Divine Mercy Sunday

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April 8, 2018

Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

Doubting Thomas is not with the Disciples on the first night Jesus appears to them after being raised from the dead and he does not experience the Risen Lord firsthand. Understandably, he does not want fake news. He wants to verify the truth of Jesus himself by examining his wounds. He wonders: Is there continuity between Jesus of Nazareth he knows and this vision that appeared before the Disciples a week ago? Jesus is able to show him his Divine Mercy by banishing his doubts and sending him peace. Thomas utters his memorable confession of faith: My Lord and My God.

We know the Disciples gathered in fear in a friend’s house because they thought the Jewish authorities might seek them out to arrest them. We know that Jesus comes to console his friends by taking away their fear and giving them deep peace. We also need to see the importance of remaining close to our community of faith. Thomas, apart from the community, gets into faith trouble, but when he returns, the community experience is greater than the sum of its parts. The community, just by showing up and being present, is able to mediate the presence of Christ.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows us the necessity of being in a community. With the Lord at its center, they are of one mind and one heart as they care for one another and show each other mercy. They tend to each other’s needs and reveal the presence of the Lord through their actions. They are generous to those in need and they demonstrate that no one has ever become poor by being generous.

            We pride ourselves on our own accomplishments and our individualism. We see it is sometimes a strength to move away from a community to define who we are. Thomas is a model for us as someone who returns to the community and finds grace, strength, and identity. Would we have remembered him if he did not return? We can get into trouble if we cut ourselves off from our community and go it alone. We cannot have faith and be without a community of believers. The community grounds us and becomes Christ’s mediator of grace. When we stand together in support of each other, our fears are lessened. Jesus gave the community to us as a gift, that when we show up for one another, his mercy can be given.

            And what does he want us to know? That we are forgiven now, and we will always be forgiven. Nothing is beyond his forgiveness, and that brings us peace. We will always find welcome among friends who will not judge or condemn us, but they will work for our betterment. We are given a community that is broken like we are, and we stand united in Christ to be there for each other. Mercy is our most unifying and empowering common spiritual denominator. Let’s look to the power of Christ’s community to bring greater balance in a broken world and deeper meaning to human existence. The more that we become one with our community of faith, the more we stand back in awe and wonder and publicly exclaim: My Lord and My God.

Scripture for Daily Mass

First Reading: 

Monday: (Acts 4) Peter and John return to their people after being released from the religious authorities. They prayed about their ordeal and the whole house shook and all were filled wit the Holy Spirit. 

Tuesday: (Acts 4) The community of believers was of one heart and mind and together they bore witness to the Resurrection. Joseph, called Barnabas, sold a property and give money to the Apostles.

Wednesday: (Acts 5) The high priest with the Sadducees jailed the Apostles but during the night the Lord opened the prison doors and the Apostles returned to the Temple area to preach.

Thursday: (Acts 5) The Apostles were brought forth again during their arrest and they were reminded that they were forbidden to preach. Peter said on behalf of the Apostles that they are to obey God, and not men. 

Friday (Acts 5) Gamaliel, the Pharisee, urges wisdom for the Sanhedrin declaring that if this is of God, it cannot be stopped, but if it is of men, it will certainly die out .

Saturday (Acts 6) The number of disciples grew. The Hellenists complained to the Hebrews that their widows were being neglected. The Twelve decided it was right to select seven reputable men (deacons) to take care of the daily distribution while they continued with prayer and the ministry of the word. Meanwhile the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly. Even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Gospel: 

Monday: (John 3) Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews comes to Jesus wondering about where he is able to do the great miracles and teachings. He tries to understand.

Tuesday: (John 3) Jesus answered Nicodemus saying, “you must be born from above” to accept this testimony.

Wednesday (John 3) God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but that the world might be saved through him.

Thursday (John 3) Jesus explains that he was come from above and speaks of the things that are from above. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

Friday (John 6) Near a Passover feast, Jesus miraculously feeds the hungry crowds as a good shepherd would. He reminds the people that the actions in his earthly life were precursors of the meal that they are to share. They are to eat his body and drink his blood. 

Saturday (John 6) Jesus then departs to the other side of the sea. When a storm picks up, he walks on the turbulent waves and instructs them not to be afraid. He is with them. He has power over the natural and supernatural world.

Saints of the Week

April 11: Stanislaus, bishop and martyr (1030-1079), was born near Krakow, Poland and studied canon law and theology before he renounced his family fortunes and became a priest. Elected bishop, he oppose the bellicose and immoral King Boleslaus II who often oppressed the peasantry. He excommunicated the king who ordered his murder but the soldiers refused to carry it out. The king murdered him by his own hands, but then had to flee into exile.

April 13: Martin I, pope, (6^th century – 655), an Umbrian was elected pope during the Byzantine papacy. One of his earliest acts was to convene the Lateran Council that dealt with the heretical Monothelitism.  Martin was abducted by Emperor Constans II and died in the Crimean peninsula.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Apr 8, 1762. The French Parliament issued a decree of expulsion of the Jesuits from all their colleges and houses.

·      Apr 9, 1615. The death of William Weston, minister to persecuted Catholics in England and later an author who wrote about his interior life during that period.

·      Apr 10, 1585. At Rome, the death of Pope Gregory XIII, founder of the Gregorian University and the German College, whose memory will ever be cherished as that of one of the Society's greatest benefactors.

·      Apr 11, 1573. Pope Gregory XIII suggested to the Fathers who were assembling for the Third General Congregation that it might be well for them to choose a General of some nationality other than Spanish. Later he expressed his satisfaction that they had elected Everard Mercurian, a Belgian.

·      Apr 12, 1671. Pope Clement X canonized Francis Borgia, the 3rd general of the Society.

·      Apr 13, 1541. Ignatius was elected general in a second election, after having declined the results of the first election several days earlier.

·      Apr 14, 1618. The father of John Berchmans is ordained a priest. John himself was still a Novice.