Peace and Mercy

04-16-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday instituted by Saint John Paul II in the year 2000. On the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday, he said, “there is nothing that man needs more than Divine mercy. Apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind.” Today, our world needs God’s mercy more than anything else. We need God’s mercy as the world battles with all kinds of political crisis, injustice especially in the war going on in Ukraine. We pray for the Mercy of God to come down like rain from heaven to bring an end to this war and many other countries where there are crises. We pray for God’s mercy on many families who have lost their loved ones in this war in Ukraine. Many people have been displaced and forced to leave their home; we pray that the mercy of God would bring consolation to them. We cannot forget the military who have been over stretched as result of this war that they may be encouraged.

The first reading, according to John Bergsma, “gives us an account of the four necessary habits of the Christian life. They are devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to communal life, to the breaking of the bread and prayer.” Therefore, as Resurrected Christians, these four habits should guide our lives in our Christian journey. It is important to state that every Christian should devote some time in studying the apostles’ teaching that faithfully transmit the faith handed down from the Apostles. It may involve reading the Bible, the life of the Saints, Catechism of the Church, or some other books of the early spiritual writers. Breaking of Bread is what we do every day, especially on Sunday the day of the Lord’s resurrection, and this is done in communal form and that is the reason it is important to be present in the Mass physically with other members of the community and not virtually. Finally, no Christian can do without the life of prayer.

Today’s gospel reading is the same read every second Sunday of Easter irrespective of the year A, B or C. This is because of the significance of the content of the passage. Peace is the first gift of Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. “Peace be with you”, He said to them. The most amazing thing is that the last time Jesus saw His apostles was when they abandoned Him and ran away. He comes now and offers them His mercy even though they rejected Him when He needed them most. It is a gift, and a blessing Jesus gives to each of us today as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus wants each of us to be an agent of mercy and peace.

There is an amazing message from today’s liturgy in the encounter between Jesus and Thomas the Apostle. When he was told by the other apostles that Jesus had risen from the dead and that He had appeared to them he refused to believe and said “unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” When finally, Jesus appeared again and told him to bring his hand and put it in His side, Thomas then answered and said, “My Lord and My God.” Let us not doubt the power of God in our lives. Let us believe that Jesus has Risen from the dead and He lives among us, and He is always very close and near us. Let us from today cast away the Spirit of doubt that makes us lose faith in God and have total faith and trust in the power of the Risen Christ. My prayer for you today is that the gift of peace Jesus gives us at His resurrection will remain in your families so that your families will be a home where peace dwells always.

Amen.

Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.