My Seven-Minute-Homily, April 7th 2013
Second Sunday of Easter, Year C
Divine Mercy
Acts of the Apostles 5.12-16; Book of Revelation 1.9-11, 12-13, 17-19
and the Gospel of St. John 20,19-31
First Reading of the Second Sunday of Easter is taken from the Acts of the Apostles. In that reading, we heard the manner in which the Christians of the early Church believed in Divine power of God through the Apostles, especially through Peter even just by his shadow. “Believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by” In some previous chapters the books say that the believers received the Sacrament of Baptism in order to be admitted into the Body of Christ. Completely, they devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles, to the breaking of bread and to the charity life. How wonderful was the Early Church!
The Second Reading is taken from the Book of Revelation in which St. John shares with the seven churches about Jesus Christ as the Risen Lord. Everyone knew that Jesus was killed like many people at that time were persecuted but Jesus rose again from the dead as John saw “the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest” The risen Lord also spoke to him that, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last and the living one..” Early Church was persecuted and many of them were killed like Jesus was but “do not be afraid, you will rise from the dead like I do!”
The book of Revelation served as a spiritual instruction for people at that time. According to John, the way to the glory is the way of the Cross. As followers of Jesus Christ, people have to be persecuted and killed but they all will rise again from the dead. Jesus, the Son of Man is Christian model, he takes up the Cross. He was killed. He was buried into the tomb but he rose again in glory. He resurrected! We all are the same with him. The book of Revelation conveys a very strong message of encouragement for people in the early Church.
The Gospel of St. John in the second Sunday of Easter recalls us Easter Sunday itself. Saint John says: "On the evening of that first day of the week" the first Easter Sunday, "when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’"
We have to realize is that on this Easter Sunday the first meeting of all the Apostles with the Risen Lord after his Death and Resurrection. Just a couple of days have passed since the events in the Garden of Olives, in the house of the high priest and in the court of Pontius Pilate’s palace. Only a few days have passed since the Apostles abandoned Christ. Only a few days have passed since Peter denied Jesus. And now Jesus is victorious, Jesus is alive. He has been raised from the dead. And yet the Apostles, on the first day of the week, like Eater Sunday afternoon, are still filled with fear. Then Jesus appears to them. He comes into the room, with the doors locked. The Risen Lord comes into their friends. They all filled with fear. They are also filled with shame and guilt. Being in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Risen One, the Apostles are truly weighed down by their sins.
Jesus takes this opportunity to give them his first very warm words "Peace be with you." In his Risen body he brings them peace, not a scolding, not a condemnation, only peace. And then he shows them his hands and his side and once again he repeats the words "Peace be with you." This is the mercy of the Risen Jesus. Something else very important follows and it is this. This is the moment of mercy that Jesus chooses, when the Apostles are filled with shame and guilt, when they are supremely conscious of their weakness.
This is the moment that Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord chooses in order to be close with these weak men and in order to commission them the great power of forgiving sins. It is the great gift of God’s mercy in all its concentration. And, so, Jesus says to the Apostles "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jesus breaks down all barriers. This is the supreme manifestation of God’s mercy revealed in the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of the forgiveness of sins, the Sacrament of Confession.
This second Sunday of Easter is the Sunday consecrated by Pope John Paul II to Divine Mercy. Eight days after his resurrection, Jesus appears among his disciples in order to show himself to one of them in particular: Thomas. Mercy! Mercy! God has mercy on whoever confesses his sins, with contrition, and with a firm intention of never committing them again...
We too are invited to have mercy on others. Amen
Father Great Rice
Second Sunday of Easter, Year C
Divine Mercy
Acts of the Apostles 5.12-16; Book of Revelation 1.9-11, 12-13, 17-19
and the Gospel of St. John 20,19-31
First Reading of the Second Sunday of Easter is taken from the Acts of the Apostles. In that reading, we heard the manner in which the Christians of the early Church believed in Divine power of God through the Apostles, especially through Peter even just by his shadow. “Believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by” In some previous chapters the books say that the believers received the Sacrament of Baptism in order to be admitted into the Body of Christ. Completely, they devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles, to the breaking of bread and to the charity life. How wonderful was the Early Church!
The Second Reading is taken from the Book of Revelation in which St. John shares with the seven churches about Jesus Christ as the Risen Lord. Everyone knew that Jesus was killed like many people at that time were persecuted but Jesus rose again from the dead as John saw “the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest” The risen Lord also spoke to him that, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last and the living one..” Early Church was persecuted and many of them were killed like Jesus was but “do not be afraid, you will rise from the dead like I do!”
The book of Revelation served as a spiritual instruction for people at that time. According to John, the way to the glory is the way of the Cross. As followers of Jesus Christ, people have to be persecuted and killed but they all will rise again from the dead. Jesus, the Son of Man is Christian model, he takes up the Cross. He was killed. He was buried into the tomb but he rose again in glory. He resurrected! We all are the same with him. The book of Revelation conveys a very strong message of encouragement for people in the early Church.
The Gospel of St. John in the second Sunday of Easter recalls us Easter Sunday itself. Saint John says: "On the evening of that first day of the week" the first Easter Sunday, "when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’"
We have to realize is that on this Easter Sunday the first meeting of all the Apostles with the Risen Lord after his Death and Resurrection. Just a couple of days have passed since the events in the Garden of Olives, in the house of the high priest and in the court of Pontius Pilate’s palace. Only a few days have passed since the Apostles abandoned Christ. Only a few days have passed since Peter denied Jesus. And now Jesus is victorious, Jesus is alive. He has been raised from the dead. And yet the Apostles, on the first day of the week, like Eater Sunday afternoon, are still filled with fear. Then Jesus appears to them. He comes into the room, with the doors locked. The Risen Lord comes into their friends. They all filled with fear. They are also filled with shame and guilt. Being in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Risen One, the Apostles are truly weighed down by their sins.
Jesus takes this opportunity to give them his first very warm words "Peace be with you." In his Risen body he brings them peace, not a scolding, not a condemnation, only peace. And then he shows them his hands and his side and once again he repeats the words "Peace be with you." This is the mercy of the Risen Jesus. Something else very important follows and it is this. This is the moment of mercy that Jesus chooses, when the Apostles are filled with shame and guilt, when they are supremely conscious of their weakness.
This is the moment that Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord chooses in order to be close with these weak men and in order to commission them the great power of forgiving sins. It is the great gift of God’s mercy in all its concentration. And, so, Jesus says to the Apostles "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jesus breaks down all barriers. This is the supreme manifestation of God’s mercy revealed in the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of the forgiveness of sins, the Sacrament of Confession.
This second Sunday of Easter is the Sunday consecrated by Pope John Paul II to Divine Mercy. Eight days after his resurrection, Jesus appears among his disciples in order to show himself to one of them in particular: Thomas. Mercy! Mercy! God has mercy on whoever confesses his sins, with contrition, and with a firm intention of never committing them again...
We too are invited to have mercy on others. Amen
Father Great Rice