Trust Me! Do not be afraid.” 04/27/25. Chima Offurum.

About this time last year, the Vatican released the statistical data of Catholics worldwide. Data from the Vatican Publishing House for the Pontifical Yearbook 2025 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2023, compiled by the Central Office of Church Statistics, a department of the Secretariat of State​, said that as of December 31, 2023, the global Catholic population reached approximately 1.406 billion, marking an increase of about 16.4 million from the previous year. This growth represents a 1.15% rise compared to the 1.390 billion Catholics reported at the end of 2022. This data is significant for several reasons, including today’s first reading (Acts of the Apostles 5:12-16). The group that started with less than 50 individuals, out of which Jesus appointed twelve as members of an inner circle of followers, called Apostles by the Church, has grown in size, number, and services into every continent.

I chose these lines to focus on my reflections with you this weekend because I consider the significant growth we witness in our times is the plan of God when he opened the treasures of his divine love on the Cross of Calvary. Moreover, this Sunday is marked in the universal Church as Divine Mercy Sunday, bringing to the forefront something remarkably present in the Church’s life and ministry, becoming significantly pronounced after the apparitions of St. Faustina, a Polish nun. The Easter celebration reminds us that we are products of grace. Similarly, we are also products of God’s mercy, which in part is one of the reasons we have the summon today to freely give thanks to God because His superabundant mercy toward us (Psalm 118:1). God has charged us to become ambassadors of His mercy worldwide; a role that the Church has committed to from its foundation. This evidence is everywhere.

For instance, the Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental provider of social services to the population, after the Federal government in the United States. Many contemporary studies attest that the Church occupies this noble position due to her multifaceted approach to issues that combines historical commitment, expansive infrastructure, and a mission-driven ethics rooted in Catholic Social Teachings. We are blessed to have known and probably witnessed some of these accomplishments globally in the works of Pope St. John Paul II, the recently passed Pope Francis, and several other faith teachers, even locally in our soil. Like St. John the Apostle in today’s second reading (Revelation 1:9), the Church has stood in the generational cycle of people to share in their joys and several milestones as well as in their sorrows, distress, anguish, and disappointments. The Church has equally endured spit and different forms of harassment, including insults from her sons and daughters, sharing similar conditions like her founder and head, Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the peace proclaimed in this Sunday’s Gospel is not merely comforting. It is a powerful affirmation of Jesus Christ’s unwavering commitment to lead His Church and all her children into the eternal joy of His Father’s kingdom. In a world where the Church faces challenges and opposition, this peace is a divine assurance that “the gates of the underworld shall not prevail” against God’s salvific plan (Matthew 16:18).​
Think a bit about the Apostle John, exiled on the island of Patmos. In the isolated Island, he encountered the glorified Christ, whose presence was so overwhelming that John fell at His feet as though dead. Yet, Jesus reached out, touched him, and said, “Do not be afraid.” (Revelation 1:17). John’s experience served for his comfort but was also a profound reminder about Jesus’ sovereignty, holding the keys to life and death. Similarly, Thomas’ proclamations reinforced the resurrection experience and the unfolding of the transformative power of encountering Jesus Christ (John 20:24-28). Today, Jesus extends the same invitation to us. He reaches out in moments of uncertainty and fear, as many people are experiencing right now, saying, “Trust Me! Do not be afraid. Everything is gonna be alright.” This assurance is not like the casual expression we hear often on American streets; it is a divine promise rooted in Jesus’ victorious resurrection.​ Hence, let us reaffirm our faith, embracing Christ’s peace that transcends understanding and stands firm against all adversity. “Jesus, I trust in you” is a Divine Mercy slogan. We align again with that slogan today, believing that God is with us always, guiding us toward the fulfillment of His glorious kingdom.