May 1, 2011
Second Sunday of Easter
or Divine Mercy Sunday
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading 1
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves
to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one’s need.
Every day they devoted themselves
to meeting together in the temple area
and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to 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 into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
From: Acts 2:42-47
The Baptisms (Continuation)
[42] And they (the brethren) devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The Early Christians
[43] And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done
through the Apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things
in common; [45] and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them
to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and
breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts,
[47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their
number day by day those who were being saved.
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Commentary:
42-47. This is the first of the three summaries contained in the early chapters of
Acts (cf. 4:32-35 and 5:12-16).. In simple words it describes the key elements in
the ascetical and liturgical-sacramental life of the first Christians. It gives a vivid
spiritual profile of the community which now—after Pentecost—extends beyond the
Cenacle, a contemplative community, more and more involved in the world around
it.
42. “The sacred writer”, St. John Chrysostom observes, “draws attention to two
virtues in particular—perseverance and fellowship and tells us that the Apostles
spent a long period instructing the disciples” (”Hom. on Acts”, 7).
“The Apostles’ teaching”: the instruction normally given new converts. This is not
the proclamation of the Gospel to non-Christians but a type of “catechesis” (which
became more structured and systematic as time went on) aimed at explaining to
the disciples the Christian meaning of Sacred Scripture and the basic truths of
faith (out of this grew the credal statements of the Church) which they had to
believe and practise in order to attain salvation.
Catechesis—an ongoing preaching and explanation of the Gospel within the
Church—is a phenomenon to be found even in the very early days of Christianity.
“An evangelizer, the Church begins by evangelizing itself. A community of belie-
vers, a community of hope practised and transmitted, a community of fraternal
love, it has a need to listen unceasingly to what it must believe, to the reasons
for its hope, to the new commandment of love” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Evangelii
Nuntiandi”, 15).
If catechesis is something which converts and in general all Christians need,
obviously pastors have a grave duty to provide it. “The whole of the book of the
Acts of the Apostles is a witness that they were faithful to their vocation and to
the mission they had received. The members of the first Christian community
are seen in it as ‘devoted to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the brea-
king of bread and prayers’. Without any doubt we find in that a lasting image
of the Church being born of and continually nourished by the word of the Lord,
thanks to the teaching of the Apostles, celebrating that word in the Eucharistic
Sacrifice and bearing witness to it before the world in the sign of charity” (John
Paul II, “Catechesi Tradendae”, 10).
The “fellowship” referred to in this verse is that union of hearts brought about by
the Holy Spirit. This profound solidarity among the disciples resulted from their
practice of the faith and their appreciation of it as a peerless treasure which they
all shared, a gift to them from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Their mutual
affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give up their
possessions to help those in need.
The “breaking of bread” refers to the Blessed Eucharist and not just to an ordi-
nary meal. This was a special way the early Christians had of referring to the
making and distribution of the Sacrament containing the Lord’s Body. This
expression, connected with the idea of banquet, was soon replaced by that of
the “Eucharist”, which emphasizes the idea of thanksgiving (cf. “Didache”, IX,
1). From Pentecost onwards the Mass and Eucharistic communion form the
center of Christian worship. ‘From that time onwards the Church has never failed
to come together to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, reading those things ‘which
were in all the Scriptures concerning Him’ (Luke 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist
in which ‘the victory and triumph of His death are again made present’ (Council
of Trent, “De SS. Eucharista”, Chapter 5), and at the same time giving thanks to
God” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6).
By receiving the Eucharist with a pure heart and clear conscience the disciples
obtain the nourishment needed to follow the new life of the Gospel and to be in
the world without being worldly. This connection between the Eucharist and
Christian living was something Pope John Paul II vigorously reminded Catholics
about when he said in Dublin, “It is from the Eucharist that all of us receive the
grace and strength for daily living—to live real Christian lives, in the joy of knowing
that God loves us, that Christ died for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
“Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that
we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we
serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social or scientific fields—no matter
what our occupation is—the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives..
“Our union with Christ in the Eucharist must be expressed in the truth of our lives
today—in our actions, in our behavior, in our lifestyle, and in our relationships with
others. For each one of us the Eucharist is a call to ever greater effort, so that we
may live as true followers of Jesus: truthful in our speech, generous in our deeds,
concerned, respectful of the dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their rank
or income, self-sacrificing, fair and just, kind, considerate, compassionate and
self-controlled. [...] The truth of our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is
tested by whether or not we really love our fellow men and women; it is tested by
how we treat others, especially our families. [...] It is tested by whether or not we
try to be reconciled with our enemies, on whether or not we forgive those who hurt
us or offend us” (”Homily in Phoenix Park”, 29 September 1979).
43. The fear referred to here is the religious awe the disciples felt when they saw
the miracles and other supernatural signs which the Lord worked through His
Apostles. A healthy type of fear, denoting respect and reverence for holy things,
it can cause a great change of attitude and behavior in those who experience it.
An outstanding example of this sense of awe is St. Peter’s reaction at the mira-
culous catch of fish: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”: as St. Luke
explains, “he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fish
they had taken” (Luke 5:9).
44. Charity and union of hearts lead the disciples to sacrifice their own interest
to meet the material needs of their poorer brothers and sisters. The sharing of
possessions referred to here was not a permanent, “communistic” kind of sys-
tem. The more well-to-do Christians freely provided for those in need. Each of
the disciples retained ownership of such property as he or she had: by handing
it over to the community they showed their charity.
“This voluntary poverty and detachment”, Chrysostom comments, “cut at the
selfish root of many evils, and the new disciples showed that they had under-
stood the Gospel teaching.
“This was not recklessness of the kind shown by certain philosophers, of whom
some gave up their inheritance and others cast their gold into the sea: that was
no contempt of riches, but folly and madness. For the devil has always made it
his endeavor to disparage the things God has created, as if it were impossible to
make good use of riches” (”Hom. on Acts”, 7).
A spendthrift who wastes his resources does not have the virtue of detachment;
nor can someone be called selfish because he retains his property, provided that
he uses it generously when the need arises. “Rather than in not having, true
poverty consists in being detached, in voluntarily renouncing one’s dominion over
things.
“That is why there are poor who are really rich. And vice-versa” ([St] J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 632).
46. In the early days of the Church the temple was a center of Christian prayer
and liturgy. The first Christians regarded it as God’s house, the House of the
Father of Jesus Christ. Although Christianity involved obvious differences from
Judaism, they also realized that Christ’s message was an extension of Judaism;
for a while, it was quite natural for them to maintain certain external aspects of
the religion of their forefathers.
In addition to this legitimate religious instinct to venerate the one, true, loving
God, whom Jews and Christians adore, St. Jerome suggests that prudence
may have dictated this practice: “Because the early Church was made up of
Jews,” he says, “the Apostles were very careful not to introduce any innova-
tions, in order to avoid any possible scandal to believers” (”Epistle”, 26, 2).
However, the temple was not the only place in the holy city where Christians
met for prayer and worship. The reference to “breaking bread in their homes”
reminds us that the Christian community in Jerusalem, as also the communi-
ties later founded by St. Paul, did not yet have a building specially reserved for
liturgical functions. They met in private houses—presumably in suitable rooms
specially prepared. For financial as well as policy reasons (persecutions, etc.)
it was not until the third century that buildings designed solely for liturgical
purposes began to be erected.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States
From: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Praise and Thanksgiving to God
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy
we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, [4] and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and
unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are guarded through faith
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though
now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, [7] so that the genuine-
ness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by
fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
[8] Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you
believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. [9] As the outcome
of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.
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Commentary:
3-12. This passage, a hymn of praise and gratitude to God, developing what is
proclaimed in v. 2, is more explicit about the action of each Person of the
Blessed Trinity: by making his choice of Christians, God the Father has destined
us to a marvellous heritage in heaven (vv. 3-5); to attain this we need to love and
believe in Jesus Christ our Lord (vv. 6-9); the Holy Spirit, who earlier proclaimed
salvation by the mouth of the Old Testament prophets, is now, through those who
preach the Gospel, announcing that salvation has arrived (vv. 10-12).
3-5. When the fruits of the Redemption are applied to us, a kind of rebirth takes
place. St Peter is the only New Testament writer to use the Greek term trans-
lated here “we have been born anew” (cf. also 1:23). However, the same idea
occurs elsewhere: St John speaks of the action of the Holy Spirit at Baptism as
causing one to be born again (cf. Jn 3:1ff; also, e.g., 1:12-13; 1 Jn 2:29; 3:9); St
Paul refers to “a new creation” to describe the effects of Redemption (cf., e.g.,
Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17); and St James calls Christians the “first fruits of his
creatures”(Jas 1:16-18).
Through this being born again, God destines us “to a living hope”, which centers
on the inheritance of heaven, here described as “imperishable” (it is eternal),
“undefiled” (it contains no evil) and “unfading” (it will never grow o Id). The sacred
writer uses these adjectives of negation to show that heavenly things are not
subject to any of the imperfections and defects of earthly things.
For those Christians who stay true to their calling, their inheritance is “kept in
heaven”. This key theme will be addressed in various parts of the letter (cf. 2:18-
25; 3:13-17; 4:12-19; 5:5-11); the letter is very much aimed at encouraging the
faithful to bear sufferings with joy, knowing that they are a means to and a gu-
arantee of heaven.
3. God brought about the work of Redemption “by his great mercy”. For God,
who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we
were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:4-5).
And just as the work of Creation is a manifestation of God’s omnipotence, so his
new Creation is an expression of his mercy (cf. “Summa Theologiae”, II-II, q. 30,
a. 4; cf. note on 2 Cor 5:17).
“Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”: the resurrection of our
Lord marks the climax of his salvific work, for it assures men of their redemption
and their own resurrection. In its Easter liturgy the Church joyfully reminds of this:
“He is the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed
our death; by rising he restored our life” (”Easter Preface”, I).
6-9. Hope of obtaining the inheritance of heaven gives Christians joy in the midst
of trials which test their faith. At the center of that faith is Jesus, whom they
strive to love above all, thereby attaining “unutterable and exalted joy”, a foretaste
of the joy of heaven itself.
Exhortations to be joyful in the midst of affliction occur often in the New Testa-
ment (cf., e.g., Mt 5:11-12; 2 Cor 1:3-7; Jas 1:2) and reflect a deep Christian
conviction, which St. Bede refers to in his commentary: “St Peter says that it is
good to suffer trials because eternal joys cannot be obtained except through the
afflictions and sorrows of this passing world. ‘For a little while’, he says, however,
because when one receives an eternal reward, the afflictions of this world—which
appeared so heavy and bitter—seem then to have been very short-lived and slight”
(”Super 1 Pet. Expositio, ad loc.”).
Christian joy is the fruit of faith, hope and love. “You should realize that God
wants us to be happy and that, if you do all you can, you will be happy, very, ve-
ry happy, although you will never be a moment without the Cross. But that Cross
s no longer a gallows. It is the throne from which Christ reigns” (St J. Escriva,
“Friends of God”, 141).
7. The refining of gold by fire is often referred to in Scripture (cf., e.g., Ps 66:10;
Prov 17:3; 1 Cor 3:12-13; Rev 3:18) to explain that the sufferings of this life help
to improve the quality of one’s faith. “If I experience pain,” St Augustine teaches,
“relief will come in due course. If I am offered tribulation, it will serve for my puri-
fication. Does gold shine in the craftsman’s furnace? It will shine later, when it
forms part of the collar, when it is part of the jewelry. But, for the time being, it
puts up with being in the fire because when it sheds its impurities it will acquire
its brilliant shine” (”Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 61, 11).
The thought of Christ coming in glory (cf. 1:5-13; 4:13) should greatly encourage
the Christian to bear trials cheerfully.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
