Readings: Acts 2:42-47; I Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
Peace, forgiveness and reconciliation are
some of the key words underlying the message of this Sunday. The Second Sunday
of Easter is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Gospel reading leads us to
discover the meaning of God’s mercy. After Jesus rose from the dead, he appears
to his disciples once again. On that occasion Jesus says to them, “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." (Jn 20:22) In other words, Jesus gives
them the Holy Spirit who would accompany them in their mission of bringing
about peace, God’s mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation.
The readings on this Sunday set the tone for the entire Easter season.
Their purpose is to continue helping the newly baptized towards growth in the
mystery of Christ who is now risen and in our midst. The readings therefore
provide a meditation on the mystery of the resurrection and our own
incorporation into that mystery through our initiation. In the Gospel, the
risen Lord appears again to the gathered apostles. On this occasion Jesus gives
them the gift of the Holy Spirit the principle of peace, God’s mercy,
forgiveness and reconciliation. The focus of that event may be interpreted in
terms Christ revealing God’s Divine Mercy. What is Divine Mercy? From the diary
of St. Faustina, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the
1930s. The message was nothing new, but a reminder of what the Church had
always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and
forgiving and that we, too, must show God’s mercy and forgiveness. In the
Divine Mercy devotion however, the message takes on a powerful new focus
namely, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love and mercy is
unlimited and available to everyone — especially those struggling with great
sinfulness.
©2017 John S. Mbinda
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