Meditation: Acts 2:42-47

2nd Sunday of Easter or Sunday of Divine Mercy

Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

“Miracles.” What does this word bring to mind for you? Spectacular healings? Multiplication of food? Suspension of the laws of nature? Signs and wonders relegated to biblical times? As Catholics, we have living proof that miracles are not things of the past. Every time a new saint is canonized, we are reminded that miracles still happen. We see in these saints evidence of God breaking into our world and transforming people in concrete ways!

Today we celebrate the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, two modern-day examples of God’s power to perform miracles—and not just the physical healings that have been attributed to their intercession. Who could deny the miracle of John XXIII opening the Church to the modern world and speaking timeless truths in a new way to a world that desperately needed it? Countless lives were changed around the globe because of what he did. Countless people—unbelievers as well as believers—stood in awe of how vital the Church is and how active a role it can play in the world.

And who could not but stand in awe of the largely bloodless way that the walls of communism came down during the papacy of John Paul II? Or think of the lives that were touched when they saw him forgive the assassin who tried to kill him. The world looked on in amazement!

As we are inspired by the lives of these two holy popes, we know there’s always more of God’s mercy. Even now, two thousand years after Christ’s birth, we see just the beginnings of how God wants to inspire awe in the world! So together let’s celebrate Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II—and let’s keep expecting miracles!

“Thank you, Father, for the lives of John Paul II and John XXIII. Thank you for touching the world through their witness. May their lives continue to move people to love you as they did.”

Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

(Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31)

1. In the first reading from Acts we see the vibrancy of the early church, and as a result, “every day the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). What were some of the characteristics of the early church that caused it to attract so many people? Which ones would really benefit the Church today, and what steps can you take to help bring them into your local parish?

2. The message of the responsorial psalm is one of hope and trust in the Lord, especially in times of trouble. Why do you believe the psalmist was so filled with joy and confidence that he could exclaim, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it” (Psalm 118:24). What can you do to make this your disposition each morning when you first wake up?

3. The second reading from 1 Peter is also one of joy in the midst of trials and suffering. How would you describe the basis of this joy for Christians? How often do you reflect on these in your times of prayer or during the day? If you were to increase these times of reflection, what impact would it have on how you lived out your day? What simple steps can you take to cause this to happen?

4. The Gospel reading contrasts the joy of the disciples when they “saw the Lord” with the doubts of the apostle Thomas. After appearing to Thomas, Jesus goes on to say that, “Blessed are those who have not seen and believe” (John 20:29). In what way has the risen Lord revealed the truth of who he is to you so that you are able to say, “My Lord and my God”?

5. The meditation opens with these words: “’Miracles.’ What does this word bring to mind for you?” How would you answer this question?

6. The meditation goes on to say that “Every time a new saint is canonized, we are reminded that miracles still happen.” What does this mean to you? How does it apply to the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II?

7. Take some time now to pray and thank the Lord for the witness that John XXIII and John Paul II are to the Church and to the whole world. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

A Christian Pilgrim

THOMAS WAS THE ONLY ONE BOLD ENOUGH …

(A biblical refection on SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, 27 April 2014)

Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47; Psalms: Psalm 118:2-4,13-15,22-24; Second Reading:1Peter 1:3-9

The Scripture Text
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:19-31 RSV)

It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and the disciples’ story to Thomas is a classic example. “Guess what, Thomas? Jesus isn’t dead anymore! In fact, He showed up here, wounds and all, while you were out!” Then a week went by with nothing – no sign of Jesus. If you were Thomas, would you have believed such a tall tale?

Thomas wasn’t asked only to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. He could only base his belief upon the testimony of others. No wonder Thomas asked for more evidence. Thomas was no coward. In fact, he seems to have been the only disciple to go beyond their locked doors to face a hostile world. No, he had to be sure about his choice to risk his life for a crucified Messiah. Some of the other disciples also had doubts, but Thomas was the only one bold enough to ask to touch Jesus’ wounds. We often focus on the way Jesus chided Thomas for his unbelief, but we also need to remember that Jesus answered Thomas’s request! He revealed Himself, and ultimately Thomas believed.

In a way, we are in a similar position as Thomas. We too have to trust other people’s ancient testimony about Jesus. Such trust is important, but it is not enough. We also need to “see” Jesus for ourselves so that our faith will spring to life in a transforming way. We need to be convinced in our hearts as well as in our heads.

Jesus is eager to reveal Himself to us, even if it is not in the physical way He did for Thomas. If we unlock our minds and hearts, He can show Himself to us through His creation or through the kindness of others. Anything is possible when we are open to His presence! We will know our hearts are being stirred when we join with Thomas and cry out: “My Lord and my God!”

Prayer: Jesus, glorious risen Lord, I open my heart to you. Flood every corner of darkness and doubt with the light of Your truth. Blessed and holy are You! Amen.

A Christian Pilgrim

THE STORY OF JESUS AND THOMAS

(A biblical refection on SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, 27 April 2014)

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47; Psalms: Psalm 118:2-4,13-15,22-24; Second Reading:1 Peter 1:3-9; Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31

The teenaged girl blushed and giggled as the palm-reader spoke slowly while examining her hands; then she excitedly ran back to join her friends. “She says I’m intelligent, will meet a very loving man and have a long life.” “All that just from looking at your hands?” asked one of the group. “Sure, you see this mark? That’s my long lifeline; this one shows intelligence, and the long curving line indicates my future romance.” Another teenager smiled skeptically and patted her friend on the shoulder. “I hope it all comes true for you,” she said, as they sauntered down the midway of the amusement park.

The pseudo-science of palmistry obviously cannot predict the future by analyzing our hands. At best, it’s just a game of make-believe. Today’s Gospel, however, does beckon us to analyze the hands of Jesus to understand His character and to see what the future holds. On our Lord’s hands the usual lines are obscured by the nail scars. These scars reveal His true character in clear and certain terms. They tell us that He suffered and died for others, and was treated as a criminal – not because He was so bad, but because He was so good. The scars show that He persevered until His painful task was finished and that He was, is and ever will be true to His word.

If you don’t feel as close to God as you used to, you should ask yourself, which one of you moved away. In His hands we read His faithfulness and eternal friendship.

The Lord did not carry a driver’s license or social security card, but He had the best identification possible – indelible marks of the nails. These scars in the glorified body of Jesus are the lifelines for fallen humanity.

Thomas was not satisfied with only seeing the face of our Lord to determine His identity. The face can change its expression and deceive others. The face can smile when sad and cry when happy, but the hands cannot change their expression. Jesus understood what Thomas meant, and He said to him, “Take your finger and examine My hands.”

There’s a beautiful variety of expression in the many varied hands which are raised to receive Eucharistic Lord. Some are soft and well-manicured; others are shadow-thin and shaky. There are strong and calloused hands of laborers and the little fingers of children. All reach out for Jesus, Jesus reaches back with hands which will bleed no more – but the blessed scars remind us of the day they did.

John says that this story of Jesus and Thomas is told “to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through this faith you may have life in His name.”

Source: Rev. James McKarns, GO TELL EVERYONE, Makati, Philippines: St. Paul Publications, 1985, pages 26-27.

Sunday Scripture Study

Second Sunday of Easter - Cycle A

(Divine Mercy Sunday)

April 27, 2014

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47

Psalm: 118:2-4,13-15,22-24

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31

This Sunday’s reading begins on the evening of Easter Sunday and continues one week later—the second Sunday of Easter. Every resurrection appearance of Jesus dated in the gospels occurs on a Sunday. This Sunday is also Divine Mercy Sunday, declared by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000.

Jesus appears to his fearful disciples as they cowered behind locked doors. He bears in his glorified body the scars of his Passion, showing he has the same body he was buried with and is not, as the disciples fear, a ghost (Luke 24:36-40).

Jesus reassures them by saying “Peace” (Shalom). Jesus breathes on them, imparting the Holy Spirit upon them. This anticipates the gift of the Spirit to be given to the Church 50 days later on Pentecost. It also institutes the sacrament of Penance, by which the apostles are empowered to forgive sins in Jesus’ name.

The apostle Thomas is not present at this first appearance and expresses his disbelief. Jesus returns, however, and Thomas has a drastic change of heart.

QUESTIONS:

In the 1st Reading, we see the early Church soon after the resurrection of Jesus acting in power with signs and wonders, and growing rapidly. To what do we attribute this (verse 47)?

In the Gospel Reading, why are the disciples fearful at this time?

Of all the things Jesus must have said, why does John record “Peace be with” you three times (verses 19, 21, 26)? How does this relate to their fears? To their being sent (verse 21)?

How does Thomas’ personality compare to Mary Magdalene’s (verse 13)? To the other disciples (verses 9, 19)?

How does Jesus deal with Thomas’ doubt (verse 29)? What is significant about the way Thomas responds? How would you express your belief in the lordship and divinity of Jesus?

Where could you use Jesus’ “peace” right now? In some relationship? In some inner fear? In your work?

What doubts or questions about God are you struggling with? What have you found helpful in dealing with doubts?

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 643—645, 1087, 1441, 730, 858, 976, 1461, 448, 514

The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. As he touches Christ and is won over to belief, every doubt is cast aside and our faith is strengthened. -St. Gregory the Great

They Saw and Believed: Scott Hahn reflects on Easter Sunday

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 04.18.14

  Readings: 
Acts 10:34, 37-43
 Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
 Colossians 3:1-4
 John 20:1-9

Jesus is nowhere visible. Yet today’s Gospel tells us that Peter and John “saw and believed.”  

What did they see? Burial shrouds lying on the floor of an empty tomb. Maybe that convinced them that He hadn’t been carted off by grave robbers, who usually stole the expensive burial linens and left the corpses behind.

  But notice the repetition of the word “tomb” - seven times in nine verses. They saw the empty tomb and they believed what He had promised: that God would raise Him on the third day.

  Chosen to be His “witnesses,” today’s First Reading tells us, the Apostles were “commissioned…to preach…and testify” to all that they had seen - from His anointing with the Holy Spirit at the Jordan to the empty tomb.

  More than their own experience, they were instructed in the mysteries of the divine economy, God’s saving plan - to know how “all the prophets bear witness” to Him (see Luke 24:27,44).   

Now they could “understand the Scripture,” could teach us what He had told them - that He was “the Stone which the builders rejected,” which today’s Psalm prophesies His Resurrection and exaltation (see Luke 20:17; Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11).

  We are the children of the apostolic witnesses. That is why we still gather early in the morning on the first day of every week to celebrate this feast of the empty tomb, give thanks for “Christ our life,” as today’s Epistle calls Him.  

Baptized into His death and Resurrection, we live the heavenly life of the risen Christ, our lives “hidden with Christ in God.”

We are now His witnesses, too. But we testify to things we cannot see but only believe; we seek in earthly things what is above.   We live in memory of the Apostles’ witness, like them eating and drinking with the risen Lord at the altar. And we wait in hope for what the Apostles told us would come - the day when we too “will appear with Him in glory.”

Insight Scoop

Jesus Christ, the Personification of Mercy

Detail of "The Doubting Thomas" (1476-83) by Andrea del Verrocchio

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for April 27, 2014, the Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Acts 2:42-47
• Psa 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
• 1 Pet 1:3-9
• Jn 20:19-31

As a young boy I enjoyed playing Little League baseball. On a couple of occasions, while playing a lesser opponent, our team would be so far ahead that the “mercy rule” took effect, meaning the game would end before all nine innings were played. This was meant to spare the other team embarrassment and to ensure the game ended in a timely manner.

Ordinary mercy involves having compassion and pity on another person. It usually assumes a certain relationship between those who have power and those who are powerless. It is based on the recognition, at some level, of the dignity of those who have less and who are vulnerable. Divine mercy goes even deeper and farther—so deep and far, in fact, that we cannot fully comprehend it. It flows from the heart of Jesus Christ, who not only has pity on us sinners but willingly allowed Himself to be disgraced, beaten, mocked, and killed for our sake.

In the language of sports, the crucified Christ was a “loser” so that we might, by His gift and grace, win eternal life. I say “loser” because we know, as today’s Gospel explains, that while Jesus lost His life by giving it up on the Cross, He was restored to life by the Father. Saint Gregory the Great wrote of the doubting Apostle Thomas, “It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present,” referring to Christ’s first appearance to the frightened disciples in the locked room (Jn 20:19-24). “The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief.”

It is tempting, I think, to sometimes look down on the Apostle Thomas, as though we would have readily accepted the witness of the other apostles. Perhaps. But the other disciples, at the first appearance of the risen Lord, also needed to see the hands and side of their Lord. In other words, Thomas asked for the same verification that Christ has given the others. As Saint Gregory indicates, Thomas’s doubt was used by God as a means of mercy for our sake, for the Christian faith is rooted in the historical event of the Resurrection and in the first-hand witness of those who saw, touched, and spoke with the risen Christ.

In April of 2000, Pope John Paul II officially established this second Sunday of Easter as the Sunday of Divine Mercy, recognizing the private revelations given by Jesus to Saint Faustina Kowalska. Saint Kowalska saw two rays of light shining from the heart of Christ, which, He explained to her, “represent blood and water.” Reflecting on this vision and Christ’s statement, John Paul II wrote, “Blood and water! We immediately think of the testimony given by the Evangelist John, who, when a solider on Calvary pierced Christ's side with his spear, sees blood and water flowing from it (cf. Jn 19: 34). Moreover, if the blood recalls the sacrifice of the Cross and the gift of the Eucharist, the water, in Johannine symbolism, represents not only Baptism but also the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3: 5; 4: 14; 7: 37-39).”

The divine mercy, then, involves the sacrificial self-gift that God offers to us, flowing from the heart of the Father, demonstrated in the death of the Son, and given by the power of the Holy Spirit. John Paul II, in his encyclical Dives in Misericordia—“On the Mercy of God” (Nov 30, 1980)—wrote that Christ “makes incarnate and personified [mercy]. He himself, in a certain sense, is mercy.”

In seeing Christ, man sees God and is able to enter into life-giving communion with Him. This beautiful truth is the focus of today’s epistle, written by Saint Peter, which speaks of the great mercy given by the Father through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Life, of course, is not a game, nor is divine mercy a rule. It is a reality, a gift from the heart of Jesus Christ.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the March 30, 2008, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Regnum Christi

The Limit of Evil

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday

John 20:19-31

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 nail marks 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.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in your grace and your love for me. This is why I come before you now. I know that through this meditation I can experience your love and be filled with your grace, so that I might fulfill my role in your plan of salvation. You know that I am weak and am sometimes tempted to lose heart. But I know I can count on your generous graces to bolster my courage and love. For my part, I will strive to spend this time with you well.

Petition: Jesus Christ, let me know your heart.

1. Touch His Heart: In this passage, Christ puts himself within touching distance of Thomas’ finger and hand. He invites this apostle, struggling with doubt, to reach into his side and come into contact with that Sacred Heart, filled to the brim with mercy. Not only could there no longer be any doubt about the Savior’s resurrected body, there also could no longer be any doubt about his mercy which he promised in the forgiveness of sins. With Thomas, then, let us come within touching distance of this heart of Christ and peer through his open side to see the heart that so loves all souls.

2. Allowing Him Touch My Heart: Not only do we want to touch Christ’s heart, we also want to invite the Lord to touch our hearts. Just like the lepers who presented their disfigured flesh for Christ to touch and cure, so we present our disfigured souls, asking him to touch and to cure. Saint Faustina would say that all that is necessary is for us to leave the door of our heart ajar and God will do the rest. Let us present to his “sacred finger” what in us needs to be touched by his grace, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation.

3. Thirsting for All Hearts: In Christ, the greatest thirsting love is too often met by the most outrageous ingratitude and affront on the part of souls. The Sacred Heart made mention of this in the pangs of his heart voiced to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. He explained to her that his sharpest pain was due to people’s ingratitude. Let us endeavor to bring his thirsting heart into contact with souls, though our prayers, sacrifices and apostolic efforts.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of love and mercy you give us through your appearance to the disciples and your kindness to St. Thomas. May my heart always be full of gratitude and remain close to your loving, merciful touch.

Resolution: I will pray that someone I know may experience God’s mercy in the sacrament of confession. If possible, I will help someone directly to make this happen

Radiant Christian Community

Dr. Mark Giszczak

April 27, 2014
Second Sunday of Easter
First Reading: Acts 2:42-47
http://usccb.org/bible/readings/042714.cfm

During the Easter season, the Lectionary avoids the Old Testament and sticks with the Book of Acts to supply the First Reading. The idea is to concentrate on the fulfillment of the Old Testament in the New. The life of the early Church, as portrayed by Acts, reveals what a post-resurrection life can and should look like. The particular passage chosen for the Second Sunday of Easter briefly sums up the life of the early disciples from the day of Pentecost onward.

Context

This passage, Acts 2:42-47, falls right after St. Peter’s Pentecost speech. The Holy Spirit has come upon the apostles, then Peter preaches to the crowds in Jerusalem, after which 3,000 people are baptized into the faith. After this event, our author, St. Luke, offers us a window into the life of the first Christians. The Lectionary gives us a sneak preview of the resurrection results of the first apostolic ministry, but then will go on to fill in the back story by presenting snippets of Peter’s speech over the next two Sundays.

The Essence of Community

St. Luke tells us that the first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42 RSV). These four elements, which might seem like a bare list, actually frame the essentials of the Christian life. The “apostles’ teaching” consists of the Gospel message and Christian doctrine. We can hear their lessons in the Bible and in the teaching of the Church. “The fellowship” or koinonia (in Greek) indicates the loving communion that believers have with one another. This fellowship is not mere camaraderie or some sort of club, but rather it indicates the kind of unity for which Jesus prayed, “that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee” (John 17:21 RSV). This kind of heart-to-heart fellowship takes time, which is why Luke tells us that the Christians devoted themselves to it. They devoted their time to loving one another.

In addition, the first Christians frequently participated in “the breaking of the bread,” not a mere meal, but a Eucharistic celebration, the first Masses ever said. Lastly, the disciples take part in “the prayers.” Oddly, the text does not say that they simply prayed, but that they used “the prayers.” Since they were gathering together daily in the Temple, some scholars have suggested that “the prayers” refers to the psalms, songs, and prayers offered to the Lord at the Temple. In our day, we can engage in these kinds of “prayers” in the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary and other kinds of prayers the Church provides. The four things to which the disciples devoted themselves, teaching, fellowship, Eucharist, and prayers, are the building blocks of the kind of life that Christians can and should live in light of Jesus’ Resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Radical Discipleship

However, the first Christians go beyond merely developing a habit of prayer. The embrace a radical form of discipleship in which members hold all goods in common. This is not political communism in a modern sense, but real Christian community in an ancient one; there’s a difference. The early Christians band together in this radical form of community as an expression of their love for Christ, their koinonia with one another, and as a witness to the wider culture. This communal possession of goods demonstrates that in Christ being “rich in good deeds” is far more important than being rich in worldly wealth. While Acts tells us about the Jerusalem Christians embracing this kind of radical community life, we don’t have information about how intensely the other early Christian communities lived out their fellowship. In addition to holding goods in common, the early Christians prayed together daily.

While not all of us can enter into a radical community, the early disciples’ example shows us how much Christ should transform our lives. They lived out their faith in strong distinction to the wider culture. They showed their enthusiastic embrace of Christ’s call by banding together in a loving community. While our particular instantiations of Christian community may differ in form from that first Jerusalem group, they can display the same spirit of commitment to Jesus.

Signs and Wonders

Not only do the disciples live a radical community life, they also perform wonders and signs which inspire awe and faith in others. They truly “do the works that I do” (John 14:12). The healings, signs, and miracles that the apostles perform remind us of the signs which Moses and Aaron performed by God’s power for the Exodus generation. These signs are not ends in themselves, but help people lift their minds to God, to recognize the Lordship of his Son and to enter into the mystery of his resurrection life. Notice too, that the signs are performed “through” the apostles by God. He is the focus, not the miracle-working in itself.

Overflowing Hearts

The faith, prayer, and community of the early Christians causes their hearts to overflow with joy. Besides being filled with awe, their hearts are brimming with “exaltation and sincerity” (Acts 2:46 NAB). Their fear of death has been vanquished by the power of the cross and resurrection. They respond with deep emotion to the fact that God is in their midst. Their love of him and one another brings unity, healing, and wholeness. The early disciples’ loving koinonia and exultant hearts open to receive new members. Who wouldn’t want to join them? Their radiant love and joy attract others and they become an evangelistic community to which new members are regularly added.

This idealistic portrait of early Christian community gives us something to shoot for. It shows what Christian community can be like when we let God take control. It’s important to remember that this is an idyllic picture. The early church was not without its problems: persecution, heresy, arguments, immorality, among others. However, here the focus is not on the shortcomings of the community, but the joy, which the Lord offers us in it. This is what redeemed, hope-filled, joyful living looks like. It is not a fear- and worry-based kind of living, but an exultant lifestyle that rejoices in the salvation achieved in Christ. The forgiven are in a continual state of thanks!

Scripture Speaks: Divine Mercy Sunday

Gayle Somers

Today’s Gospel records a post-Resurrection appearance of Jesus in which a flow of mercy to sinners starts that will not stop until we have all attained the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls, as St. Peter tells us in the epistle.

Gospel (Read Jn 20:19-31)

The celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday usually focuses on the sheer ecstasy of His victory over death. All during Holy Week, we are absorbed with the details of His horrific Passion. When we reach Easter, our hearts nearly burst with joy that Jesus is alive and vindicated as God’s Son. In other words, it’s easy to dwell on the fact of the Resurrection and be so dazzled by it that we do not think much beyond that. The mercy of Divine Mercy Sunday (yes, intended pun) is that now we begin to meditate on the meaning of the Resurrection. Today’s Gospel gets us started.

When Jesus miraculously appears among the apostles, we find they are locked in a room “for fear of the Jews” (Jn 20:19). These fellows have not lately impressed us, have they? His closest friends (Peter, James, and John) slept instead of keeping watch and praying in Gethsemane. All the apostles except John fled the Crucifixion, and they were all reluctant to believe the witness of the women to whom Jesus first appeared. Yet the word Jesus speaks to them is, “Peace” (Jn 20:19). Then He commissions them to continue the work the Father sent Him to do. If the Gospel reading stopped right here, we would still have enough information to knock us over backwards with joy: Jesus loves sinners! These men were feckless, shifty, unreliable, and self-absorbed, yet when He goes to them, He gives them peace and joy (Jn 20:20). Can any scene in the Gospels demonstrate more clearly than this one the meaning of Easter?

Jesus then does something truly astounding. “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’” (Jn 20:22-23). What?? Are we prepared to see this in the story? Jesus breathed His own breath on the very people who failed Him in His hour of need. This action reminds us of God breathing into Adam’s nostrils His own breath at Creation, confirming him in “the image and likeness of God.” Jesus establishes the apostles as those who will continue His divine work on earth. In them, God will forgive or retain sin. What can explain Jesus building a Church that is both human and divine other than the boundless mercy of God?

We find that one of the apostles, Thomas, was missing from this momentous occasion. When he gets the report of it, he refuses to believe it. He must see and touch the wounds of Jesus to be convinced. We don’t know why Thomas doubted the men with whom he’d spent the last three years and who, along with himself, had been chosen as Jesus’ closest intimates. His refusal to believe makes us uncomfortable, doesn’t it? His doubt and cynicism don’t seem to come from a good place, yet Jesus appears and gives him precisely what he needs for faith. Mercy! This river of mercy is starting to gain momentum. Jesus then helps us to understand where the river is headed: “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and believed” (Jn 20:29). This happy river is coming our way. It will flow out to everyone, everywhere, in all times. Those who believe in Jesus without ever seeing Him are going to be swept up in the torrent of God’s mercy for sinners.

If we have been slow on the uptake, St. John puts it all together for us: “These [signs of the Risen Jesus] are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief, you might have life in His Name” (Jn 20:31). The meaning of the Resurrection is the triumph of mercy and new life for sinners. Isn’t this a great Day?

Possible response: Lord Jesus, I know myself to be as weak, fickle, and hard-hearted as the apostles sometimes were; thank You for the mercy You offered to them and to me.

First Reading (Read Acts 2:42-27)

This reading from Acts gives us a “snapshot” of what the triumph of mercy looked like when the apostles began to do the work to which Jesus commissioned them. On the Day of Pentecost, St. Peter preached the Gospel to the very people responsible for Jesus’ death: “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23). When they heard this, they repented and were baptized. Look at the transformation! They formed the infant Church, observing the same life we experience today: the apostles’ teaching (the catechesis of the Church), fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers (the Mass). There was great joy among them, and they made an impression on the surrounding community, leading to many more conversions. Imagine if we could step into this scene and ask the Church’s first converts, many of whom had consented to the Lord’s death, “What is the meaning of the Resurrection?” Do we think they would begin their answer with any word other than “mercy”?

Possible response: Lord Jesus, You offered mercy to Your murderers through the preaching of St. Peter. Help me to be a channel of Your mercy to others, too.

Psalm (Read Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24)

This psalm is the same one we heard on Easter Sunday. Why have we not moved on? Surely it is because in today’s reading, slightly different from last week’s, we hear what is now becoming a familiar refrain: “His mercy endures forever” (Ps 118:1-4). Divine Mercy Sunday keeps us focused on the meaning of the Resurrection: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Ps 118:22). We might ask, “The cornerstone of what?” Jesus, the Rock, has become the cornerstone of the new Temple made without hands. In Him, God’s mercy makes it possible for us to approach His throne of grace (cf. Heb 10:19-22). If we understand this, we will want to declare with the psalmist: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love is everlasting.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Pet 1:3-9)

As is often the case, the epistle summarizes and elaborates on what we have seen in the other readings. St. Peter immediately identifies the Resurrection of Jesus as the source of God’s mercy that gives “new birth to a living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3) for believers. He helps us understand something else very important as well. Just as the suffering of the Passion preceded the Lord’s rise to glory, suffering is to be part of our journey to glory, too. We are to think of our sufferings as a refiner’s fire meant to purify, not destroy, us. What a perfect moment this is for St. Peter to remind us of what he learned from Jesus in our Gospel reading—in our suffering, if we continue to believe and love Him, even though we can’t see Him, we will receive the blessing Jesus promised: “the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet 1:8-9). Mercy!

Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me know that suffering is also a part of God’s mercy to me, burning away the dross and making me ready for glory. Help me stay steady in my love for You, even though I can’t “see” You.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 3

<< Sunday, April 27, 2014 >>

Second Sunday of Easter
Mercy Sunday

Acts 2:42-47
1 Peter 1:3-9
View Readings

Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
John 20:19-31
Similar Reflections

OUT OF ORDER?

The brethren "devoted themselves to the apostles' instruction and the communal life, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." —Acts 2:42

"In the first community of Jerusalem, believers 'devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers.' This sequence is characteristic of the Church's prayer" (Catechism, 2624, emphasis added). The four aspects of Acts 2:42 are sequential, at least in the context of prayer. This means that our prayers must be based on the greatest prayer, the breaking of the bread, that is, the Eucharist. Furthermore, the Eucharist will be a far cry from what the Lord wants it to be if not celebrated in the context of communal life. The breakdown of Christian community in our secular humanistic society accounts for much of the lukewarmness in our Eucharists. However, we will be imprisoned by our cultural blindspots and refuse Christian community until we take on the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) by devoting ourselves to the apostles' instruction through the Church's teachings and the Bible (Acts 2:42). Finally, without the Holy Spirit, we will never devote ourselves to the apostles' instruction, the communal life, or the Christian life.

We are out of order. The conditions of our lives, Eucharists, and prayers show that something's wrong. However, the risen Christ is breathing on each of us now. Jesus commands us: "Receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22). The Spirit alone can put our lives in order. Come, Holy Spirit!

Prayer: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28) Lord Jesus, mercy.

Promise: "His mercy endures forever." —Ps 118:2, 4

Praise: "Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He Who in His great mercy gave us new birth; a birth unto hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pt 1:3). Alleluia forever!

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