Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    Here in Luke's Gospel, we again find the words of Jesus to the Apostles on the first Feast of Divine Mercy. 

Jesus taught the Apostles that His suffering, death, and Resurrection from the dead are the source of 

repentance and forgiveness for the world. And on this day, Jesus taught that repentance and forgiveness 

should be preached to the whole world. And still today, Jesus teaches us, through the Feast of Divine Mercy, 

that His Crucifixion and Resurrection are the source of repentance and forgiveness for even the worst of 

sinners, and that we should spread God's Mercy to the whole world. Those who receive the Mercy of God are 

witnesses to God's Mercy. How wonderful and surprising and incomprehensible is the Mercy of God! 

     Then he said to Thomas, `Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in 

my side; do not be faithless, but believing.' Thomas answered him, `My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 

`Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.'   (Jn 

20:27 28). 

    On the first Feast of Divine Mercy, Jesus Christ had mercy on Thomas, to help him believe in His 

Resurrection and Divinity. Thomas was one of the Twelve chosen Apostles; he was with Jesus for many of 

His signs and miracles. Thomas was taught by Jesus over the course of Jesus' 3  year Ministry. Yet Thomas 

still did not believe and still did not understand that Jesus is God and so is able to rise from the dead. Despite 

Thomas' lack of faith and understanding, Jesus showed him the Mercy of God by helping him to believe. 

    Notice that once Thomas believes, he also understands. As soon as Thomas believes in the Resurrection, he 

calls Jesus,  God,  because now he understands that Jesus is Divine. It is the same with us today. Those who 

lack faith in the True Holy Teaching of the Catholic Church also lack understanding. Those who believe will 

also understand. 

    Even today, when people lack faith in God and in the True Holy Teaching of Jesus Christ, Jesus is ready to 

help them to believe and so to understand. One of the special graces given in abundance on the Feast of Divine 

Mercy is the grace of true faith in the Sacred Infallible Teaching of the Holy Catholic Church.   `Ask, and it 

will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.'   (Mt  7:7). 

The Sea of Tiberius 

     After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius .This was now the third time 

that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.  (Jn 21:1,14). 

    The first time that Jesus appeared to the Apostles and other disciples after His Resurrection was the day of 

the Resurrection (April 9, 

A.D.

 19). The second time was eight days later, on the first Feast of Divine Mercy 

(April 16, 

A.D.

 19). The third appearance of the risen Christ to the Apostles and other disciples was at the Sea 

of Tiberius. By the end of even the first day of the Resurrection, Jesus had appeared more than three times to 

various persons, but this was the third time that He had appeared to a group of Apostles and other disciples. It 

was also the third day on which appearances occurred to the Apostles and other disciples. The first day 

included several appearances on Resurrection Sunday, the next day on which Christ appeared to the disciples 

was a full week later, on Divine Mercy Sunday. The third day was that described by the Gospel of John (Jn 

21:1 14). 

    Christ did not appear to a group of Apostles and other disciples between Resurrection Sunday and Divine 

Mercy Sunday. Yet Blessed Anne Catherine describes Christ appearing to some individual persons, and her 

description is given between her account of events on Resurrection Sunday and on Divine Mercy Sunday. She 

does not specifically state when these appearances occurred. However, she does not say that Christ appeared 

to a group of Apostles and other disciples during this time period. Thus, these appearances may have occurred 

during that first week after the Resurrection, to individual disciples (but not to a group which included 

Apostles and other disciples), without any contradiction of Sacred Scripture. 

     I saw Jesus appearing in many places during these days, and lastly in Galilee, in a valley across the Jordan 

in which was a large school. Many people were standing together, speaking about Him and expressing their 

doubts upon the report of His Resurrection. He appeared among them, and vanished again after some words. I 

saw Him appearing in this way in different localities. 

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    I think that Christ did make such appearances throughout the 40 days, because He had such a short time to 

complete this work before His Ascension to Heaven. Christ's appearance at the Sea of Tiberius was the third 

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