Second Sunday of Easter
16th April 2023 (Friday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:42-47
[The brethren] devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they shared their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15ab, 22-24 (R. 1)
R/. Give praise to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever. Or: Alleluia.
Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel : John 20:19-31
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Sunday of Divine Mercy
Indicative: Why this Divine Mercy Sunday immediately after Easter Sunday?{alertSuccess}
1. The purpose is well-reflected. If peace is the greatest gift and fruit of Easter (as we hear it in the gospel), that peace is the effect of mercy. Peace will be experienced, obtained, shown and fostered only in mercy.
2. In other words, mercy becomes the most concrete, authentic and effective sign and expression, witness and testimony of peace. In fact, peace and reconciliation was possible, only because of divine mercy. And peace will be possible, only because of continued mercy.
3. When you are merciful, you will be peaceful, and when you are peaceful, you will be merciful. Thereby, mercy is both the cause and effect of peace. In sum, Easter peace calls us to constantly live the power of God’s mercy, and our own mercy towards others.
4. Now what it means to live mercy, both concerning God and others? In the first place, trust in the mercy of God. Never lose faith in His mercy. For, God will never let us down, never discard us, despise or reject us. He will never condemn us. Cross, crucifixion and resurrection are the greatest testimonies of His unfailing and unconditioned mercy.
5. He who descended from heaven, in order to transcend us to heaven – Will he leave us, crushed to the ground?
- He who embraced our human fragility, to race us to nobility – Will he abandon us to our frailty?
- He who accepted earthly misery, to raise us to heavenly glory – Will he forsake us, stuck to our misery?
- He who went through our own struggles, sufferings and adversities – Will he reject us to suffer all alone?
- He who bore the cross on our behalf – Will he desert us to carry our own burdens, all by ourselves?
- He who died for our sake – Will he not save us from the power and forces of death and evil?
- He who rose to be alive with us forever – Will he not walk, sustain and empower us, to live a new resurrected life of faith, hope and charity, blossoming in joy and peace?
6. As St. Paul exclaims: our sin may abound, but his grace always does super-abound.
- Our fragility may pull us down, but his strength will always lift us up.
- His fidelity is always greater than all our infidelities.
- His might is always stronger than all our weaknesses.
- His light is always brighter than all our darkness.
- His holiness is always purer than all our impurities.
- His healing is more relieving and restoring than all our wounds and infirmities.
- His guidance is more clear and leading than all our misguidedness.
- His sentiment is more warm and capturing than all our resentment and grudge.
- His tenderness is more touching than all our harshness and hardness.
- His warmth is more hot and vibrant than all our indifference and tepidity.
- His conviction is more firm and stable than all our wavering and compromise.
- His humility is more impelling than all our pride and arrogance.
- His self-emptying is more filling than all our self-serving.
- His altruism is more serving than all our egoism.
- His generosity is more out-reaching than all our greed and accumulation.
- His integrity is more authentic than all our hypocrisy and dishonesty.
- His mercy is more powerful than all our aggression, retaliation and revenge.
- His love is more stimulating than all our hatred.
- His forgiveness is more comforting than all our sinfulness and refusal to forgive.
- His nobility is more pressing than all our vulnerability.
7. Therefore, trust in His mercy. Confide in the power of His mercy. Then live the same mercy to others. This means, show the same rules of God’s mercy, which we have enumerated just above.
- So let us be faithful, even amidst infidelity.
- Let us be stronger even amidst all weaknesses.
- Let us be brighter even amidst all darkness.
- Let us be holier even amidst all unholiness.
- Let us be more healing even amidst all hurts.
- Let us be more guided even amidst all misleading.
- Let us be more tender even amidst all rudeness.
- Let us be more warm even amidst all coldness.
- Let us be more convinced even amidst all compromise.
- Let us be more humble even amidst all arrogance.
- Let us more sacrificing even amidst all selfishness.
- Let us be more sharing even amidst all accumulation.
- Let us be more honest even amidst all manipulation.
- Let us be more merciful even amidst all aggression and violence.
- Let us be more loving even amidst all grudge and hatred.
- Let us be more patient even amidst all anger and irritation.
Imperative: Be merciful as your heavenly Father is. Let mercy train your hearts and life, so that peace may reign in your hearts and life. {alertSuccess}