GOSPEL COMMENTARY JN 20:19-31
The abundance of God’s divine mercy
FR. JACK PETERSON, YA
Easter is a 50-day celebration of the brand new life that Jesus gives to those who know, love and believe in Him. It is an invitation to participate in and celebrate His mighty victory over Satan, sin and death. It is a spring time of new life bursting upon our world … without the side effect of allergies.
Jesus truly offers that victory to us. He promises His healing grace so that we can overcome our weakness, brokenness and sinfulness and live as a brand new creation in Him. For those who encounter Jesus, believe in Him, and live their lives in union with Him, the victory is real.
The Acts of the Apostles proclaims one of the most powerful ways in which the early Christians experienced this transformation in Christ. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind …” The Resurrection of Jesus became a tremendous source of unity for His followers. They were so united in Him and in the Gospel way of life He laid out for them that they were willing to set aside their differences and live with a striking unity. Petty differences, personal preferences and silly disagreements were set aside for the good of this new life in Christ and the mission entrusted to them — how wonderfully refreshing.
The unity among Christians went so far as to transform their sense of ownership: “… and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” The power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts made them set aside the immensely strong drive for personal ownership and give of their possessions to take care of the less fortunate. “There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.”
The share in Jesus’ victory also included a share in His mission. “With great power the apostles bore witness to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.” The Resurrection changed their lives and filled them with zeal so that their new charge was to bear witness to Jesus’ Resurrection. They found the one who had loved them like no other, forgave them with unprecedented mercy, restored them to a brand new life and shared His very mission with them.
One particular dimension of sharing in that mission was the proclamation of the forgiveness of our sins. The Resurrection was a confirmation of both Jesus’ desire and power to forgive every human being of their transgressions. The Resurrection was the Father’s bold statement that Jesus was indeed His only-begotten Son who accomplished His mission of redeeming every person from sin and death and restoring them to new life.
The proclamation of this forgiveness is a central task of every member of the church. So is the building of relationships with our neighbors who have not encountered Our Lord and the timely and charitable invitation to come to Our Lord and drink from His fountain of mercy.
St. Faustina of Kowalska is a shining example of actively participating in this task. Jesus appeared to this humble Polish nun during the 1930s in a series of private revelations. She was inspired by Christ to encourage the universal church to proclaim ever more loudly and boldly the message of God’s mercy which flows from His wounded side. Every human being is invited by the Father to find comfort and seek refuge in the heart of Christ, pierced for our offenses.
Our Lord’s message to St. Faustina is enormously encouraging. She reminds the world that the greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to Christ’s mercy. Souls that appeal to Christ and His mercy bring delight to the Lord. To such souls, Christ grants even more graces than they ask. St. Faustina is a powerful example of someone who was willing to spread the good news of God’s mercy.
Additionally, Jesus handed on the apostles, and correspondingly our bishops and priests today, the capacity to actually offer that forgiveness in His name. Easter Sunday night is when Jesus instituted the sacrament of penance: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” The whole church must encourage the world to come to Christ for His mercy, and the bishops and priests offer it in a real and sacramental way in the confessional.
Christians share in the victory of Christ over sin and death. That victory manifests itself in many ways including a remarkable unity and generosity among His followers. It also manifests itself in brand new creations that can’t help bringing to the world the good news of God’s overflowing mercy.
Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.
Year B - 2nd Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday
If you forgive the sins of anyone, they will be forgiven
John 20:19-31
20 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."
28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.
31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
After my resurrection I visited the apostles, they were still in a state of shock, unable to comprehend how their master had left them, they were afraid, confused and did not know what to do.
I stood among them and said “Peace be with you”. True peace from God did not exist in the world until that moment, since the peace from God is the fruit of the reconciliation between God and men. My peace filled their hearts and will fill the heart of any one who experiences my forgiveness.
My apostles rejoiced immensely, with a great sense of relief although they were still astounded , so I said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." At this moment I delegated my heavenly authority to the apostles, so that they could continue my work in the Church.
After this “I breathed on them”, reminding the moment of the creation of man when God breathed life for the first time. I said to them “Receive the Holy Spirit, ”
If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained."
This was the beginning of the new creation, the children of God who share the Holy Spirit, man was redeemed now, he could share the greatest gift which is God’s presence. I empowered my apostles and their successors to forgive sins which was the main purpose of my coming to the world.
Thomas was not there when this happened, and you were not there either, because of this I said to Thomas and to you now: “do not doubt but believe.
Blessed are those who believe in me without seeing me.”
My Divine Mercy has been made available to everyone in the Sacrament of confession. When you confess your sins to the priest you are confessing them to me because my authority to forgive sins was given to the Church. Doubt no longer but believe.
My dear child, I desire for your faith to be strong. Do not question the Holy Scriptures but believe. Believe in the power that is ever present in my Church to forgive sins in the Sacrament of Confession, believe in my presence in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Come to all the sacraments, those holy encounters with me, with utter humility and contrition because you have sinned and you will be forgiven. Believe in me and my joy will be yours.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary