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
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name
Second Sunday of Easter
or Divine Mercy Sunday
or Divine Mercy Sunday
May 1, 2011
Reading 1
Reading 1
Acts 2:42-47
The believers 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.
The believers 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.
Luke gives us here a thumb nail sketch of true Christian life. It is based first and foremost on the preaching of the Apostles, namely the Word of God. We are to listen to the Word not in an academic way but to hear God’s message for our life. Authentic belief in Jesus gives rise to a unity and joy among believers which does not tolerate any kind of division or discrimination in the community. The community has concern for the weaker members. It is only then that we can properly celebrate the Holy Eucharist which is the source and summit of the Christian life. Through it the community becomes the Body of Christ and the continuation of his life of love and mercy. It is then that in and through Christ Jesus the community praises God as our Father and Creator. This is the ideal we are to strive after.
Responsorial Psalm
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.”
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.”
Reading 2
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.
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.
Through our union in faith with Christ Jesus we live in hope of everlasting life in God. Jesus has risen to be with us, forgive us our sins, fill us with the Holy Spirit and lead us into the very presence of God as his dear children. Faith gives us sight in the darkness of life. We come to know Jesus as someone real and our Friend. He is the source of our joy in this world and in the life after death.
Gospel
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
We need to search to find him
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel. Peter echoes this in the second reading, “You do not see him, yet you love him.” It is our faith that penetrates the silence, the apparent absence and ‘sees’ Jesus. Our faith allows us to ‘see’ Jesus in many places and under many disguises.
The secret of our faith is that Jesus is truly present even though we cannot have any sense impression of him. This gives us the opportunity to live with him even as the apostles lived with him when he was on this earth. It is a matter of how clear our faith is. Thomas is typical of those of us who need to see and touch before they can believe. A faith that needs signs and wonders is a poor faith. Many desire some overwhelming and convincing event to happen in order to believe in Jesus and be ‘converted’. They may look for miraculous signs in great conventions and ‘miracle crusades’.
We do not need these, nor should we look for them. Jesus’ Word should be sufficient. Peter said; ‘you have the words of eternal life’. Believing his Word we search for the Risen Lord. We will find him in the most unexpected of places. Not relying on feelings or on wonders but on the Gospel we build our lives on Jesus. We have the evidence of the Gospels and the witness of the apostles and most of all the guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us into the whole truth to know with absolute certainty that Jesus is present with us and as active as when he walked this earth. Our faith will make us live this truth and be ‘filled with a joy so glorious it cannot be described’.
We need to meet him as the apostles and Thomas did but in ourselves. As in the case of Jesus to do this we need to pray but quiet prayer alone will not suffice. We need to meet the real Christ in ‘the least of my brethren’. Blessed are those who have not seen but have believed. The fact is that by no means did all those who saw Jesus believe in him. They couldn’t recognize this man who wandered around the villages preaching and mixing with the scum of society? Today too we need to find him among those whom society rejects and minister to him in love. ‘Blessed are those who do not see him and yet believe they find him there’.
Can you find Jesus in his Word, in your prayer, in your community, in your liturgy, in the marginalized, the outcast, the poor and despised? He is there for those who have faith. Of what kind is your faith?
Father, give us a faith that sees Jesus where he is least expected and worship him through service.
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