Sunday, April 27, 2025

SECOND EASTER OF EASTER (Divine Mercy Sunday)

(Acts 5:12-16; Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31)

Every year, this Second Sunday of Easter is increasingly known as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” Pope Saint John Paul II added the name in 2000 during the canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska. The saint said that Jesus asked it of the Church. Certainly, the name corresponds to the Gospel today.

Before we look at the Gospel, however, let’s consider the origin of the word mercy. It is derived from three Latin words: misere, meaning need; cor, meaning heart; and ia, meaning toward.  Mercy is having a heart of solidarity toward those in need. Theologians consider mercy together with love as God's greatest attributes. Although He is superior to all, He has continually lowered Himself to ease the burden of His creatures.

God showed supreme mercy or solidarity with humans by sending His own Son to the world to rescue men and women from sin. Sometimes it seems as though our sins don't matter much. People continue to sin without concern, much less repentance. Yet, our sins place us outside of God's friendship. "So what?" some ask. If we are outside of a relationship with God, to whom will we turn in acute need?

Our sins also place us on a path of perdition. This consequence is evident with sensual vices like gluttony and lust, but it also applies to spiritual vices. Greed deceives the sinner into thinking of money more important than human beings. Sloth makes one indifferent to wonderful gifts like nature and literature because they require some effort to unlock.

When Jesus meets his disciples in the Gospel, he has just completed his Father's mission. In fact, his last words on the cross were: "It is finished." The phrase refers to the redemption of the world of its sins. This mission is the "cup" that Jesus said he had to drink from when Peter cut off the young man's ear in the garden.

In today's Gospel, Jesus shows how he brings forgiveness in the world. He breathes on his apostles, saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them..." The apostles are to go out into the world preaching the forgiveness of sin through Jesus' death and resurrection. They will baptize individuals to take away their sins. In time, their successors will dispense the sins committed after Baptism in the Sacrament of Penance.

Does the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the charge of going into the world sound familiar? Yes, it is the same commissioning seen at the end of the Gospel according to Matthew and at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. Each evangelist has his own way of describing how the disciples-apostles receive the Spirit that empowers them to preach forgiveness.

Finally, today’s gospel goes on to help us accept the reality of forgiveness in our age of unbelief. It makes two notes indicating that the testimony the Gospel gives is true. First, Jesus pacifies the doubting Thomas with his offer to be touched. And second, it assures that Jesus performed many signs beyond those found in the Gospel so that all people would believe. The passage ends not simply by recommending belief but by naming its desirable fruit.  Those who believe will have “life in his name.”

Sunday, April 24, 2022

 

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY), April 24, 2022

(Acts 5:12-16; Revelation 1:9-11.12-13.17-19; John 20:19-31)

Every now and then a person comes to confession who wants to confess a past sin. She says that she had never confessed, although it could have been serious. Obviously, the person feels guilty for the sin buried in the recesses of his conscience. She just remembered it and wants to get rid of it so it doesn't disturb her more. The resurrection of Jesus provides us with the instrument to receive forgiveness for such a sin.

By saying “peace” in his appearance to the disciples, Jesus is not imparting an ordinary greeting. He said at the Last Supper that he gives a peace that the world cannot give. It is the peace that frees the person from all fear and fills the person with love for all. After showing them the wounds from the nails and the spear, he repeats “peace”. This second time indicates that the disciples receive a double portion peace to share with others. Then Jesus gives them the Holy Spirit to forgive sins.

Because of this peace of Christ, we can experience relief from guilt by confessing our sins to a priest. It is not necessary to sacrifice a calf as the Jews did or wonder if we are really forgiven. We just have to find a priest. This is a big part of Divine Mercy. We do not have to go about burdened by sins because God has sent us his Son. Jesus gave his life to take away the sin of the world. He also sent his disciples to reconcile individual Christians.

However, we know that relatively few are taking advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation today. Sixty years ago, there were lines outside every confessional for two hours every Saturday afternoon. Today you can usually count on the fingers of two hands all the penitents in an hour of confession. What happened and how can we remedy the situation?

Many do not come to be reconciled because they do not see themselves as sinners. They don't count lies, absence of Sunday mass, even, sometimes. fornication as sins. They are more concerned with offending other people's feelings than with breaking a commandment of God!

Others are hesitant to confess to a priest because they see priests as sinners as great as themselves. Unfortunately, some priests have lost the impulse to live as perfect as Christ. But this corruption does not diminish their authority to forgive other people's sins. Like Thomas in the gospel, we must recognize the presence of something supernatural in reconciliation. Jesus really has risen from the dead. He has really given priests the authority to remove the guilt of another.

One of the most prevalent symbols for Easter is the chick breaking the shell of the egg. It obviously represents Jesus coming out of the tomb. But we can attach another meaning. It can represent us breaking the hardness of our heads. Instead of burying sins in the recesses of our conscience, let us confess them regularly. In this way we show the impulse to live as perfect as Christ. In this way we show the impulse to live like Christ.