Second Sunday of Easter - Sunday of Divine Mercy (April 23, 2017): How to continue the Easter experience
Thứ Bảy, 22-04-2017 | 16:27:47
Today’s Readings:
Acts 2:42-47
Ps 118:1-4, 13-15, 22-24
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
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USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.
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.
Good News Reflection:
How well do we live the Easter experience in our daily lives? We are an Easter people, because we know and celebrate that Jesus has risen from the dead. And yet, we’re not always shouting, “Hallelujah!” We don’t always feel like celebrating — not in our worship nor outside the church where our joy could influence people toward faith in Jesus.
It’s hard to feel like the Good Friday experience of carrying our crosses has really ended.
This Sunday’s second reading describes what the Easter experience is supposed to feel like: We should rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. But how does that happen?
The attitude of joy does not come from reaching the end of our cross-like burdens. Rather, it comes from knowing that Christ’s death and resurrection have overcome our crosses, and by uniting ourselves to his life, we are victorious even before we see the battle end.
Furthermore, it comes from knowing that we have the ultimate victory — eternal life in God’s abundant love — and we know that this gift is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” and that it’s being safeguarded by the power of God because, by choosing to have faith in Christ, we have accepted the gift in advance.
This joy-from-knowing is the true definition of “hope”. Hope isn’t wishful thinking. Hope means celebrating what is certainly going to happen before it happens.
Some Catholics say that they’re afraid they might lose their salvation because they don’t trust themselves to stay close to Jesus always. They’re afraid that something will tempt them to turn away from Jesus between now and the hour of death. If you worry about this, let me ask you: During times of suffering, do you reject God or run to him?
Even when we get angry at him, we’re actually very close to him. We’re angry because we believe in him and trust him and he seems to be disappointing us. This is a normal part of the Christian life: Our faith is purified by our trials.
To embrace life as an Easter people, we must learn to remember that our sufferings are temporary and that someday we will enter into eternal joy. This is what we celebrate even while carrying our crosses.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
In what ways has God apparently disappointed you? What is he doing — or not doing — that’s upsetting you? How is this increasing your closeness to him, even if it feels like he’s silent and distant?
Questions for Group Faith Sharing:
Give an example of wishful thinking: What have you wished for in prayer? What have you been begging God to do? How is this different than hoping (joy-from-knowing)? Even if your wish never comes true, what’s your reason for a higher hope?
Today’s Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, for Your Holy Spirit who enables us to believe in and witness to Your Resurrection without having seen it. Increase my faith so that I willingly take the Good News wherever You want. Amen.
© 2017 by Terry A. Modica
Tags: Good News Reflection, Holy Gospel according to John., Second Sunday of Easter, Sunday of Divine Mercy