April 5, 2021

One of the great blessings of my job as the president of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls is hearing firsthand all of the wonderful accomplishments our young people achieve. I often find myself responding to our children’s good news with a common phrase: “How good is the Good God?”

This expression comes from a wonderful, holy woman who founded a religious community called the Sisters of Notre Dame. Her name is Blessed Julie Billart. Sister Billart was well known for her constant amazement and gratitude for all the blessings that God brought in to her life, even the smallest and simplest of things. We can learn from her to pay
attention to all aspects of life and not allow the small things to slip past us. Instead, we must celebrate every aspect of life!

There is another common expression many of us used often: “It’s simply too good to be true.” This is something we say when we encounter a wonderful, and perhaps unexpected, blessing from God, a dear family member or friends, or maybe even a random act of kindness from a complete stranger!

In the Gospel from the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), it’s easy for me to imagine one of Jesus’s disciples using an expression similar to “How good is the good God” or “it is too good to be true!” In this particular Gospel, the disciples are locked in a room out of fear for their lives. Their hopes and dreams were shattered as they saw their friend and Lord hang on a cross, suffer a brutal death, and be buried in a tomb. But on Easter, Jesus greets the disciples, his dear friends, with the beautiful words, “Peace be with you.” Jesus appears to his friends and with this simple statement dispels their grief, doubts, and fears with a profound word of peace.

When the disciples are still unable to understand, Jesus offers a sign to this friends that he is truly in their presence: he shows them his flesh and his wounds. Once the disciples are able to collect themselves, Jesus opens the scriptures to them by imparting the Holy Spirit on them and giving them the power to forgive the sins of others. Slowly, the disciples are able to understand and see clearly the Risen Lord.

God so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten son. God so loved the world that his son died for us and was raised up on the third day. God so loves the world that during this Easter season, we are invited and encouraged to share in the joy of Christ’s resurrection. This is one case where it is simply not too good to be true! Our good God is truly that good.

From the entire Mercy Home family, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed safe and healthy Easter. For Christ has risen—Alleluia!