On this Easter Octave, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. As Jesus revealed to the Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska, the blood and water that gushed forth from his side during his crucifixion would become a “fountain of mercy” for all of us. In today’s first reading, we witness what happens now that the Apostles have received that mercy flowing from the foot of the cross.

After years (and, for many of us, decades) of celebrating Easter, we may not be sensitive to the sheer peculiarity of the Resurrection accounts. But a close reading of today’s Gospel prompts us to ask: If most of us were dreaming up the greatest event in history, wouldn’t we have made it more exciting? A little fanfare would have gotten the message out to the world and nipped future skepticism in the bud.

More than any other time of year, we are able to follow the actual events of Jesus’ life this week according to the sequence in which they occurred. Today’s procession with palms honors his entry into Jerusalem, where he would prepare to celebrate the Passover with his disciples. We can imagine Jesus spending the subsequent days preaching in the Temple and the nights conversing with his Father in prayer.

Today’s culture creates and sees constant change, innovation, and novelty at record speeds. But even more astounding than the technological advancements we observe around us is God’s power to inspire interior transformation in each individual life. In today’s Gospel, instead of condemning the woman caught in adultery whose punishment was certain death, Jesus speaks words of mercy, forgiveness, and life. Their encounter lifts the woman out of the shame of her sin, restores her dignity, and strengthens her to “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” This woman, whom others saw as hopeless, is transformed because Jesus’ mercy has touched her soul.