"Peace be with you" ~ Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday ~ by Ronnie Archer
Acts 4:32-35
Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
1 Jn 5:1-6
Jn 20:19-31
On this, the second Sunday of Easter, we also celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope John Paul II instituted this Sunday as such during his sermon during the canonization of Sr. Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000. Pope John Paul II explained how Sr. Faustina witnessed the sufferings during the events of the years around the time of the First and Second World Wars. She received the message of Divine Mercy from Christ, which was "Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to Divine Mercy." Sr. Faustina experienced the pain of others in her own heart.
We hear a "message" of mercy in our first reading and in the responsorial psalm today. In the reading of Acts 4:34-35, "There was no needy person among them, all who owned property or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds to be distributed to each accord to need." Mercy reverberates all through the Responsorial Psalm 118.
In John 5:1-2, we hear that "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by Him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commandments." If we do love God, then we have to love all of God's children, and we know that we love God and His children when we do His will and obey His commandments. The message from the Gospel from John this Sunday is "victory of life overcoming death." John's gospel takes place in the upper room, where the doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood in the midst of the disciples, saying "Peace be with you...as the Father sent Me, I send you." Breathing on them He said "receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven and whose sins you retain, they are retained." (vs 21-23)
We all have heard how Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus first appeared, and when he was told of Jesus' appearance, he refused to believe... unless he could place his fingers in the spearmark in Jesus' side. After another week, Jesus appeared to them again and this time, Thomas was there. Jesus invited him to place his fingers in His side, whereas Thomas came to believe. Jesus appeared to the disciples to be sure they knew that He was dead, but now is alive, to be a comfort for them.
Christ's Resurrection has rendered us full of power... to be able to keep His commandments, show His love through Divine Mercy to others.
Sr. Faustina was an "angel of mercy"... the love of God was what powered her to do what she could to relieve others' suffering. Christ died for all, His Spirit has been given to all to enable us also to spread Christ's love to others with unselfishness and forgiveness.
I pray that we will genuinely be able to show His Divine Mercy to others, so that we may experience the PEACE that only Christ can give.
~ The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Caravaggio
We hear a "message" of mercy in our first reading and in the responsorial psalm today. In the reading of Acts 4:34-35, "There was no needy person among them, all who owned property or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds to be distributed to each accord to need." Mercy reverberates all through the Responsorial Psalm 118.
In John 5:1-2, we hear that "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by Him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commandments." If we do love God, then we have to love all of God's children, and we know that we love God and His children when we do His will and obey His commandments. The message from the Gospel from John this Sunday is "victory of life overcoming death." John's gospel takes place in the upper room, where the doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood in the midst of the disciples, saying "Peace be with you...as the Father sent Me, I send you." Breathing on them He said "receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven and whose sins you retain, they are retained." (vs 21-23)
We all have heard how Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus first appeared, and when he was told of Jesus' appearance, he refused to believe... unless he could place his fingers in the spearmark in Jesus' side. After another week, Jesus appeared to them again and this time, Thomas was there. Jesus invited him to place his fingers in His side, whereas Thomas came to believe. Jesus appeared to the disciples to be sure they knew that He was dead, but now is alive, to be a comfort for them.
Christ's Resurrection has rendered us full of power... to be able to keep His commandments, show His love through Divine Mercy to others.
Sr. Faustina was an "angel of mercy"... the love of God was what powered her to do what she could to relieve others' suffering. Christ died for all, His Spirit has been given to all to enable us also to spread Christ's love to others with unselfishness and forgiveness.
I pray that we will genuinely be able to show His Divine Mercy to others, so that we may experience the PEACE that only Christ can give.
~ The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Caravaggio
Labels: eastertime, sundayreflection
posted by mary ann @ Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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