Saturday, April 6, 2024

07-APL-'24, Divine Mercy Sunday


Second Sunday of Easter

Sunday of Divine Mercy

Lectionary: 44


Reading 1

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 the sale,

and put them at the feet of the apostles,

and they were distributed to each according to need.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.


Let the house of Israel say,

"His mercy endures forever."

Let the house of Aaron say,

"His mercy endures forever."

Let those who fear the LORD say,

"His mercy endures forever."

R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.


I was hard pressed and was falling,

but the LORD helped me.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

The joyful shout of victory

in the tents of the just:

R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.


The stone which the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

By the LORD has this been done;

it is wonderful in our eyes.

This is the day the LORD has made;

let us be glad and rejoice in it.

R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.


Reading 2

1 John 5:1-6

Beloved:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

and everyone who loves the Father

loves also 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 keep 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?


This 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.


Sequence -- optional

Victimae paschali laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

            Offer your thankful praises!

A Lamb the sheep redeems;

            Christ, who only is sinless,

            Reconciles sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:

            The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.

Speak, Mary, declaring

            What you saw, wayfaring.

“The tomb of Christ, who is living,

            The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;

bright angels attesting,

            The shroud and napkin resting.

Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;

            to Galilee he goes before you.”

Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.

            Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!

            Amen. Alleluia.


Alleluia

John 20:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;

Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,

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."

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."

And 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, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,

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 nailmarks

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 in their midst 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 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.


Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 


Eternal Contemplation of God’s Mercy


Saint Faustina writes in her Diary: 


“My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy” (Diary #699).


What will it be like to contemplate the love and mercy of God for all eternity? To some, this might not at first seem that appealing. Won’t it become boring if all we do for all eternity is contemplate God’s mercy? If that is a question that resonates with you, then the reason this idea initially lacks appeal is because you cannot fathom how fulfilling and glorious this will be. Jesus said, “My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”


God willed that this Sunday, the eighth day of the Octave of Easter, be celebrated as the Feast of Mercy. By placing this Feast on the last day of the Octave of Easter, God is telling us that the message of this Feast reveals the ultimate purpose of our lives. Easter is the culmination of the perfect plan of redemption. And Divine Mercy Sunday is the culmination of that perfect plan. Therefore, nothing is more important than trying to understand the message this Feast presents.


By analogy, if you were given a new car but never drove it, the car would be of no use. Or if you won the lottery and the money simply sat in your account unused, what’s the benefit? Or if you were gravely ill and were given a medicine that would cure that illness but you never took it, then you would remain ill. So also, if we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus, but never allow the Mercy that is given by that act to transform us, then we have missed the point. The Divine Mercy is the point of life. It’s the only thing worth seeking. It’s the only source of satisfaction and fulfillment. It’s the only cure for our ills. It’s the only source of true riches. In three short words: It Is Everything!


When Jesus says that our eternity will be spent contemplating His Mercy, He doesn’t only mean that this is something we will do after we die. True, the fullness of the revelation of His Mercy will be set before us when we enter into the Beatific Vision and contemplate God forever. But “eternity” includes today. It includes the here and now. Therefore, our contemplation of The Divine Mercy must be the single most important goal in our life today. When it is, everything else in life will fall into place in support of this goal.


In order to make the contemplation of The Divine Mercy the most important goal of your life, you must begin to understand it. That’s why we were given this special day, this most solemn Feast of Mercy. Therefore, use this day as an opportunity to deepen your contemplation of this Gift. Begin by reading about God’s Mercy as it was revealed to us through Saint Faustina. Try to spend time reading Jesus’ words, His explanations, descriptions and revelations about His Mercy. As you do, if you find that it remains incomprehensible, don’t worry. It is incomprehensible! However, since Jesus promised us that our eternity would be spent in contemplation of His Mercy, then we must believe that the more deeply we enter into that contemplation now, the more glorious our lives will become. If we can truly taste of this Mercy, gain a small glimpse of its grandeur, and comprehend even a small aspect of its meaning, then we will truly find much satisfaction in this endeavor.


Reflect, today, upon The Divine Mercy. As you do, humble yourself through prayer by admitting to God and to yourself that His Mercy is beyond what you will ever comprehend. Do this in prayer. Reading about God’s Mercy is important, but it will only be through prayer that we begin our contemplation. And it will only be through this contemplation that we will begin to live the central purpose of our lives.


Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 


FEEDER SYSTEMS


“A week later, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came.” —John 20:26


We have a Church full of doubting Thomases. As St. Thomas later became a great missionary and martyr, so these doubting Thomases today are called to renew the face of the earth in the power of the Holy Spirit (see Ps 104:30). However, they must first be transformed from having little faith to having strong faith.


We have a Church full of fearful disciples. These Christians acknowledge that Jesus is risen. However, because these disciples are locked in fear (see Jn 20:19), the doubting Thomases of the Church find it difficult to believe the fearful disciples. Fear feeds doubt, and doubt makes us more susceptible to fear, which makes our doubts worse, trapping us in greater fears and uncertainties.


Jesus broke this most vicious cycle by personally challenging Thomas’ doubts and leading Him to faith. When Thomas cried out: “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28), he prepared the way for the reception of the Holy Spirit by Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is not a spirit of fear but of faith (see 2 Tm 1:7). Thus, after fully receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples were fearless in leading others to faith, fearlessness, and greater faith. Fearlessness feeds faith.


Because you are alive, you are either in a cycle of fear and doubt or a cycle of fearlessness and faith. On this last day of the octave of Easter, come to the risen Jesus. He will put you in the cycle leading to eternal life.


Prayer:  Father, in Your mercy, challenge me to repent.


Promise:  “Who, then, is conqueror of the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” —1 Jn 5:5


Praise:  Praise be to You, Lord God! You are “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). Alleluia!


Reflection 3

Fr. Joan Ant. MATEO i García

(Tremp, Lleida, Spain)


“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them”


Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, we complete the octave of this liturgical season, one of the two octaves —together with Christmas— that remain in the liturgy renewed by the Vatican Council II. For eight days, we contemplate the same mystery and try to deepen our understanding of it in the light of the Holy Spirit.


By the design of Pope Saint John Paul II, this Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. It is something that goes far beyond a particular devotion. As explained by the Holy Father in his encyclical Dives in Misericordia, Divine Mercy is the loving manifestation of God in a history wounded by sin. In Latin “Misericordia” (which means “mercy”) comes from two words: “miser” (misery) and “cor, cordis” (heart). God puts our unhappy situation due to sin in His Father's heart, which is faithful to His plans. Jesus Christ, dead and risen, is the supreme manifestation and action of Divine Mercy. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (Jn 3:16) and sent Him to death so that we might be saved. "To redeem the slave, He sacrificed the Son," we proclaimed in the Easter Vigil. And once resurrected, He made Him a source of salvation for all who believe in Him. Through faith and conversion, we receive the treasure of Divine Mercy.


The Holy Mother Church, which wants her children to live the life of the Risen One, commands that we receive Holy Communion and do so in the grace of God —at least during the Easter season. Indeed, the Easter season is the opportune time for paschal fulfillment. It is a good time to confess our sins and to receive the forgiveness of our sins through the faculties that the risen Lord has conferred on his Church, when he said only to the Apostles: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them" (Jn 20:22-23). Thus, we will go to the sources of Divine Mercy. And let us not hesitate to bring our friends to these sources of life: the Eucharist and Penance. The risen Jesus counts on us.


Prayers 

Glorious Divine Mercy, pour down upon me; open my mind to Your depth and breadth. Help me to begin to contemplate You in Your fullness so that I can begin my eternity with You now. My loving Savior, You have revealed so much about Your Mercy. May I not only learn about this Gift but also receive it into my life. Jesus, I trust in You.


Prayer for Trust in The Divine Mercy of God


Most merciful Jesus,

I turn to You in my need.

You are worthy of my complete trust.

You are faithful in all things.

When my life is filled with confusion, give me clarity and faith.

When I am tempted to despair, fill my soul with hope.


Most merciful Jesus,

I trust You in all things.

I trust in Your perfect plan for my life.

I trust You when I cannot comprehend Your divine will.

I trust You when all feels lost.

Jesus, I trust You more than I trust myself.


Most merciful Jesus,

You are all-knowing.

Nothing is beyond Your sight.

You are all-loving.

Nothing in my life is beyond Your concern.

You are all-powerful.

Nothing is beyond Your grace.


Most merciful Jesus,

I trust in You,

I trust in You,

I trust in You.

May I trust You always and in all things.

May I daily surrender to Your Divine Mercy.


Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy,

Pray for us as we turn to you in our need.

Amen.


Lord Jesus Christ, through your victory over sin and death you have overcome all the powers of sin and darkness. Help me to draw near to you and to trust in your life-giving word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and strengthen my faith in your promises and my hope in the power of your resurrection.


Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy


Reflection 97: The “Excuse” of Our Weakness

If you were asked to build a rocket ship from scratch, you may object stating that you are not competent in this area and, therefore, cannot do what you are being asked to do.  We often have the same response to God regarding His Will.  We can easily feel as though we are being asked too much by our Lord, but this is foolish thinking since our Lord would never ask us to do that which He will not also provide the grace to accomplish (See Diary #435).


What is it that you feel unqualified to do?  Perhaps it’s a matter within your family, or an activity you are called to assist with at church.  Or perhaps our Lord has placed something on your heart that you avoid considering out of feelings of inadequacy.  But if we trust Jesus, we must trust that we will be able to fulfill His perfect Will in our lives.  We must trust that He would never call us to something beyond what we can accomplish through His grace.


Lord, I say “Yes” to you again this day.  I, once again, renew my commitment to fulfill Your holy Will.  May I never let worry or a lack of confidence keep me from fulfilling the holy mission You have given to me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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