April 28, 2019

2nd Sunday of Easter (Sunday of Divine Mercy)
Acts 5: 12-16; Revelation 1: 9-13, 17-19; John 20: 19-31
What a special Gospel for each of us to spend time in reflection: Jesus’ first appearance to the
Apostles on Easter Sunday after His Resurrection. Jesus enters the Upper Room, the scene of the
Last Supper. Jesus appeared to the gathered apostles. The apostles had barricaded themselves
behind locked doors. They were afraid that what had happened to Jesus would happen to them. Just
look how the High Priests had stirred up the crowd and even got Pilate to look like a weakling. Luke
describes the scene when Jesus appeared to the apostles this way: “But they were startled and terrified
and thought they were seeing a ghost.” Jesus then said: “Peace be with you! (Luke 24: 36) John
describes it this way: “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.”
Jesus is present to them…just as He is present to every single person every moment of their lives.
This scene is of tremendous impact in the faith lives of each person. It describes the ‘call of faith’
that God pronounces to each person. Jesus came to tell us that God loves each person and desires
each person to be in Heaven. That means me…we have to personalize this.
It is interesting in the readings today that fear is contrasted with confidence. In Acts, Peter plays a
prominent role. He has already addressed his fellow Jews on Pentecost; cured a crippled beggar
with these beautiful words, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of
Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise] and walk.” Peter then left the Sanhedrin who were bent on convicting
him and the others and receiving a stern warning not to talk about Jesus again, Immediately after
their release they boldly proclaimed the message of the Gospel: God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and
the need for each person to proclaim faith in Jesus. Today’s reading has them on the outskirts of the
Temple being witnesses, doing God’s work. There is an interesting phrase from Luke, They were all
together in Solomon’s portico. None of the others dared to join them.” It seems that some could not detach
themselves from their worldly concerns as we can see in the later story about Ananias and Sapphira.
People brought family and friends who were ailing and sick and possessed with unclean spirits; all
were cured. What keeps me reluctant to respond in faith to the Gospel demands to be Jesus’
witness? The apostles were deeply afraid. Am I afraid of what others say or think about my living
the Gospel? Do I feel that others more qualified should be the ones who live the love Jesus tells us
needs to be seen by people in my everyday life? Do I realize that Jesus is always challenging me?
John is on Patmos which at that time served as a Roman penal colony. Probably John had been
imprisoned because he refused to worship the emperor as a god. John never states this in his
writings. He is writing about a vision he had of the Risen Lord walking among golden lamp stands
which represent the community of believers. John is directed to write down what he sees so that
others will be encouraged to remain faithful to the Risen Lord. Do I share the insights I receive that
have told me of God’s love, care and mercy and goodness? Do I share my own faith stories?
One of the ways the early Christians expressed their faith was to share how Jesus touched them,
appeared to them, uplifted them after His Resurrection. The first reaction was one of shock…’I
though He was dead, killed by the Jewish leaders?’ Today the apostles were in the Upper Room,
terrified perhaps is the best word to describe their mood. Suddenly Jesus appears right there in the
middle of the room. What…where…how did this happen…am I imagining this…what does this
mean…and He says, “Peace be with you.” THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE…It is only when He
shows them His hands and His side that they knew this really was Jesus. Fear goes away they
rejoice and Jesus says again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” Jesus does
not beat around the bush…now you have a mission…each person has an assignment…I am called to
be Jesus in my world. How? Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you
forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” This is God’s work, now it is their
work. Now it is my work. It’s the work of all to love and forgive; care and be merciful; touching
with our own ‘healing’ gifts. We can say…I can’t do that. Well, Thomas was absent and did not
believe what the apostles had told him. He felt left out. Could he have felt that he was unworthy?
No need to speculate, God has all things covered: Jesus appears again. “Peace be with You…put your
finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but
believe.” Once Thomas sees, he is a pillar of faith. Does he touch Jesus’ wounds? We don’t know…
but he sees and believes. Faith without evidence is a very rare grace”
Connections, a newsletter of ideas and images for preaching the Sunday Gospels shares, “On Easter
night, Jesus shows His wounds and talks about them freely; they are no longer a source of pain and
bitter memory, but now heal and teach and bless: they heal Thomas’ troubled soul, riddled with the
loss of faith; they restore Peter and the Eleven to hope and communion with Jesus; they reveal God’s
peace still in their midst despite the horror to the past three days. Our own wounds and scars can
have a similar effect on our lives: they can teach us how fragile our lives are they can reveal to us
the love of God in the compassion and care of those who treated us; they can assure us of our ability
to love by putting our bodies on the line for the protection and safety of others. Easter neither
denies the effects of Good Friday nor erases the wounds of crucifixion; Easter is God’s compassion
moving us beyond the scars of crucifixion to healing and wholeness. Jesus says to Thomas and His
brothers, Don’t be afraid of the nail marks and the scars and the fractured bones and the crushed
spirit and the broken heart. Compassion, forgiveness, justice — no matter how clumsily offered —
can heal and mend. In the light of unwavering hope, with the assurance of God’s unlimited grace,
every scar on our own bodies—the marks of courageous sacrifice, hard-earned wisdom, and selfless
kindness—is the realization of the promise of Easter in our midst.”
So I reflect on:
• I reflect on a time when I have felt that Christ was present with me and ask if it brought calm and
healing, and have I helped someone find Christ with these?
• Am I able to live in the peace that Christ offers? Am I at peace with myself?
Sacred Space 2019 states:
Thomas places his hands in the wounds of Jesus, and the experience draws from him the first, ringing
affirmation of Christ’s divinity: “My Lord and my God!” Fully human and divine. Eternally human, eternally
divine. His human nature is glorified, just as His divinity is humanized. Our human nature will be forever in
Him; His divinity dwells within us and will remain with us even to the consummation of the world.
Help me, Lord, to be before You and to hear Your word in this time of prayer. You know the needs of my
mind. You have heard my words. Now, let me listen for Your voice and know Your presence. I lay aside my
demands so that I can receive what You offer to me.”