Second Sunday of Easter: Year A Believing Thomas: Divine Mercy Sunday

Second Sunday of Easter: Year A

Believing Thomas: Divine Mercy Sunday

Entrance Antiphon

♥ The entrance antiphon of today uses phrases: “…You must long for the pure, spiritual, milk, that in him you may grow to salvation (1 Pet 2:2)

♥ The Pure, spiritual milk gives nourishment to the soul and the soul learns to recognize the mercy and love of God, grows into the healthy relationship with God and is able to practice the corporal and spiritual works of Mercy

Collect

♥ Today’s collect uses the phrase: “… God of everlasting Mercy…”

♥ God’s love and mercy is everlasting. He is a just God but his mercy is everlasting. it is so much matching for the divine mercy Sunday.

Acclamation

♥ The acclamation of today says: “Thomas, you have believed because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”

♥ Thomas is also doubly blessed because he has not seen God. Jesus says no one has seen God and yet he believes in the divinity of God in Jesus by saying: “My Lord and my God.”

♥ We don’t call him ‘doubting Thomas’ but we calling him ‘believing Thomas’ because we usually delete the photos that are not well taken. We usually keep the photo that is well taken.

First Reading (Acts: 2:42-47)

♥ First reading gives us the picture of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy because the new converts devoted themselves to

♥ 1) APOSTLES’ TEACHING

♥ 2) to FELLOWSHIP,

♥ 3) to the BREAKING OF THE BREAD,

♥ 4) to PRAYER,

♥ 5) they had EVERYTHING IN COMMON,

♥ 6) SOLD their things and SHARED with the NEEDY,

♥ 7) Attending the TEMPLE TOGETHER [But Thomas was not together with the Group]

♥ The Lord added to their number because they lived a life of FAITH, HOPE, LOVE AND MERCY that is why God added to their number. People were inspired. Does it happen today? If it does not happen that means that we are not living our life as the early Christians.

Responsorial Psalm

♥ “…Give thanks to the Lord for his love [mercy] endures forever.”

♥ The Hebrew word for ‘womb’ (rehem) indicates that it is the basic root for such words as ‘mercy’ and ‘merciful’. Rehem is a masculine word which means ‘compassion’. It refers to belly or womb of an animal/woman where fetus exists and develops (Gn 20:18; 29:31; Is 49:15).

♥ A ‘womb’ that miscarries could be a curse from God but not necessarily (Ho 9:14). This female imagery is employed to express God’s female compassion and feeling. This imagery speaks of a mother who provides for the child in her womb. And yet Israel proves to be stubborn even in the womb. Israelites celebrated God’s mercy by singing the psalms 117 and 135 in their prayer assemblies.

♥ At this moment I am compelled to think about the ABORTIONS that are being carried out in rampant in the world. Through abortion so many innocent lives are destroyed in the womb which is the very place and sanctuary of love and mercy.

 Second Reading

 ♥ Second reading says: “By his GREAT MERCY we have been born a new to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ….”

♥ It speaks about the TEMPORARY TRIALS AND SUFFERINGS and the IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED AND UNFADING INHERITANCE. It is possible because God is full of mercy and compassion slow to anger and abounding in love. We don’t deserve them at all.

♥ In contrast to Thomas’ faith, it also speaks about the GENUINENESS OF OUR FAITH that is tested by fire (1 Pet 1:7)

♥ Sirach 2:5 For GOLD IS TESTED in the fire, and those

found acceptable, in the furnace of humiliation.

 (Sir 2:5 NRS)

♥ Our faith journey is a wresting with God like Jacob. We are tried, tested, tempted in every side.

♥ When I look into my own personal life, I see that just before my ordination God gave me a “thorn in the flesh.” (2 Cor 12:7) It is no use of asking God to take it away. He will say “my grace is sufficient for you”. Because of that “thorn in the flesh” I come to understand spiritual realities little better than before. He has given me this to keep me humble. It is given to test my faith by fire so that the genuineness of my faith which is more precious than the gold will be seen.

♥ WITHOUT HAVING SEEN HIM YOU LOVE HIM: though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.

♥ The result of our faith is the salvation of our souls.

♥ Entrance antiphon: “…You must long for the pure, spiritual, milk, that in him you may grow to SALVATION (1 Pet 2:2). Pure, spiritual milk will make us grow in faith and win us salvation.

Gospel Reading

♥ …THE DOORS BEING SHUT…” are we also locked behind our sins, ego, own private plan/agenda AFRAID that Jesus’ encounter with us will be not that palatable. That we will be disturbed from our comfort zones. Are we closed up in our comfort zones not willing to go out from there?

♥ …JESUS CAME AND STOOD AMONG THEM…: Jesus can go through our problems, fears and anxieties. Be available to him. Don't be absent from his presence like Thomas.

♥ PEACE and joy are very much part of the Easter season. Do we experience Peace and joy in our daily life (relationship/family/community).

♥ This peace is not as the world gives, it was born from his suffering and struggle and death and resurrection of Jesus.

♥ In fact Jesus gives three times his peace by saying: “Peace be with you”

♥ HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND SIDE: instead of we trying to touch the wounds of Jesus, Let us allow Jesus to touch our wounds: wounds of lust, pride, indecency, immorality, ego…

♥ THE DISCIPLES WERE GLAD WHEN THEY SAW THE LORD: Seeing the Lord gives us joy. But it is a sad thing to know that there are so many Catholics who do not attend Sunday Mass regularly. How can they have peace and joy in their life because true joy and peace come from seeing the Lord, experiencing the Lord.

♥ AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME SO I SEND YOU: Jesus is giving to the disciples exactly what the Father gave him with full authority and power.

♥ HE BREATH ON THEM: when I am with the parish community he will breathe on me his spirit.

♥ … IF YOU FORGIVE THE SINS OF ANY, THEY ARE FORGIVEN: Jesus gives them the power to forgive sins. Confessional is the place where we experience God’s mercy in a very tangible manner. It is a beautiful coincidence that Jesus gives the disciples the power to forgive sins on the divine mercy Sunday.

♥ THOMAS THE TWIN: Who is the other twin? It is I and you. Every time we don’t believe in the love and mercy of God we become the twins of Thomas.

♥ THOMAS WAS NOT WITH THEM: Thomas was looking for Jesus INDIVIDUALLY but God revealed to the COMMUNITY of disciples. It is easier to discover Jesus in a community than to discover him individually. How is my community life?

 ♥ WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD: The saying goes: “seeing is believing.” Faith is assurance of things hoped for and conviction of things not seen. How do you see the Lord today. We see him in others (1 John4:20). Mother Teresa saw Jesus in the poorest of the poor, the abandoned.

♥ UNLESS I SEE IN HIS HANDS THE PRINT OF THE NAILS: the resurrection was an extraordinary reality and so Thomas was looking for an extraordinary proof.

♥ THOMAS WAS WITH THEM: Thomas was with the community of disciples and Jesus revealed himself to Thomas.

♥ MY LORD AND MY GOD: It is like St. Augustine who said: “Too late have I known you Lord. Finally Thomas has managed to TOUCH THE FINGER OF GOD as in the picture of Adam and God the father trying to touch and live.

♥ BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET BELIEVE: how many of us seek signs, vision, prophecies and miracles in our life?

♥ To believe is to have life in him.

♥ Divine Mercy prayer says: Jesus I Trust in you. We need to trust in Jesus. “JESUS I TRUST IN YOU” is equal to “MY LORD AND MY GOD”

 ♥ Jesus said: “DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME” means that we also need to SHOW MERCY to others just as Jesus did on Calvary through his Paschal Mystery. The Cross is the culmination of Jesus’ mercy, love and humility.

♥ We need to be the MERCIFUL FACES OF THE FATHER here on earth.

♥ John Paul II visited 129 countries because he wanted all people to know that God loves them, no matter what is their culture or language. Thus, He became the Merciful face of the father specially by forgiving the young man Mehmet Ali Agca, the pope’s attempted assassin.

♥ Every priest has been touched by the wounds of Christ and he in turns touches the wounds of others in a healing way. Pope Francis said that: “God looked at me with mercy and chose me.” All Christians faithful are Baptitized priests. We belong to the royal priesthood of Christ. We need to touch the wounds of others in a healing way.

♥ MESSAGE of Divine Mercy Sunday: “ABC” stands for: Ask for mercy, Be merciful to others, completely Trust Jesus.

♥ SPREAD DEVOTION to DIVINE MERCY Through “FINCH” Stands for: Feast of DM, Image of DM, Novena to DM, Chaplet of DM, Hour of DM.

“…IN THE NAME OF JESUS” AND “…CHRIST SHOULD SUFFER”

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“…IN THE NAME OF JESUS” AND “…CHRIST SHOULD SUFFER”

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS

♥ All the readings of today speak about the ‘Name of Jesus’. The RESPONSORIAL PSALM says “How great is your name, O Lord.” The COLLECT of today also speaks about ‘confessing the name of Jesus’.

♥ In Palin (Miching, Lendigai, and Chambang area), I was asked few questions that helped me to meditate on the Word of God of today. Their questions were:

1. Should there vision, prophesy and miracle in the Catholic church? (It is because they see it in the revival church)

2. How is that people are cured from their sickness, pain and suffering when the revivals and people of other denominations pray but the same does not happen when a catholic priest prays.

♥ It is true like any other human beings; people of Arunachal Pradesh are also facing sicknesses, pain and suffering. There is no doubt about it.

♥ It is the NAME OF JESUS that makes all the difference. It is He who should get the merit and not the catholic or the revival who prays to Jesus. It is very clear in the readings of today. By this I am not telling that the Catholics and the revivals are same.

♥ I told them that the visions, prophesy and miracles should not be forced upon. If God gives it is well and good. If he does not give it is also okay. Jesus scolded the Pharisees who were looking only for signs and miracles. He even scolded Thomas who wanted to put his finger in the holes made by the nails. God performs miracles, gives us vision when our faith becomes weak. We cannot control the Spirit for it blows wherever it wills. It can give gifts to anybody. Different gifts are given to different people. There is no doubt about it.

♥ In the first reading, Peter is telling the people of Israel that it is not because of their POWER or because of their HOLINESS that the man is cured but by the faith in the name of Jesus. (Acts 3:12-16)

♥ I would like to quote some passages that speak about the “NAME OF JESUS”

♥ Act 4:12 RSV “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Act 4:12 RSV).

♥Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phi 2:9-11 RSV)

♥ John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; ¹⁴ if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. (Jn 14:13-14 RSV)

♥ Luke 10:17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" (Lk 10:17 RSV)

♥ Romans 10:13 For, "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom 10:13 RSV)

♥ Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; (Mar 16:17 RSV)

♥ Acts 3:6 But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." (Act 3:6 RSV)

♥ Mark 9:38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." (Mk 9:38 RSV)

♥ So many songs/bhajans are composed on the name of Jesus, sacraments are administered in the name of Jesus. Joseph Mario says that when he took the name of Jesus a kind of ELECTRIC CURRENT passed through his body and he who was almost dead was able to run from his father and save himself. And today he is a great preacher; preaching in the name of Jesus. One of the prayers that I learned during my first communion is: “Thank you Jesus, praise you Jesus” I still use this prayer. It is so beautiful

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“ …JESUS WOULD SUFFER…”

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♥ The second part of my reflection is on suffering–Suffering of Jesus and our suffering.

♥ We all have suffering in our life.

♥ Buddha was disturbed with this reality. We are all disturbed with it. People of Arunachal Pradesh are disturbed with this reality.

♥ I am quite convinced that God gives us suffering with a purpose. He did not spare his own beloved son in this regard.

♥ Matthew 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Mt 26:39 RSV). Jesus had to drink it (Cross). We are quite fresh with this reality of Jesus suffering after the Lenten season.

♥ Matthew 16:23 When Peter told Jesus that he should not suffer he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men” (Mt 16:23 RSV).

♥ 2 Samuel 16:10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” (2Sa 16:10 RSV)

♥ 2 Corinthians 12:7 And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a THORN was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. ⁸ Three times I besought the Lord about this that it should leave me; ⁹ but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2Cor 12:7 RSV)

♥ God is ever close to those who suffer. He said that when you have fed the hungry you have fed me (Mt 25:35). Jesus is in the hungry, in those who suffer.

♥ Exodus 3:7 Then the LORD said, “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings” (Ex 3:7 RSV).

♥ Job 2: 7-10  So Satan left the presence of Yahweh. He struck Job down with malignant ulcers from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. ⁸ Job took a piece of pot to scrape himself, and went and sat among the ashes.⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Why persist in this integrity of yours? Curse God and die.” ¹⁰ “That is how a fool of a woman talks,” Job replied. “If we take happiness from God's hand, must we not take sorrow too?” And in all this misfortune Job uttered no sinful word (Job 2:7-10 NJB).

♥ Being thrown to the Lions to be eaten, IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH said: “I will become worthy bread in the sight of God.”

♥ Jesus is telling us today: Take up your daily cross and follow me.

♥ Moments of suffering, are moments of grace. May our daily suffering bring us closer to God and to one another.

♥ SICKNESS: It is a moment of grace for the parents. They get a chance to work out together (husband and wife); they get a chance to love the child/ member they could not do so. It is also a time for the child to experience that the parents really love him/her. It is also a moment of grace for the entire Christian community of a particular village. They get a chance to come together to pray for that sick member. Contribute financial help and so on and so forth.

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Year A: Death Of Lazarus: I Will Put My Spirit Within You

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Year A:

Death Of Lazarus: I Will Put My Spirit Within You

FIRST READING

♥ In the first reading we find that the Israelites are discouraged. They are oppressed by their enemies in exile at Babylon. God reassures them and says: “Behold I will open your graves [Lazarus’ grave is opened  by Jesus today], and raise you from your graves [Lazarus is raised by Jesus], O my people, and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.”

♥ “and you shall know that I AM THE LORD.” God wants to tell them that he has power to do whatever he wants in heaven or on earth. He has power over life and death. Jesus by raising Lazarus to life shows that He has power over life and death. “He says: “I am the Resurrection and the Life” it is also because Martha is not sure about the identity of Jesus who says: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day”

♥ Even the Pharisees in the Gospel reading find it difficult to accept that Jesus is “I AM THE LORD”. Who is JESUS for you?

♥ “I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND YOU SHALL LIVE” In the Gospel reading, Jesus give life to Lazarus who was dead. At this moment we recall the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel (Eze 37). Bones were dry, dead and they became alive because of God.

♥ It means reconstituting the nation of Israel but in the deeper level he is talking about reconstituting our life from sin, death, brokenness, discouragement, from the life of the flesh [immoral life]. In the Gospel he does this with Lazarus.

♥ The Spirit of the Lord is in each one of us. It has been given to us at our baptism. But some of us might have made the HOLY SPIRIT sad. He might have gone away from us. If HE is gone then we are dry and dead people.

♥ And in the SECOND READING St. Paul says that if the Spirit of God really dwells in you; you are in the Spirit and you belong to him. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, HE who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will GIVE LIFE to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you.

GOSPEL

♥ We all have different fears and one of the fears is of death. Today we are afraid of Corona Viruse which is claiming so many deaths.

♥ WE NEED TO BE READY TO WELCOME DEATH AT ANY TIME.  We live in a world that is filled with death.  We kill each other in acts of murder, abortion, euthanasia, execution, war and terrorist activities.  We kill ourselves through suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, overwork, stress, bad eating habits, and physical neglect.  The most important question is:  am I ready to face my death? 

♥ It is the last of the signs that Jesus shows: sign to tell who Jesus is. That HE IS THE LORD.

♥ Today’s Gospel is not about Lazarus, the Gospel is about Jesus. We always think about Lazarus whenever this passage comes to us.

♥ Last Sunday we heard about the blind man and Jesus said that he was blind so that GOD’S GLORY MAY BE DISPLAYED IN HIM. Today also He says the same thing.

♥ Do we glorify God in our moments of blessings and in our problems ? Often we take the glory that belongs to God. Priests, religious and other specially chosen lay faithful, if they are not careful can do this more than others because God does lot of things through the priests, religious and other specially gifted lay faithful who spend lot of time and energy for God and his kingdom. 

♥ Your hard life/your problems can be meant to show God’s glory to the people around you.

♥ We pray and the problems sometimes get worse. Then we think  that God has abandoned us.

♥ God answers our prayers in his own time and in his own ways as He did today in the case of Lazarus. Humanly speaking, Jesus was late for four days. 

♥ One of the most powerful prayers we can offer is “Thy will be done”. Mary did that. ".... let it be done to me according to your WORD"

♥ We don’t know what is best for us. We want to do our will, our way. If we know what is best for us then why are we not living an authentic Christian life?

♥ Jesus has come to give life and life to the full–eternal life. So allow him to do as he wishes in your life.

Jesus goes to see Lazarus after four days

♥ Jesus loved this family dearly. He goes there personally. This shows how Jesus Christ loves us. We are part of God's family – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And Jesus purposely delayed. CHRYSOSTOM says that Jesus gives more problems to people whom he loves.  He draws him near to the mystery of the Cross. This is how God treats his special friends. If you have no problem in your life, you can question yourself whether God loves you or not. When mother Teresa came to know about this fact, she would welcome the suffering even before it really came into her life (Book: Come be my Light).

♥ We sing a song: “God is good ALL THE TIME” If God is Good all the time, why is the delay of four days. Why is this Corona Viruse? We may ask, we may question.

♥ The ‘four days’ indicate that Lazarus was really dead. Jesus was not washing the eye of the people. He was really dead; he raised him to life; it manifested his glory. He showed that he has power over life and death. He has power over sicknesses like Corona Viruse.

♥ JESUS HAS POWER: to forgive sins, to heal, to cure us from our sicknesses, to unbind, to forgive sins which is the cause of our spiritual death.

♥ PETER CHRYSOLOGUS says that for Jesus it was more important to saw that he had power over death than to heal his sickness. That is why he delayed. Death is a bigger problem than sickness. Jesus is much more powerful than what we think of HIM.

♥ Lazarus was raised to life after 4 days while Jesus was raised to life on the 3rd day. If the Pharisees had remembered this 4 days [one day extra than Jesus] they could have believed on the 3 days which Jesus took. But they would not believe.

♥ It was a real miracle and the Pharisees should have believed him but they wanted to kill him. We can have the same hardness of heart like the Pharisees.

♥ Interestingly this story is given on the last Sunday of Lent. Just near to the passion and death of Jesus. So that they may know for sure that Jesus has power over death and life.

♥ It should also remind us about our own resurrection on the last day.

♥ In the story of Lazarus and the rich man we heard Abraham said to the rich man: “They will not believe even if someone were to rise from the dead” This is exactly what happened with the Pharisees.

♥ The Lord respects our freedom. He did not force the Pharisees to believe in him.

♥ All the humble people like Mary, Martha and others recognized and gave praise to God

♥ PEOPLE WERE WEEPING: we want to hold on to our dear ones, but Jesus says untie him let him go free. We let them go to God and we discover that they are not lost. They are in heaven with God 

♥  JESUS WEPT

♥ Jesus was one with the people and their pain and suffering. We see here the humanity of Jesus. Following the example of Jesus, so many people are helping the people who are affected by corona Viruse.

Jesus weeps also for the lack of faith of the people. "The bread of life, the resurrection and the life… the way the truth and the life" is there in their midst and they are weeping.

♥ what are the things in our life that BIND US; Which do not allow us to live our Christian life, our priestly and religious life in the way it should be lived. It could be addiction to alcohol, drugs, sexual deviations, slander, gossip, envy, prejudices, hatred and uncontrollable anger and bury ourselves in the tombs of despair.

♥ If there is still something that binds you; go for confession and free yourself and live your Christian life, your priestly and religious life well. The Lord has given the priests the power to bind and loose.

REMOVE THE STONES

♥ Remove the large stone in your life –negative mindset, our comfort zone, sins, failures etc. which do not allow Jesus to give life in you.

 COME OUT We can command in the name of Jesus all the evil power, bondages and evil habits to COME OUT from us and be thrown under the feet of Jesus.

♥ CONCLUSION: Jesus says: “I am the bread of life.” We are taking part in the Eucharistic banquet that gives life. Jesus says: I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way the truth and the life.