2nd Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday
Octave of Easter
proper

Texts taken from the Missalette “On Your Word” March-April 2021

Today the Octave of Easter comes to an end, which we have been celebrating as one single day, a day lasting a week to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. On this Sunday - known since ancient times as in albis, from the Latin name alba, given to the white garment that neophytes wore at Baptism on Easter night and laid aside after eight days - we also celebrate Divine Mercy. Indeed, it was Saint John Paul II who dedicated this same Sunday to Divine Mercy on the occasion of the canonization of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000. The Gospel fits well with the theme of mercy. John tells us about Jesus' appearance to the apostles on the very day of the resurrection and eight days later, while they were in the upper room, all fearful and waiting for new signs. Thomas cannot be content with what the others report: his pain and disappointment over what happened have been too great. Yet his is the finest and first expression of faith: “My Lord and my God.” Let us approach the source of mercy with confidence to draw life from it in abundance

FIRST READING

From the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4:32-35)
The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of what had been sold, and put them at the feet of the apostles; then it was distributed to each according to his need.

Commentary on the first reading

“Of one heart and mind.” I like to think that this was the atmosphere breathed and lived before original sin. The passage from the Acts of the Apostles brings us precisely back to this earthly paradise where only communion existed and where the other was considered decidedly more important than oneself. But in today's way of thinking and living, the greatest emphasis concerns the things one possesses, property, having... which too often overshadows being and makes us materialists, devoted solely to the earthly horizon. And this passage from Acts offers very concrete examples, before which we can hardly take refuge in “I didn't really understand...” No one felt master of what he possessed; everything was shared, beyond the logic of: “What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine”! The Gospel places us in a movement that is exactly the opposite: what is mine is yours and belongs to all those who are in need. “Losing” something, even one's life, for the sake of another is the privileged path to finding everything again a hundredfold; otherwise the Lord Jesus would have lied to us!

SECOND READING

From the first letter of Saint John the apostle (1 Jn 5:1-6)
Beloved, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? He is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.

Commentary on the second reading

“The Spirit is truth.” Jesus himself proclaims: “I am the way and the truth and the life,” and since the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one God, then everything that belongs to Jesus can also be said of the Spirit. In our day, truth seems to be a rare commodity: mafia conspiracies, dishonest enrichment when not stained with blood, collusion between defendants and defense attorneys who swear to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” and are, in reality, lies personified... defended by people who seem interested only in freeing the defendant at the expense of truth itself. Too often we are skilled at falsehood. Moses already had problems of this kind after freeing the people from slavery in Egypt. The people were still slaves to lies, dishonesty, saying but not doing, and false testimony. The eighth commandment is crystal clear and leaves no room for ifs or buts: do not bear false witness, do not swear falsely. The Holy Spirit enables us to be transparent, to embrace the truth “in its entirety,” and even to face martyrdom in order to remain in the truth.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John (Jn 20:19-31)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, when the doors were 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. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, one of the Twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Commentary on the Gospel of the day

“Unless I see, I will not believe.” If everyone who lives by the apostle's statement were called Thomas, I believe we would have an innumerable host of people bearing this name! I know too many people who base their faith on miracles, strange and supernatural events, and the “Madonna” appearing in halos that are as arcane as they are suspicious. I believe that the faith of too many is based on the miraculous, often on the unusual; we probably forget that Jesus allows himself to be touched in the true sense of the word: “Take and eat... take and drink. This is me!” Blessed are those who enjoy the gift of recognizing that Jesus who is given to them to touch tangibly in the Eucharist. It is not a simple gift - as for a birthday or some other anniversary - but Jesus physically enters into us and becomes true food for our spiritual nourishment. How many people suffering from spiritual anorexia do we encounter in our churches, how many people who are present at Mass but do not participate by approaching the Body and Blood of Christ. We see this Body, and therefore it nourishes our faith: blessed are those who believe without seeing!