Today, the Sunday after Easter Sunday, is often referred to as Low Sunday. To understand what this means we first have to understand that we are completing the Octave of Easter.
On the eight day after the resurrection we encounter the story of Thomas. Thomas is of course known as “doubting Thomas,” he is the disciple who just couldn’t believe the reality of the resurrection until he had actually witnessed Jesus in the flesh. So Jesus not only speaks to Thomas, he also shows him his wounds and invites him to touch and feel them. There is a famous painting by Caravaggio, the Incredulity of Saint Thomas, which captures the moment that Thomas places his finger in the pierced side of the risen Christ. And at that moment, Thomas utters the words “My Lord and my God,” which to this day are spoken by some catholics as they receive Our Lord in communion at the altar rail.
So Low Sunday occurs at the end of the Octave of Easter. Quite why it is referred to as Low Sunday is not completely clear, but many think it is meant to contrast with the high festival of Easter day. And certainly that is the case here, we have no Deacon or Sub-deacon, choir or string quartet. Mass is much simpler, lower if you like. In my diocese in England, stipendiary clergy will almost certainly take the Sunday off – the rules are somewhat different in the UK as Priests are not employed as such. But nearly all full-time parish-based clergy will take time off and they are encouraged to use retired clergy, part time and non-stipendiaries to cover services.
So, on this Low Sunday our Mass looks a little different. But there are a number of other names which are given to this particular Sunday. In the pre-1962 Roman Missal this Sunday was called Dominica in Albis on Octava Paschae, which translates as Sunday in White, in the Octave of Easter. It became known as White Sunday because this was the day when those who has been Baptized in the Easter Liturgy could stop wearing their white baptismal robes – after the service obviously!
But perhaps the most interesting name for this Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday is a recent addition to the Church’s Calendar. It was instituted in the year 2000 by Pope John Paul 2nd. The name Divine Mercy Sunday is becoming increasingly popular throughout the Roman church and a number of Anglo catholic parishes are now designating today as such. So, I thought it would be useful to explore the origins of this recent addition to the church year.
Maria Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun. She was born in 1905 and died at the young age of 33 in 1938. Sister Maria, born with the name Helena, felt a calling to the religious life after attending a service of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. These services are very common in Poland, and when I was I Krakow a few years ago it was amazing to walk through the city and find many of the churches have their doors open to the world with the Blessed Sacrament exposed.
Following a vision in which Jesus instructed the 18 year old Helena to travel to Warsaw, she searched for a convent who would accept her. Many of the numerous convents would not take her; she was from a poor background and was poorly educated. Helena worked in domestic service and saved enough money to buy her habit so she would not be a financial burden on the convent who took her and finally, in 1926 she was admitted to the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and was given the name Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament.
In 1930 Sister Maria was transferred to a convent in Plock where she fell ill with Tuberculosis. After some time away from the convent recovering in the countryside Sister Maria returned to the convent. In her small and sparse cell a vision of Our Lord appeared to Sister Maria. In her diaries, she describes Jesus as wearing a white garment with red and pale rays emanating from his heart. Jesus instructed her to
paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Sister Maria Faustina was not a painter. She had no idea how to fulfil the instruction she had been given and asked for help. An image was produced, which some of you will almost certainly have seen, perhaps without knowing this story, in 1934. It is known as the Divine Mercy image.
Sister Maria Faustina wrote in her diary that on Good Friday, 19th April 1935, Jesus spoke to her and told her that he wanted the image of the Divine Mercy to be publicly honoured. And on the 28th April 1935, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, which is today, a Mass was held during which the image was publicly honoured.
Sister Maria Faustina went on to write the Divine Mercy Chaplet which is a series of devotional prayers based on the visions of Christ she had experienced. The call to Divine Mercy is something which we should all consider; Sister Maria suggests that Jesus calls all of us to consider that Christ is merciful to us, and that we should be merciful to others.
The first time I prayed with a parishioner who was close to death I used the Divine Mercy Chaplet when I am particular grateful to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska as it was of tremendous support to me and the lady I was praying with.
In Krakow, the Shrine of Divine Mercy is located in the southern suburbs. St Maria Faustina Kowalska is buried there, alongside the original image of the Divine Mercy which has been replicated and sent all over the world. It is a beautiful church in the middle of the convent Sister Maria lived in.
If you want to know more about her life, the best way is to read her book, which is based on her diaries. I would urge you to consider it.
So, this particular Sunday has many names. And all of them have interesting and meaningful origins. But perhaps the most interesting thing to remember is that we are within Eastertide. Today is the 2nd Sunday within Eastertide. And we will remain within Eastertide for quite some time.
So just as we share the joy of the resurrection, we should perhaps reflect on the fact that The Call to Divine Mercy is a further call to faith. Jesus instructed Sister Maria to proclaim the image with the words, “Jesu, I trust in you.” Which is interesting when we think about our Gospel reading today. The reading where we encounter the figure of Saint Thomas, AKA doubting Thomas. And it is interesting that the church places all these things together on the same Sunday, so we can consider them, and learn from them.