and parishioners, a pretty good examination of conscience.

Did I show mercy today with my actions? Did I show mercy with my words? Did I remember someone in my prayers? Because sometimes we approach our faith just like students testing classroom rules. “How much do I really have to do?” “How far do I really have to forgive?” “Do I really have to be kind to that person?”

But Jesus turns the question around. Instead of asking, “Where is the boundary of my love?” Maybe we should ask, “How far can my love go?” 

Maybe today it means sitting with someone who is alone. Maybe it means being patient with a student. Maybe it means forgiving a family member. Maybe it means simply noticing someone everyone else has walked past.

And St. Paul reminds us in the first reading not to change the Gospel into something that is easier or more convenient for us.

The Gospel of Jesus is not about doing the minimum. It is about mercy.

So today, let us stop testing the boundaries of love and start expanding them. Because Jesus does not tell us to figure out exactly where the line is. He simply says: “Go and do likewise.”