April 27, 2014

Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20: 19-31
To my knowledge, I have never met a person who said their goal in this life was hell. I have met people who have said that they do not think that hell exists because God just wouldn’t be that mean. I have also met people who say that they hope to sneak into the back door of heaven without God even noticing them; at times I’ve hoped for that myself. So many want to go to heaven, but their negative side which comes from the devil, somehow gets into them that they feel they are not worthy enough or holy enough. Unfortunately on this Divine Mercy Sunday it seems hard for people to realize that God is a God of Love and God is God of Mercy. This really means that God knows everything and He knows everything about me and each person and how hard each one tries and how really much each person needs Him. But this is hard to get into my thick head; the readings and the feast help me with this today.
I read in Sunday Homily Helps put out by the Franciscans an interesting ‘Attention-Getter’ as they call it: Pope John II was concerned about the confessors at St. Peter’s Basilica. He was hearing from others that the priests who heard confession from the many pilgrims could be pretty rough on the penitents. He called them together and reminded them that their duty is about the act of mercy. ‘Confession is an act of honesty and courage,’ he said, ‘an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.’ He wanted confessors who would reflect that mercy.” The article continued with an interesting fact that today, Mercy Sunday, Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II will be canonized by Pope Francis as saints. Now after today only 82 popes have been named ‘saints’. Fifty- two of the first 54 popes were declared saints and in the last 1800 years 26 were canonized. So what makes a saint, the readings tell us today as well as realizing the deep truth that saints have reflected the mercy and love of Christ in their lives.
In the Our Father, I ask God for forgiveness “as I forgive those who trespass against me...” I am asked to be merciful and forgiving each day of my life; and to be a leader in this so that others can see God in me. How am I doing? What do I need from God today so that I can live His mercy and forgiveness?
So often I have thought, it would have been nice to live in the time of Jesus and listened to Him. I come away always thinking that I would have followed Him; well the vast majority of people did not. The ones that followed and the first community of believers lived a common life as the Acts of the Apostles describes it in the first reading. They knew the presence of Jesus because they saw Him in each other. This drew them closer in love for each other and service to the community and all those who were hurting. They celebrated the Eucharist each day and listened to the apostles’ teaching. Their faith was deepened by this fellowship and the witness of their lives touched those around them. They saw and believed.
Today’s Gospel account of Thomas helps me so much because I am like him, so often I don’t see and this leads to many doubts and wonders and unanswered questions. Thomas lived with Jesus and traveled just about everywhere He went. He heard Jesus and saw so many of His miracles. The problem was that after Good Friday, he couldn’t see Jesus anymore. I quote Alice Camille in Exploring the Sunday readings, “He lost sight of Jesus after his dreams for a triumphant victory were dashed in the nightmare of an unexpected arrest, trial, and execution. The Jesus he knew was gone. The Jesus he’d put his faith and hopes in had vanished. Jesus his Lord had been erased. So Thomas needed to see Him again, see the wounds in His body, and see the life that death couldn’t destroy. Then he could get His Lord back. And by rediscovering his Lord and God, Thomas would also regain himself as disciple. Jesus didn’t seem to have a problem with meeting Thomas where he was. Ask for what you need. Jesus wants to bring us peace!”
Now it was up to Thomas and the others and now it is up to me and the others. The encyclical Lumen Gentium reminded each Catholic that ‘Christ is the Light of the Nation: We cannot be the Church without reflecting the Christ who is our Light. Men and women need to see Christ though our living actions and not just by our words.’ As Jesus has done, so must I do: as Jesus showed total love and caring, so must I show total love and caring and not just when I feel up to it. As Jesus was aware of those who needed healing and forgiveness I must be an instrument of Jesus’ healing and forgiveness. As Jesus was merciful, so am I called to the same depth of mercy Jesus lived. Fr Ronald Rolheiser in Forgotten Among the Lilies writes: “If we are truly members of Christ’s body then when we forgive sins, the person is forgiven. Likewise it means that if we love someone and hold them in our life, that person, regardless of his or her actions, is not cut off from the body of Christ. If you continue to love somebody, they are bound...bound to the body of Christ, sustained in salvation.” Jesus gave the apostles power and authority and He gives each Christian the same power and authority “to forgive and bind in the love of God.” So I reflect on:

• Easter’s empty tomb is the ultimate sign of hope, am I a hope-giver? Why do I shy away from this?
  
• When I fail to see my life as a gift from God and let myself be beaten down by life, I need the Lord. I need to go face to face in front of the Lord as Thomas did. Why don’t I do this?
  
• Is part of my doubt tied up in how I feel about myself? Am I harder on myself that I am on other people? Do I realize that me being hard on me does not compute with the love God had for me?
  

Sacred Space 2014 reflects on Jesus’ words”

“Jesus repeats His greeting, ’Peace be with you.’ As Jesus wishes the same blessing for me, I consider what might come between me and the blessing Jesus offers.

Fear caused the disciples to lock the doors. This security did not, however, bring them peace. Closing people out leads them to be seen as a threat and seems at odds with Jesus’ way.”