On this Second Sunday of Easter, we observe what is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. This celebration is based on a private revelation made by Jesus to St. Faustina in 1931 stressing the forgiveness and mercy of our Lord and Savior. In 2000 Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina and declared this day as a remembrance of her vision.
Like last week and for the next several weeks we will take a look at the Gospel and First Reading, and the relationship between the two, in a manner which is out of sequence, looking first at the passage from the Gospel and second at the passage from Acts, as this is the order that they would have occurred chronologically in the lives of the disciples.
The scene for today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31) takes place on the evening of the first day of the week (Easter Sunday) in a room where the disciples are hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. At this point in John we know that they have already discovered the empty tomb and heard the report of Mary Magdalene that she has seen the risen Jesus. But they are not yet sure what to make of all this.
Imagine the turmoil of emotions which must have been taking place among the disciples in that room. First and foremost, it would have been the grief, sadness, and loss that we have all experienced at the death of a loved. This alone would have been very devastating, but they are also very scared about possible recrimination from the Jewish authorities and uncertain as to what they should do next. The one they believed to be the Messiah is now gone and they have no one to instruct them or give them direction.
There also would have been a component of guilt. Other than the beloved disciple, they had all abandoned Jesus when he needed them the most. And even Peter, instead of coming to the defense of Jesus, acted the part of a coward and denied that he knew him at all. Added to all of this is the confusion and perplexity of the empty tomb and Mary’s vision of Jesus. Surely, they must have doubted the report of this woman, or at least attributed it to an incident of her seeing a ghost.
The atmosphere would have been anything but serene and then Jesus appears and stands before them. Their first thoughts must have been that they were seeing a spirit there to rebuke them or seek retaliation. This certainly was not going to be a friendly encounter; little did they expect to hear Jesus say, “Peace be with you.” Instead of reproach, Jesus offers them love and forgiveness: Divine Mercy.
Jesus also does two more things which are particularly important to the establishment of our faith and our Church. First, he gives them physical proof of his bodily resurrection showing that he is more than just a spiritual presence. Appearing a week later he performs the last of the signs of John’s Gospel by letting “Doubting Thomas” examine his wounds and physically touch him.
Also we are told, “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.’” (John 20:22-23). Through the gift of the Spirit, the disciples, the followers of Jesus, have now become his apostles, the messengers of his love and reconciliation: Divine Mercy.
In the Book of Acts, Luke portrays the Holy Spirit as being received by the disciples on the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. This is where the First Reading (Acts 2:42-47) for today picks up the action.
After the events of Pentecost, we are given a view of what they early Church might have been like: “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-43, 46b-47).
This new community depicts the peaceful serenity of what we would expect of the now inaugurated Kingdom of God established through Jesus. It is what St. Paul describes in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not [just] a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit.” Divine Mercy.
In line with Apostolic Tradition, our Church today retains and spreads through missionary activity the makings of the Kingdom of God. As instruments of the Holy Spirt, where there is hatred, we bring love; where there is injury, we bring pardon; where there is doubt, we bring faith; where there is despair, we bring hope; where there is darkness, we bring light; and where there is sadness, we bring joy. (The Prayer of St. Francis).
For the peace and joy offered to the disciples by Jesus on the first day of the week is about much more than reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins. It is the revelation given to St. Faustina of a life lived in community with the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Divine Mercy.
