“Where, if not in the Divine Mercy, can the world find refuge and the light of hope?” (Pope St. John Paul II)

You’re either the kind of person who makes multiple trips or the person who strings all the bags onto your arms, no matter the quantity or weight. I’m the latter. I’m pretty sure I’ve pulled my trap muscle from carrying the groceries inside.

One time in particular, the bag handles broke, and a glass jar of carrot juice shattered on the concrete, along with some produce — all drenched. I stood still and helpless. People stared as they opted for alternative routes on the sidewalk. Who could blame them? I was standing in an orange puddle.

Nothing would have blessed me more than for someone to intervene. Sure, it was gross, but I still longed for someone to see how defeated I looked and be moved with compassion to help me.

We experience many moments like this one — some trivial, like spilled carrot juice, and others heavier, such as losing a loved one, battling a chronic illness, or struggling with habitual sin. It’s tempting to feel helpless and alone; however those feelings, while understandable, are not the truth.

Jesus came to intervene with mercy in the very places where we feel powerless.

This is divine mercy: Jesus sees you in the midst of suffering, is moved with compassion, and cannot help but take action and swoop in with his loving arms to intervene.

We are not abandoned in our time of need.

On a visit to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland, Pope St. John Paul II said:

“Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears. There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy — that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God.”

Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You.

For a period of time, as I grappled with grief and anxiety, I repeated this prayer hundreds of times a day. It was an act of faith in who Jesus is, reminding me of the truth that he is my hope and that there is refuge in the blood and water flowing from his side.

“Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:5-6).

Through the waters of baptism and his blood on the cross, Jesus came to claim victory over evil, to rescue us from our sinfulness and raise us up to everlasting happiness. In baptism, we die with Christ to our sinful nature and rise with him to newness of life. The Father claims each of us as his beloved daughter, unveiling our destiny: to be with him. He also anoints us as priest, prophet, and king, a sign of our purpose to bear witness of Christ in the world.

In Jesus’ blood, we are redeemed — rescued from the darkness of sin and drawn into the light of salvation. We are freed to walk out of the graves in our lives. The Spirit testifies to this truth. Through baptism and Jesus’ blood, shed in the paschal mystery, we are lifted up out of our weakness and despair into His arms of mercy.

What a cause for celebration! When you feel helpless, Jesus’ mercy intervenes to fill the gap and draw you into his heart.

As we celebrate the Sunday of Divine Mercy, we remember how Jesus Christ has intervened in our lives, both in the trivial matters and the heavy burdens. May these memories lead us to praise and thanksgiving, increasing our hope in the power of his mercy.

Jesus’ love is trustworthy.

He is moved with compassion for you, his arms ushering in to embrace you as if you were already there.

Slow to anger, abounding in love.

“Let those who fear the LORD say, ‘His mercy endures forever’” (Psalm 118:4).

Kendra McClelland is the regional mission advancement officer at The Evangelical Catholic. After receiving her M.Div. from the Franciscan School of Theology in 2017, Kendra began working for The Evangelical Catholic, a Catholic non-profit whose mission is to equip local leaders to deepen the culture of discipleship and launch movements of evangelization in dioceses, parishes, campus ministries, and military communities. She recently returned to San Diego, CA to lead the EC’s expansion along the west coast. Kendra is passionate about walking with women to discover their true worth and freedom in Christ. She loves traveling, barre, wine tasting, and heartfelt conversations with friends. You can follow her on Instagram (@kendramcclelland) and read more of her writing here.