18.04.2004 Second Sunday of Easter - Year C Of Divine Mercy
First Reading: Acts 5,12-16 Psalm 117
Second Reading: Revelation 1,9-11,12-13,17-19 Gospel: John 20,19-31
Jesus died and rose again, but is no longer ordinarilly visible to men or women.
However, the fruit of his presence among believers is constant. He continues
to heal the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits: the shadow of Peter,
or rather his simple presence keeps faith in Jesus alive and manifests the work
of his merciful love.
The number of believers increased in Jerusalem despite their being considered
foreigners. The people exalted them, said St Luke, but nobody dared be associated
with them! And so it is: we admire those who believe and pray, but we keep our
distance from them. One has to make a decision, matured in the depths of our
hearts to concretely manifest our faith in the risen Jesus and to unite with
his Church! Even though he is our friend and brother, Jesus remains a mystery.
In John's vision in Revelation he sees him dressed as the High Priest in the
midst of seven golden lampstands. Jesus is the man in front of whom one falls
to the ground as though before God. He has the divine power to give life, placing
his right hand upon one and speaking words of eternity. Jesus has risen, he
is alive. All that terrifies us, is in his power. And there are many things
that frighten us: disease, weakness, the consequences of sins and injustice,
waves of violence and ignorance, the spread of ideologies, habits and disorder
in families and so on. Jesus' hand remains upon us and his voice continues to
encourage us: "Fear not, I am the first and the last and the living one".
John saw and heard the Lord in his might on the day of the Lord, the day he
consecrated to meeting his believers: it is on this day that his voice resounds
assuringly! He continues to be present where his disciples gather together as
on the day of his resurrection. The gospel reading tells us of the presence
of Jesus on the first day after the Sabbath and eight days later. His presence
communicates life; for it is a presence of mercy for everyone, non only for
believers, a presence which repeats the same joyous announcement every week!
This second Sunday of Easter is called "of Divine Mercy". We are told
that the mercy of God is the essence of the presence of Jesus among the Apostles.
Breathing on them the Spirit, he gives them the most beautiful and precious
gift and task: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven"!
What could be more beautiful for us who are sinners, than to receive God's pardon?
Today the Apostles become instruments of the Father's mercy! In turning to them,
or to whoever is consecrated by them we receive mercy.
We know that at times many Christians find it difficult to accept the way to
obtain forgiveness proposed by the wisdom of the Church. They would like to
keep everything to themselves and not to communicate their sins to anyone, asking
forgiveness of the Father alone, in the secrecy of their own conscience without
following the indications of the Son and those whom the Son sent. They do not
want to admit that God is wiser than we are and knows the psychological as well
as the spiritual needs of our lives. Perhaps it is because of this disaffection
for the confession of sins that more and more Christians are turning to psychologists
and psychiatrists.
Let us thank Jesus today for his gift, for his mercy, also towards Thomas in
his difficulty to believe which we often share. Remembering the hand of this
incredulous disciple, stretched out to touch the wound made by the lance in
Jesus' side, let us kneel together with him in humility and say "My Lord,
my God"! And Jesus will place his right hand upon us; he will keep us under
his protection so that our faith will grow and manifest itself with courage.
Believing that Jesus is the Son of God we will have a new inner life, we will
be able to resist the temptations of egoism and idolatry, we will have the strength
to be merciful towards those who need to know that God is merciful!