Second Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Divine Mercy Sunday
Acts 4: 32-35; 1Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20: 19-31
A florist once put up this sign in front of her flower shop. The sign was read like this: “FRESH FLOWERS SOLD HERE.” Upon contemplation, she decided to take out the word ‘FRESH’. It’s because she thought no flower shop would sale stale flowers. After more contemplation, she decided to take out the word ‘HERE’. It’s the flowers were being sold here and not there. After still more contemplation, she decided to take out the word “SELL’. It is because no flower shop would give away flowers for free. Finally, she decided to take out the word ‘FLOWERS’. It’s because that was what flower shop sold.
Let us look at these 12 disciples whom Jesus chose during his public ministry. They were chosen to be with him and who can be sent out to proclaim the kingdom of God. All 12 were with Jesus when He performed mighty miracles, life giving healings and witnessed His powerful teachings. Yet, they failed to understand what it really meant by suffering and rising from the dead. Judas planned meticulously how to sell his master, Peter denied him thrice, others fled when Jesus was arrested. Only John, the beloved disciple was there accompanying Mary the mother of Jesus at the foot of the Cross. Even after the resurrection of Jesus Thomas was not convinced of resurrection.
In today’s gospel we see Jesus appearing to his disciples. They were in that room in fear, confusion, doubts, worried, troubled and some of them were even disillusioned. The apparition of Jesus fills them with faith, strength, joy, and moreover with peace. Was that Necessary for Jesus to tell them “peace be with you?”. Jesus is the king of peace. Unlike the shop keeper of the story, a sign is not necessary when things are obvious. Here the sign was absolutely necessary.
The Hebrew word translated as peace is shalom (shaw-lome’), and according to Strong’s concordance, it means completeness, soundness, and welfare. It comes from the root word shalam (shaw-lame’) which means to make amends or to make whole or complete. The apparition of Jesus made the disciples – the troubled community whole.
What is the fruit of this wholeness?
We get the answer to this question in the first reading. Here we have the description of the manner in which the Christians worshipped in the early Church and everyone looked up to them. The believers who welcomed the message of Peter, the leader of the Apostles, received Baptism and were admitted into the Body of Christ. Once they became members of the Church, they wholeheartedly devoted themselves to learn and practice the teachings of the apostles which were the teachings of Jesus to his chosen group. Secondly, they worshipped in fellowship. They demonstrated their faith in Jesus by gathering together as believers during which time they prayed, they sang, they praised God, they witnessed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, they participated in the breaking of bread or the Holy Eucharist done in memory of Jesus. The Eucharist is the central act of the community. Finally, they devoted themselves to prayers. There needed no sign boards saying ‘WE ARE BELIEVERS’. Their life itself was a witness to the resurrection of Jesus.
Today we also celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy.
‘Mercy’ comes from the Latin word misericordia, which is composed of two words—miseri and cordia. Put together it means to possess a heart for those who suffer or more precisely, to have a heart willing to suffer for others.
The entire Holy Week is summed up in this feast. We have experienced this heart that suffered for us and now filling us with peace and making us whole in our Christian living.
May the Divine Mercy heal our land from the second wave of Covid-19 and make us whole.
Jesus I Trust in You
Happy Feast
(You are most welcome to add your thoughts and reflections in the comment section below)
May the Divine Mercy shield us from every evil and heal us from every affliction. Happy Feast to you, brother🙏
ReplyDelete