This Divine Mercy Sunday, we reflect on a saint who lived an integrated life full of service and devotion to a merciful God. Taking from her lead, how can we combine our everyday activities with the word of God to heal from past wounds and grow into our best queer selves?

April 27, 2025: Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday, Year C
Acts 5:12–16
Psalm 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24
Revelation 1:9–11a, 12–13, 17–19
John 20:19–31

Within Reach

A reflection by Sam Barnes

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would you choose?

If you have no clue what to answer, or are open to changing your mind, I invite you to consider St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Sister Faustina was extraordinarily rich in spirit, profoundly devout, and–dare I say it–a queer icon.

Born in 1905 in Głogowiec, Poland, Sister Faustina felt called to religious life at a very young age. It wasn’t until she was just shy of 20 years old that she defied her parents and entered the Congregation of the Sister of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw. Records indicate that she dutifully served the convent and all God’s people while cultivating a rich dialogue with Jesus. She is well-known for receiving a vision of Jesus in a pale robe with red and white rays emanating from his heart.

You might recognize this as the Divine Mercy image.

The authenticity of her visions was doubted by many at first, including Father Sopoćko, a mentor of Sister Faustina who made her take a psychiatric evaluation before he trusted in the veracity of her revelations. Sister Faustina continued spreading the good news of God’s merciful love, promoting child-like trust in God and compassion for all people until she died at age 33 (coincidentally the same age that Jesus was upon his death).

You may already see patterns in Sister Faustina’s story that are similar to queer narratives: she knew who she was at a young age but was forced to ignore the call because of pressure from her parents, her identity and mental state were doubted by those in power, etc. What I would like to explore in conjunction with this Sunday’s readings is a piece of her story that the Vatican published on its webpage about Sister Faustina.

The Vatican News Service writes: “It is the mystery of the Mercy of God which she contemplated in the word of God as well as in the everyday activities of her life that forms the basis of her spirituality.”

How can we apply Sister Faustina’s approach to our own lives, combining Scripture and lived experiences in a way that embraces our queer existence as beloved children of God?

In Revelation 1, Jesus appears to John, who has been banished to a faraway island for preaching about Christ. John’s description of Jesus invokes majesty and great power: “His eyes were like blazing fire” (1:14) and “His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (1:16). John falls to Jesus’ feet in awe, to which Jesus responds, “Do not be afraid” (1:17).

Jesus revealing Himself to John illuminates that nobody is outside the Lord’s reach. John has been banished, yet Jesus still finds him and graces him with His holy presence. Jesus is more powerful and merciful than anyone on this earth. Those of us who do not attend mass at a Catholic church, or have been told by Church leaders that we cannot be full members of the Catholic Church because of our queerness, are still within the Lord’s mighty reach.

In John 20, we hear an oft-quoted story about one of Jesus’ disciples–Thomas–who was not in the room when Jesus appeared to His disciples the first time. Thomas subsequently doubted Christ’s resurrection. It is not until Jesus appears physically before Thomas and invites him to touch His wounds from His crucifixion that Thomas fully accepts the mystery of His death and resurrection.

How many of us have encountered a doubting Thomas? People who are not LGBTQ+ may struggle to wrap their minds around the fact that we have been resurrected during our coming out journey into the best, queerest versions of ourselves. It may even be easier for them to write us off as dead. To the allies out there, I say, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn. 20:29).

In Acts 5:12–16, Jesus’s apostles perform “signs and wonders among the people” (Acts 5:12). At first, the people of Jerusalem did not dare to join the apostles. Later, “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (Acts 5:14). All the people who encountered the apostles were healed.

Spiritual healing begins on Earth. The Catholic Church recommends the Sacrament of Reconciliation; for those of us that cannot or do not want to attend this Sacrament, I also offer the concept of queer community. Being around people who uplift our true selves allows us to engage in our faith more comprehensively. If we do not find the people in our lives that can serve as queer apostles, we miss out on an opportunity to experience God’s miraculous healing here on earth.

Taking a note from Sister Faustina’s theological approach, I invite you to reflect on the following:

●    What experiences have made you feel invited to God’s table?
●    Are there any pieces of Scripture that give you confidence in your LGBTQ+ identity?
●    How can we combine our everyday activities with the word of God to heal from past wounds and grow into our best, queer selves?

After you reflect on these questions, I invite you to join me in praying through the words of Sister Faustina:

O my Jesus, each of Your saints reflects one of Your virtues; I desire to reflect Your compassionate heart, full of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let Your mercy, O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and the future life (Diary 1242).

Sam Barnes is a youth advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Catholic and religious spaces. They have a master’s degree in policy and work in the international affairs space. They previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Affairs Review published by The George Washington University. In their free time they enjoy rock climbing and reading, and volunteer with a local mentorship program for high schoolers.

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