It is 23rd April 2017. We celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter as the Divine Mercy Sunday. The feast focuses the light of the Risen Lord as radiant beam of merciful love and grace for the whole world. In His revelations to St. Faustina, Jesus expressed His desire to celebrate this special feast to bring out the deep tenderness towards the humanity in the paths of peace through the Fount of His mercy. The Holy Father explains that Divine Mercy is the ultimate manifestation of God’s love in a history injured by sin. Our mercy towards the other that culminates in complete forgiveness is the expression of true and authentic love. In the absence of mercy and forgiveness, love cannot burst forth in life. The readings are from Acts 2:42-47; the second reading is from 1 Peter 1:3-9; and the Gospel from John 20:19-31. The first reading presents an ideal Christian community that would come around the table of the Eucharist by their sacrifices and sharing of all that they owned and earned. Together for the reason of having faith in the Lord through unity in community. The communal prayer life that inspires the deep sharing of all that we have and that we acquire for the common good. The breaking of bread as a community is the faith encounter which needs a group of people with its selfless sharing for the good of all. Every human community must have the aspirations expressed in the first reading to achieve the purpose and plan of God for the humanity. God is tangibly revealed through our participation and sharing of all we have and own. The responsorial Psalm praises, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love is everlasting.” (Ps.118:1). The second reading encourages to go through the suffering and trails as the test to prove our worthiness in the struggles of being faithful and truthful to the Risen Lord Jesus. “In His great mercy, God gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pet.1:3). The Gospel presents us with two appearances of the Risen Lord. From the episode of the St. Thomas we are gently reminded that we need to have a strong faith in the Risen Lord rather to look for concrete and scientific proofs. May the mercy of God surround us today and the days to come. May you have a day full of blessings.

Leave a Comment