SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER: DIVINE MERCY

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – A: (Acts 2:42-47; 1Pet 1:3-9; John 20:19-31)

Theme: Joy of the vision of Risen Jesus makes us cry out ‘My Lord and My God’.

Reflection:
- Jesus, who is risen from the dead, did not abandon his disciples without giving them his vision and his touch. Instead, He kept on manifesting his glorious nature and presence creating in them the life and testimony.
- The Resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God’s continuous love to the humanity. His immense love crosses the borders of suffering and death and enters into the eternity.
- This Sunday the Church celebrates as the day of Divine Mercy. The mercy of God is fully expressed in the love that God has for the humanity, which is extended in His Begotten Son, in whom He is well pleased. In the particular manner, in His offering of self, for the will of His Father, Jesus, extended the loving mercy to the sinful being and to bring him to the participation of life in God.

First Reading:
- In the Acts, we see, the first community of believers of Risen Jesus: The first fruit of Resurrection of Jesus is ‘communion’: communion with God and communion with fellow beings.
o Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus, has set right all that is being divided by sin. The unity of man with God and with his neighbors is broken by his sin of disbelief and disobedience. Now Jesus has restored this life of communion with His death and Resurrection. Therefore, the Christians, who believe in the Risen Jesus, have to be in ‘unity’ and in the ‘community’.
o With their ‘one in mind and one in heart’ they have to witness the Life that Risen Jesus has given them. No more a reign of sin and death. No more a reign of evil and division. From now on, it is a reign of spirit and life. From this moment, it is a reign of God and unity. All this restoration is re-brought by the blood of Jesus on the Cross and His Resurrection. All who are in Risen Jesus participate in His Glorious Life.
- Life is no more individual but common: “All who believed were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44).
o The mentality of ‘this is mine’ is defeated by the attitude of ‘this is ours’. They are together, sharing the fellowship, the gift of the Holy Spirit, because they have believed in Jesus who is dead and risen. They have believed and so as the fruit of their faith, they are together. Therefore, the faith and togetherness or fellowship, go hand in hand. Faith in God cannot keep us away from the fellowship of the others. So also the participation in the life of Christ makes us always sharers of faith with our fellow beings. Life of resurrection is not individual but common.
o They had all things in common: not only what they are having abundantly, not only the things they are happy with, but all that belong to them, they had in common. This signifies not only of the joys but also sufferings. The first Christians were not free of hardships and trials of their faith. They had to undergo all kinds of persecutions and give witness to the Risen Lord till their last breath. Even in this ‘testimony of faith’ they are united.
- The four pillars of New Christian Building: “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42):
o Teaching of the Apostles: It is the commission entrusted to the apostles by their Master, Jesus, himself. In the special way, the Risen Jesus sends them to all the corners of the world to teach the kingdom of God, for He says, “go into the entire world and proclaim the good news (Gospel) to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16:15). What they teach is not their own teaching but all that Christ, their master and teacher, taught them: “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:25-26). Those who listen to the Apostles truly listen to the words of Jesus who speaks through them. The voice of the Apostles is the voice of the Jesus. Therefore, one who listens to the apostles’ teaching truly listens to Jesus himself. That’s what the first community of believers did. They dedicated themselves to the teaching of the apostles because they are the direct transmission of Jesus’ life and words.
o Fellowship: The word of Jesus which comes to the believers through the teaching of apostles is primarily, the word of salvation. The salvation in the Christian sense is not of the individual but of the community. From the beginning God did not intend to have individuals but will to have the community. Even in the act of creation He has made everything in fellowship. Each one is related to other. Each element is connected to the other. Each being compliments the other. The creation of man and women, not as the individuals, but as the community of love, itself is a great example of God’s will of communion between the creatures. The whole story of the salvation history initiated and carried upon by God himself either in the Old Covenant or in the New Alliance in Christ, is, the revelation of God’s communion in calling to himself, not the individual but a race, a community of Israel in the Old Testament and the community of disciples in the New Testament. This fellowship, which is divided and made individual by the egoism and pride, is ultimately restored by the Resurrection of Jesus. Even Christ himself did not act individually but in communion with the Father and with the Spirit. This is the fellowship that has to prevail in the community of New Life in Christ and this was exactly manifested in the first community of believers.
o The breaking of the bread, the Eucharist: The mystical act of Christ, changing the bread and wine into His Body and Blood during the Last Supper, is the centre of this New Christian community. They continue this ‘Christ’s Event’ in ‘His Memory’ (do this in memory of me). The apostles’ teaching leads them finally to be nourished by this Eucharist, the lovable and continuous presence of Risen Jesus. They consider this ‘memorial meal’ as the self-sacrifice of Jesus’ love to the humanity and so as they participate in it, they are also ready to become the sacrificing victims for the faith in Risen Christ. Apostle’s teaching has its culmination in the breaking of the bread. If the bread is not broken and all do not share in the Eucharist, then, the teaching itself is half-done. Therefore, finally, the fellowship becomes ‘the table of the word’ and ‘the table of Eucharist.’ Teaching (or the word) leads to the breaking of the bread (or the Eucharist); and the Eucharist presupposes the preaching of the word. Even if one element is missing then the fellowship is not complete. That’s the reason why the first community of believers gave lot of importance to these two particular aspects of the fellowship and they were even ready to offer their own life in defending their faith (teaching and preaching) and preserving the communion (Eucharist).
o The prayers: The act of coming together itself is the first step of prayer. The believers preserve their rapport with the Risen Jesus, thus with the experience of the Apostles and the total community itself with constant ‘being together’ and Jesus promises his presence where two or three gather in his name. Prayer is not a formal verbal prayer for the first believing community. It is a living and witnessing the experience of Risen Jesus. In this prayer, the words of the mouth become the deeds of the charity. They speak and share the event of Christ. They talk among themselves nothing but the presence of Risen Jesus amidst them in the form of teaching of the Apostles and the Eucharist. In this way, they avoid and eliminate useless talk and blaming one another and instead they encourage one another in faith and in charity and this is the ‘act of prayer’ in the first Christian community. Their life itself becomes the prayer.
- The first Christian community is the community of GIVING:
o The community of believers who are based on these four pillars is constructed with the love and love knows only giving, not expecting back or not asking in return. This is not only verbal expression but living experience. Now, the community knows well how to sell their properties and give for the common good. By now it is not anymore hard for them to renounce what they have and follow the Risen Jesus (Mt 16:24). They are well aware of the heavenly riches. They are taking every step to preserve their wealth in the presence of their living God where neither moth nor rust consume (Mt 6:19-20); they do not sacrifice their heart for the passing treasures (Mt 6:21) and they do not want to win whole world and lose their soul (Mt 16:26) for filthy riches and rubbish things (Phil 3:8).
o This community who knows only giving lives with glad and generous hearts. They rejoice in the well being of others. They take joy in the growth of fellow beings. Each member of the community is precious. Each is given at most care and concern. They are ready to do anything, even cast their own life, for the happiness of the other. Each tries to defend the other.
- Thus, the first believing community is the ‘community of God’:
o God does all the wonder possible amidst and through his people (v.43: awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles).
o The presence of God is very much visible in its continuous growth (v.47: day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved).

The second reading:
- Resurrection of Jesus is the REGENERATION of a believer into the living hope. Once we are re-made into the community of God, he is of God. We are new creation in Christ. The old man and old nature of our being is destroyed by the death of Jesus and it is not over there, moreover, it is re-created/regenerated again with the glory of resurrection. This regeneration (v.3 or a new birth) into the believing and living community of Risen Jesus is the point of our departure and we move/travel with the hope that never ends and that never dies (v.3) towards the arriving point of revelation of Jesus Christ (v.7).
- This living hope does not eliminate from us the trials and does not free us from the hardships. We are to be always tested with the fires of earthly life as gold. We are not destroyed by our trials but we are examined and tested and finally purified so that we become worthy of the imperishable and indescribable glory of the Resurrection. We do not fear anymore to offer our praise and honor to the Lord who has, out of his great mercy, made us his new creation. That is the joy of life we are blessed with in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
- Those who are regenerated are no more slaves of earthly pleasures. They do not lose their hope amidst many a trial they have to undergo. Their love for Him (v.8) who has loved them till his last drop of blood and last breath of life, keeps them alive and active in their mission of regeneration.
- New creation/regeneration is an act of God through His Son Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. This is also a new mission. All those who are given a new birth have to live and continue being a new creation. They cannot and should not go back to the old nature or previous life of the world and its desires. The fruit of resurrection is the living hope that makes those regenerated into the community of God and so in communion with God and with the neighbors. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (v.3) for all the spiritual riches He has given to humanity in the resurrection of His Son – the salvation of our souls (v.9).

Gospel:
- The three moments of Divine Mercy of the Risen Jesus to the Apostles:
o He stood among them and said ‘Peace, be with you’: Indeed they need a encouraging presence and word of peace. The mercy of Risen Jesus is to give them what they needed in that hour. He stood among them (his presence) and gave them the word of assurance (his peace). They are closed themselves in the room for the fear of Jews. Their life and their hope is, shattered. They are in confusion of what is happening in spite of Jesus’ repeated predication of these events. They have nothing in mind. They lost everything what they have. They are just living with the minimum breath of hope that these things will pass away soon and they become normal again and they can go back to their old life where they have come from before three years. Once the fear of Jews is gone and once all these events are forgotten soon or later, they want to return immediately to their life and forget these three bitter years. These are the bitter years because they hoped for something in Jesus whom they considered to be the Messiah and they desired that they will be saved in the victorious manner. But nothing happened; not even one of their thoughts and desires are fulfilled. All the hopes they had till this moment are shattered. They remained silent and perplexed. They want to forget these moments and return to lead the normal life as though nothing had happened. They do not want to lose their life half a way like this in the hands of the Jews. Therefore, with confusion and with fear they closed themselves in the secret place. Jesus, who always knows their thoughts, has appeared to them. Nothing was impeding him to enter into the room, not even door. The doors remained closed and yet Jesus entered. He is more worried about the closed doors of their hearts than the room. In the right moment of their need Jesus gives them the peace. They are in need of push. They need something extraordinary to encourage them and to lead them out of that ‘room of fear’. They exactly need the peace of heart. And Jesus gives them what they need: ‘peace be with you’ (v.19). His presence and His peace are the first gifts of Risen Jesus to his disciples.
o He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit”: Breathing the spirit is always an act of creation. In the act of first creation God has breathed his Spirit into the nostrils of man and he began to live and move in Him (we live, move and have our being in Him). in the act of second creation (is a regeneration as Peter admonishes) Jesus breathes the Spirit into the hearts of frightened disciples and they become new creation who live and move in Risen Jesus.
 The Spirit makes them ‘new beings in Christ’: the darkness of fear in them is dispelled and the light of joy is shone upon them. The closed doors are open. The cold hearts become warmed up with the breathing of Jesus. The cowards become the witnesses. They move out with the new mind and with the new heart and in a word, with the new life in Christ.
 The Spirit sends them into the world: the breath of Risen Jesus effects in them, the mission of being sent. ‘Being Sent’ is the mission: sent into the world; sent to give to the world the word of God (evangelization); sent to give the world the grace of God (sacraments); sent to give the world the life (testimony of faith). Jesus who has received it from His Father did it perfectly and those who are sent by Jesus, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (v.21), have to be in the world and for the world but not by the world or of the world. This is the mission of regenerating the souls to God by witness of the faith.
 The Spirit gives them the authority: the spirit which Jesus gives as the fruit of His Death and Resurrection is not the spirit of fear but the Spirit of Power. All that Jesus has said and done is transmitted to his disciples by this Spirit. They have to exercise the authority that the Spirit of Risen Jesus gives them. They are given the power to do their ministry of sowing the love. They have to teach and administer the grace of God with the same authority that Jesus has exercised. Their word is authoritative because it is not from their mouth but from the Spirit that is given to them. Their grace is efficacious because it is not of their own power and merit but of the power of the Spirit that is active in them.
o Do not doubt but believe: The words that Jesus spoke to Thomas are the words to each one of us. Jesus does not want to abandon even one. He searches and seeks what is lost, for he came ‘to seek out and to save the lost’ (Lk 19:10). He goes always behind the lost sheep leaving aside the ninety-nine safe sheep (Lk 15:4-7). He does not take pleasure in the lost disciple, Thomas. He wanted to complete his revelation of glory to them all. That’s the reason why he reappeared to them in the same mode who has done the first time, one week ago. Now Thomas is there. He goes straight away to Thomas and tells him to do want he wanted. He wanted to see the holes that the nails have made and put his finger in his side. Jesus exactly asked him to do the same. The divine mercy never stops anyone from their desire of knowing. Jesus then says to him not to doubt bu believe. More than the holes and the side in which he has put his fingers to touch and see, the assurance of his risen glory came to him in His words of love and comfort: ‘do not doubt, Thomas, but believe’.
 Whenever we are doubtful about the authenticity of Christian faith, the divine mercy is revealed to man by the various appearances in the history of the Church, like that of Mary in Fatima, Lourdes and various other places and different modes. All that just to say one word to the world: do not doubt but believe.
 Whenever the persecutions and trials come in various forms of atheism, secularism, fundamentalism and so on, Jesus generates the holy lives and authentic testimony of the faith in His Church, many saints and blessed people, like that of Pope John Paul II, the defender of faith, for a simple example, the one who is made ‘blessed’ today (1.5.2011), just to tell the world: ‘do not doubt, but believe’.
 The result of this assurance of Risen Jesus is the ‘acceptance of Him’ on the part of his disciples and believers (all the believing community, the first reading) as ‘My Lord and My God’ (v.28). Once Jesus is recognized as the Lord and God, the believer, becomes regenerated and new creation (second reading) who lives for him alone and nothing in the world can separate him from the One in whom He has believed.
- The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (v.20):
o Joy of seeing the Lord is recognizing him as the messiah: Jesus invited the first disciples to come and see where he is staying. They went and saw and remained with him that day and when they returned they have proclaimed the joy of see the Lord and they said: “We have found the Messiah” (John 2:41).
o Joy of seeing the Lord is accepting him as God: the gospel tells us that the disciples have seen, not just Jesus with whom they have been for all these days but the Lord Jesus, in whom all the glory of God is revealed through the resurrection from the dead. If they have seen just a Jesus of miracles and pious words they would have still remained in confusion and in doubt; but they see the Risen Jesus, the Lord, therefore they have overcome all the fear and doubt and recognized him as the Lord and God and now the joy is all over. No one take away this joy as Jesus promised and not even suffering and death.

Conclusion:
- As the believing community we have to be founded on the four pillars of the ‘word’ (Knowledge of God), the ‘fellowship’ (Service of God), the ‘breaking of the bread’ (Love of God) and the ‘prayer’ (Intimacy of God): God has created us to ‘know’ him, to ‘love’ him and to ‘serve’ him and thus ‘become one with him’. This is the new creation of God in Jesus Christ.
- This new creation or regeneration leads us to ‘living hope’ which does not disappear in the time of trials but all the more, lives and testify it even to the point of offering of the self. We live with the hope and our hope is a living one.
- Once we have seen Jesus, died and risen, we have the JOY of God’s life in us and through us. We not only recognize him as ‘Our Lord and Our God’ but we manifest Him through our lives.
- The Joy never keeps us un-responded but keeps us ‘go forward’ sharing this joy and doubling it by giving it to others. We are no more individuals but community in which all have the ‘joy’, the treasures, in common.
- We are the New Building in which there dwells always the Spirit of God. This is the marvelous making of God. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us live and let others live this joy of the vision of Risen Jesus.