There are two themes on the minds of Catholics today: Divine Mercy and Pope Francis.

The Second Sunday of Easter was instituted as Divine Mercy Sunday by Pope St. John Paul II just a quarter of a century ago. The devotion to Divine Mercy dates to Poland, the birthplace of St. John Paul II, where nearly 90 years ago the Lord appeared to Sister St. Faustina. The beautiful painting of the Divine Mercy came from these revelations.

In the painting, we see the Risen Lord walking toward us. With his left hand, the Lord opens his garment to let rays of light flow from his heart directly toward those before him. Some rays are colorless, others are red, signifying the water of Baptism and the Blood of the Eucharist. From the heart of the Crucified Lord flowed water and blood, symbols of his infinite mercy, transmitted in the sacraments. His right hand is raised, imparting a blessing, just as the priest imparts absolution for our sins in the sacrament of Confession.

The second topic on our minds today is the death of Pope Francis. The long month he spent in the hospital was followed by many people around the world with great concern. He returned home to the Vatican, where he in the end met the Lord of Mercy last Monday.

It was providential that Pope Francis's death occurred the day after Easter Sunday. His death did not conflict with the worldwide celebration of Holy Week. His funeral coincided with the Feast of Divine Mercy, about which Pope Francis preached extensively.

The other beloved Pope of the last half-century was St. John Paul II. St. John Paul II's death occurred six days after Easter Sunday, the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. The coincidences of these dates are not by chance. The figure of the Holy Father in the Church is the figure of the father of all Catholics. The Holy Father is the Vicar of Christ on earth, and as such, the Holy Father is a sacrament of God's mercy for the world. It is very fitting that the Lord took these two holy fathers around the annual Feast of Divine Mercy.

We all came to love Pope Francis. He was a person with many human and Christian virtues. The short time in this homily is not enough to mention Pope Francis's great contributions. Cardinal Re did a very good job of speaking about Pope Francis' legacy in his funeral homily. In the Gospel reading for his funeral Mass, Pope Francis chose the appearance of the Risen Lord on the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee. There, the Lord asks St. Peter three times if he loves him more than the other apostles. This is a Gospel of forgiveness. There, the Lord shows his infinite mercy to St. Peter. That Gospel reading will be the Gospel for next Sunday.

God's mercy was a central theme in Pope Francis' preaching and ministry. He declared 2016 an Extraordinary Jubilee Year, called the "Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy." As a priest, I personally admired Pope Francis’ preaching. I often study his homilies and learn a thing or two from him.

All Catholics mourn for Pope Francis. At the same time, we give infinite thanks to God for having given us Pope Francis with all the blessings he bestowed upon him. Now our eyes and minds will be focused on the new Vicar of Christ. We ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the minds of the cardinals so that they may choose the Holy Father God has in reserve for the Church today.