April 12, 2026
Gospel: John, Chapter 20, verses 19–31
Homily of the Pontiff Samuel
Feast of Divine Mercy
Overcome pride and return to Jesus:
you will have Peace and
(Draft: Automatic Translation)
Beloved brothers and sisters, peace be with you (Jn 20:19)! Here once again echoes the cry of the Risen One, today, on this great Feast, the Feast of Divine Mercy, which I hope every member of the Church will increasingly experience as a great, great, great Feast!
Just as Palm Sunday is great, just as Easter is great, so too is this Feast of Divine Mercy, a feast set within this Sanctuary which Heaven willed should be dedicated to Divine Mercy: one with the Little Cradle of the Child Jesus, the Font of the Holy Spirit, the Centre of God’s infinite Mercy.
So today, together with the Apostle Thomas, we too exclaim our joy, our cry of love: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28). Here is Thomas, overcoming the barriers of humanity and unbelief to embrace the Divinity that was alive, not dead, in that Man; for the Risen One lives for ever and ever (Rev 1:18) and will give life for ever and ever to all those who entrust themselves with love, but also with faith, to all that He teaches, to all that He suggests, overcoming and shattering the ‘self’ which is the greatest barrier there is to being able to embrace God entirely and allow oneself to be embraced by His infinite Mercy.
Here is the example given to us by Jesus, He who is gentle and humble of heart (Mt 11:29), and by all those who, following His example, are gentle and humble of heart. Jesus loves these little ones, the meek and humble, because meekness and humility allow God to work great things, great wonders (Lk 1:49), in their hearts; unlike those who, prey to pride, prey to the ‘self’, can never be permeated by God’s Mercy: they may pray a great deal, recite many rosaries, but if the heart does not convert, if corrections are not accepted, if one does not beat one’s breast in humility, acknowledging one’s own errors (Lk 18:13) – thinking that it is always others who are at fault – one will never truly come into contact with God’s Mercy. It will remain on the surface, but will not penetrate within, for the heart must be humble and meek. This is the teaching of Jesus; this is the teaching of the Saints.
Behold the Holy of Holies, She who is Blessed among all women of this age, Maria Giuseppina, for God appeared to Her Heart, calling Her to be “the synthesis of the ancient prophets and patriarchs”
(Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “She who is the synthesis of the prophets and the ancient patriarchs”, 26/07/1996), saying of her that “she loved Him as His Mother loved Him” (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “The Return of Jesus”, 30/10/1994), because He found her heart meek and humble, open to whatever the Lord would tell her in due course. That is why she has done great things. The Almighty has done great things in her, because she is humble and meek of heart. That is why she was able to see Jesus with her own eyes, to hear His Words, His Revelations, just as it was for another Saint whom we remember in a special way today, little Sister Faustina, she who, thanks to her writings, inspired the Feast of Divine Mercy. Thus Jesus helped John Paul II to understand the importance of establishing this great Feast. Here is another little one. And her fellow sisters often said: “What you see is all false.” Why? Because a moment’s pride was enough for those sisters, instead of looking within themselves to see if there was anything wrong with them, to accuse that little one who spoke through the mouth of God, in the name of God, and they were quick, in a moment of pride, to lose everything, saying: “It is all false.” They would have gone to hell; they went to hell if they did not convert, beating their breasts (Mt 7:21–23). And so it was for many who, having known Maria Giuseppina, when they were corrected, rebuked because their behaviour was not in line, instead of looking within themselves and changing, said: “It’s all a lie: it’s not true that the Baby Jesus came down, it’s not true that you speak with Jesus”. They turned their backs and walked away. Where are they now? For a moment of pride, one can lose everything (Pr 16:18).
This is the timeless and eternal teaching that this Feast gives us: those who remain humble experience the true Beatitude of the Lord (Mt 5:3).
Here are the Beatitudes of the Gospel (Mt 5:1-12) which return on this Feast because the Mercy of Jesus is great, infinite for all His little ones, for all those oppressed by every evil, for all those who wish to make their way in this world to encounter, adore and love the One God who has come down from Heaven (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “The Holy Place of Jesus’ Return”, 19/02/1995).
Alive is the Mercy of Jesus for all those who wish to continue breathing in a suffocating world, to feel the fragrance of Christ’s Love which, in this Land of Love, embraces so many. Long live the Mercy of Jesus for every believer in the Name of Him who saves (Mt 1:21). Total is the Mercy of Jesus for every sinner who converts with a sincere heart (Lk 15:7). Jesus’ Mercy is full for those who put His Commandment into practice, to love one’s neighbour as oneself, for it is by loving one’s neighbour that one loves God, the true God, above all things. These two precepts are inseparable (Mt 22:37–39).
Behold, then, dear brothers and sisters, that in this Pool, just as Jesus said to His Maiden, the fish of God, the new Christians, may swim freely, love, and cherish one another. Behold the Pool of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to His Maiden: “The Chapel of Gallinaro is filled with the Holy Spirit, and whoever enters it absorbs love in proportion to the state of their spirit and their own capacity” (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “The Holy Spirit”, 13/09/1984). It is not Jesus who makes a distinction in giving Himself. The distinction is made by the disposition of one’s own heart. God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34). It is your heart that makes the difference. If it is more open, you receive much of the Spirit, and you emerge transformed: once is enough. But if your heart is hard and closed, you may pass through many, countless times and remain in the same condition. Whose fault is it: Jesus’? Your brothers’ and sisters’? Or must you look within yourself?
Jesus says again: “One might say that the Chapel is like a great Pool into which all who enter with humility and faith plunge; they emerge refreshed and saturated with Love” (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “The Holy Spirit”, 13/09/1984). Humility and faith. These two are inseparable: humility and faith (James 4:6).
That is why, even in this rich passage from the Gospel, Jesus gives us so many teachings in these three parts, which make up this single passage we have read, concluding with an important sentence that the Apostle John wishes to offer us as a first conclusion: “That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (Jn 20:31). All this has been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that you may have Life in His Name, for He who saves will lead us to Salvation and grant us eternal Life. Salvation is found and can only be found in the Name of Jesus, and in no other name (Acts 4:12). Only Jesus rose from the dead. No great man, however great a leader or revolutionary he may have been, has ever risen from the dead or conquered death; only Jesus (1 Cor 15:20). Therefore, salvation is found only in Jesus.
Here are those two Rays emanating from the Heart of the merciful Jesus whom we venerate today: that holy Image which this little nun wished to give us for this great Feast; these two Rays emanating from the pierced Heart of the Master. Two Rays of Light, a Light that leads us to the Resurrection, to Life: one Ray that leads us to the Water, a sign of purification and of Life; another Ray that leads us to the Blood, and thus to the Holy Spirit. That Water and that Blood which flowed from the pierced side of the Master on Golgotha (Jn 19:34).
Behold, everything returns in these times, so that everything may be fulfilled in these times, just as the Apostle John wrote in his Gospel, speaking in that Discourse which was a stumbling block for many, but Life for others: “The flesh is of no avail; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (Jn 6:63), says the Apostle; “Spirit”, that is the Ray; and “Life”, that is the other Ray, which lead us to these last days where all is fulfilled (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “Year One of the New Era”, 31/12/1994).
This is why Christians have a primary and fundamental responsibility in this world, including in seeking the Peace that so many today are searching for but can no longer find (Jer 6:14). There are those who have not recognised Jesus, who do not live Jesus as the Risen One, as the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16), but continue to regard Him as an “impostor”; others who call for conversion to something else: mark well that Allah is one thing; the God of Christians, who is called Jesus Christ, is another! We are not speaking of the same God! Therefore, neither one group nor the other will ever truly understand Christians who wish to remain authentic, following the teaching of Christ.
So today, once again, I appeal for Christian unity (Jn 17:21) because, if one has truly encountered the Risen One, if one truly believes in Him who is Life, one must unite, not scatter, so that others may follow the Master’s Teaching and not, on the contrary, end up following those who invoke Genghis Khan or others.
Christians! If you truly love Jesus, you must bring the Master’s teachings to others (Mt 28:19-20), and not allow yourselves to be swept up in the storm by those who, having never known Jesus, despise Him and do not appreciate Him.
Christians are called to unity in the Only-Begotten Love, without human calculations, giving themselves totally, as the Apostles did, who did not oppose one another (Acts 4:32). No one may use the Apostles to set one against the other. Jesus called Peter to be ‘the’ head of the Apostles (Mt 16:18)! Andrew never went against Peter! Paul never denied Peter’s authority (Gal 2:7-8)! If we wish to be united, we must return to this Doctrine and set aside the human considerations that have divided us throughout history. If one puts armchairs and seats first, one will never be able to recognise this Seat, this Throne where Jesus has returned and is seated (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “The Dwelling Established by Jesus”, 09/03/1997).
Of course, if one does not believe in the Little Cradle, if one does not believe in all that the Father has willed, it will be difficult to return to all this and live it all. But who, in time, can judge the Father’s choices? Who? If one were to look to and learn from History, the Father has always chosen the little ones, the least (1 Cor 1:27–28), those who were considered ‘outside’ the centre, the heart of those who regarded themselves as theologians and teachers, even within the Church. This is God’s History: that is why He chose these little ones. Here is Sister Faustina; here is She who made herself humble and meek of heart, who, precisely because she made herself a servant and small, was exalted: this Woman, this Maiden [Ed.: Maria Giuseppina Norcia]. If the heart does not go beyond rationality, dear brothers and sisters, if it does not go beyond one’s own reason and human reasoning, nothing can be understood (1 Cor 2:14) because one clings to humanity, one clings to every sort of power, and one will never be able to recognise God’s Plan as it is fulfilled in history.
So, on this day, I invite everyone to return to Jesus, to turn to Jesus (Acts 3:19), to recognise Jesus as the only Saviour of the world, so that we may obtain His Mercy.
Mighty and lowly, return to Jesus! Live Jesus, He who is the Source of Mercy and Peace (Revelation of Jesus to Maria G. Norcia, “The Source of Mercy and Peace”, 19/04/1998)! Come before this Little Cradle, where Jesus awaits you with open arms so that you may be refreshed by His Merciful Heart (Mt 11:28)! Come! Come! Come now, wait no longer, for Jesus, He who is the Source of Mercy and Peace, of Love and of every Good, Jesus the Supreme Good, awaits you to bestow His infinite Mercy upon all (Act of the Magisterium, “How to live the holiness of the Son of God: Easter for every heart that wishes to aspire to eternal Life in Him”, 06/04/2025)!
Behold Divine Mercy descending once more upon the world, upon that world which will wish to welcome It and live by It so as to return to living and no longer merely surviving. Only thus can there be true Peace (Jn 14:27). Then war and weapons will fall silent. But if this does not happen, the war will continue. There may be illusory truces, but then everything will resume, stronger and stronger than before (Mt 24:6-7).
Let us remain grafted, dear brothers and sisters, into the Heart of Jesus, into those two Rays, so that we may be united in the Tree of Life (Jn 15:4-5) and be touched by those two Rays, Spirit and Life, so that we may be reborn to new life today and live even now that Kingdom which God has given us and which no one will ever be able to take away from His children, from His little ones, for such was the Father’s will (Mt 11:25-26) and such is our will. And so be it.
