Divine Mercy Sunday

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Second Sunday of Easter / Sunday of Divine Mercy Mass Readings

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

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Easter! Today on this second Sunday during the octave of Easter we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. What is that all about? And what’s all this octave of Eater talk?

Let’s get the basics out of the way. Octave means eight. We count the eight days of Easter beginning on Easter Sunday until the following Sunday. This practice started early in the history of the church. The “eighth day” became another name for Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection. While we don’t commonly refer to every Sunday as “the eighth day”, we do treat every Sunday as Easter Sunday. That’s why during Lent, Sundays aren’t counted as a day of Lent. Ok, now that the basics are out of the way, let’s jump into the readings in the light of Divine Mercy.

If you’ve been keeping up with the daily readings since last Sunday, you’ll know that Jesus has already appeared three times to the disciples. As we read these accounts, we journey with the first disciples in the days and weeks following the Lord’s resurrection. Our first reading from Acts helps to paint that picture for us. Now, put yourself in their position for a few minutes.

Everyday that passes, the disciples slowly come to understand what Jesus is teaching them. Jesus is the Savior foretold in the Old Testament. Jesus buys salvation to heal the wrong of Original Sin with His own blood. The full weight of the undeserved and unmerited sacrifice – God’s only begotten Son – demonstrates the full extent of God’s mercy.

What an incredible sacrifice Jesus made for you and for me – His beloved! That’s what we find in or second reading from First Peter. His mercy gives us hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 1:3). So, on this eighth day, we pause to acknowledge the immensity of God’s mercy. But this reading also speaks for trials we might endure to prove the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Let’s look at that in the light of the Gospel.

In today’s Gospel, we find the familiar story of Thomas who refused to believe unless he could touch Jesus’ wounds. Thomas need proof or he says he will not believe, (John 20:25). Isn’t it easy to observe what happens in Scripture in a detached sort of way? For example, isn’t it easy to shake your head, giggle and say, “Poor doubting Thomas.” But I think there’s more to this Scripture passage.

For example, how would you describe your faith life before COVID-19? I don’t mean what you used to do, but what you believed. What does Christian faith mean to you? Is it just a moral philosophy – lessons about how to be good and get along with other people? I mean, that’s not bad in itself, but Christian faith is so much more than that.

The Christianity we find in Scripture and tradition teaches repentance, self-sacrificial love, and purity of heart. It commends joining our suffering to Jesus – carry your cross to follow the Way of the Cross – as the path to God.

I know that for many of us, “staying home” doesn’t necessarily mean we have had loads of time to contemplate the meaning of life, the universe and everything, but hopefully we’ve all slowed down a little. I encourage you to use the opportunity to explore your own faith. Are you like the Peter and the other disciples in Acts who boldly profess salvation in the name of Jesus Christ? Or are you more like Thomas who believes only to a certain point, but when push comes to shove, you got to have proof?

God’s mercy and salvation is available to all believers. But if you don’t believe, if you don’t really believe that Jesus really walked among us, taught and healed, was tortured, crucified and died and then rose from the dead, then are you really a believer? This is wildly important because in Revelation 3:16, Jesus warns that like a beverage that is neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, he will spit us out. Now is the time to recommit yourself to Jesus Christ before life starts to return to “normal”. Now, on this Sunday of Divine Mercy, is the time to open your heart to Jesus Christ. If you don’t have access to a priest or the mass, then ask forgiveness, and make an act of spiritual communion. Say it. Mean it. And from now on, walk the walk.

Homework! I ask you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

In the Gospel we heard, “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.” What are the obstacles to my belief? How can I help others overcome their doubts?
We also heard, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” How is my faith a blessing to me and my family? How can I accompany those who are skeptical?

I think doing our homework will help us live as Christians resolute in our faith. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

References:
1. Keating, Daniel. First and Second Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
2. Kurz, William S. Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
3. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
4. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015.
5. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Faith and assurance, 163
2. Appearances of the risen Jesus, 448, 641-46
3. Resurrection of Jesus, 651-55
4. Eschatology, 673-74
5. The Holy Spirit and the Church, 737-41
6. Apostles’ teaching, 857
7. Communal life, 949-53
8. Sanctifying presence of the risen Christ in the liturgy, 1084-89
9. Breaking of bread, 1329, 1342
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sins, 1441-42
11. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, 1461-67
12. Our new birth in the Resurrection of Christ, 1988 (also 654-55)
13. Christian spirituality, 2013-16
14. The Sunday Eucharist, 2177-78 (also 1342)
Prayer, 2624-25
15. Blessing, 2626-27
16. Communion of spiritual goods, 2790 (also 949-53, 1329, 2624)

Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy)
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm
Lectionary: 43

First Reading
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.

Responsorial
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
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. 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. 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. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Second Reading
1 Peter 1:3-9
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.

Alleluia
John 20:29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are they who have not seen me, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
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 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.

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Mass Readings
First Reading: Acts 5:12-16
Psalm: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Second Reading: Revelation 1:9-11A, 12-13, 17-19
Gospel: John 20:19-31

The Lord is risen alleluia. Peace be with you on this Divine Mercy Sunday. Inspired by a revelation to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy Sunday focuses on the gift of mercy and love that we are given through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. All our readings today in some way describe God’s mercy and love.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 5 explains how the Risen Lord continued to show his Divine Mercy to the sick through the healing and preaching ministry of the apostles. The Responsorial take from Psalm 118 shows the Divine Mercy that “endures forever.” The second reading, taken from the first chapter of the Book of Revelation encourages Christians to fight fear with faith, and trepidation about the future with trust and hope. And in today’s Gospel from John 20, we hear that familiar story about doubting Thomas. You know, I think Thomas gets a bit of a bum rap, but Thomas says he will not believe unless he sees Jesus – unless he can see and touch Jesus’ wounds.

You know, I encounter a lot of people like Thomas – or perhaps worse. At least Thomas was willing to believe if he saw Jesus. I’ve encountered people who don’t want to see Jesus. There are those who are so angry about something that happened in their life or over someone they lost, that they are afraid of what they’d say to Jesus if they met him. They’re more willing to scream to heaven, “Where are you God!” Maybe they’re too comfortable with their anger.

I’ve also encountered people who are so embarrassed or ashamed of something they did, or something done to them that they can’t bring themselves to look in Jesus’ eyes. They think they are in some way unworthy. Maybe they’re afraid of being forgiven or they’re too comfortable with their pain or their embarrassment.

And then there are the people I’ve encountered who can’t believe that there is a Jesus at all. They have no desire to look for Jesus, let alone come face to face with him. They’re skeptical.

How do we bring God’s Divine Mercy to all these people? I’d like to share a recent experience with you. Last week, most of my family and I had the chance to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with HCPT. I think I will dedicate an entire podcast episode to our experience, but for now, I’d like to share this brief story with you. HCPT is a UK-based organization founded by Dr. Michael Strode who is now a Cistercian monk. HCPT helps children and young adults with disabilities travel on pilgrimage to Lourdes. We were blessed to travel with HCPT Switzerland on the Easter pilgrimage.

On our last day, our group leader arranged for us to celebrate our last mass at the Catholic Ukrainian church in Lourdes. It’s a beautiful, small church. We invited the HCPT group from Bristol, the “Green Machine” to join us for our last mass since the Swiss group is an offshoot of the Green Machine. There was a young man in the Green Machine whose name I don’t know. As it happens, he’s confined to a wheelchair. As the mass progressed, he began to cry. Soon, he was outright bawling as were many of the Green Machine helpers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to speak with him after mass, but what I’ve learned from others is that the end of pilgrimage week can be a highly emotional experience for everyone. You see, when all these youth from around the world gather together at Lourdes for Easter, they don’t experience judgment or prejudice there.

When we gather, we don’t see disabilities. We see people. Period. For some of the youth who come here, this may be a very different experience then their lives back home. I think those who travel here with some sort of disability experience the Divine Mercy of God through all the people around them. Whether the helpers realize it or not or want to believe it or not, they – we – are conduits for God’s Divine Mercy. But Jesus also said, whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me, Matthew 25:40. So when we treat people with disabilities with respect and as equals, we are in fact ministering to Jesus Christ. We are touched by the Jesus through those to whom we minister. So you see, we allow Jesus to touch others through us and we are touched by Jesus through others.

But this experience of sharing with each other God’s mercy isn’t something limited to Lourdes that can be bottled up and brought home. God’s mercy is available to all of us all the time – no matter what we’ve done. We just need to ask. You see, in today’s Gospel, when Jesus appeared to Thomas, he could have run, because Jesus will not force himself on anyone. Like Thomas, we need to be willing to face Jesus and allow God’s healing to wash over us. That’s the beautiful thing about the waters of Lourdes. It helps us experience in a concrete way God’s mercy washing us clean – healing us. But it doesn’t end there.

Jesus gave us his Church to bring us God’s mercy and grace every day! In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his Apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained,” John 20:23. We see this as the foundation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some people ask, “Why do I need to go confess my sins to a man?” But it’s not about the priest. We confess our sins out loud to take responsibility for what we’ve done. We say it! We own it! We ask God for forgiveness. We can also experience God’s mercy through the mass itself – most especially in the Blessed Sacrament. In fact, we can experience God’s mercy through all the Sacraments in one way or another. The question is, are you ready, like Thomas, to face Jesus and proclaim, “My Lord! My God!”? And that leads us to our homework today.
Homework! I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week.