SUNDAY APRIL 7, 2024
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER B
(DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY)
Act 4:32-35
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31
A CALL TO A LIFE OF WITNESSING
The Christian faith overcomes the world through the resurrection of Christ. But this Christian faith is not fulfilling until it finds itself expressing such faith in actual life situation to the extent that people begin to see the love, togetherness and mercy of God being expressed and lived out.
The readings of today point to the life of the early Christians after the resurrection of Christ. What was it like and how does Jesus wants his disciples and apostles to be?
In the gospel of today, we are shown the life of the disciples of Jesus. Here they were found hiding in a room, full of fears, anxiety and worries. They had their doors and windows locked and they sneak in and out of the house for fear of the Jews whom they think that they were after them. These disciples displayed serious timidity, fearfulness and lukewarmness.
It was in this situation that Jesus appeared to them and energized them to be strong, to live above fear, to be bold and become ambassadors of reconciliation and disciples on mission on earth. The scripture describes their encounter with Jesus as one of breathing the Holy Spirit upon them and charging them with the mandate to go and preach reconciliation and to forgive sins of those who believe and retain sins of those who fail to believe.
Jesus therefore commissions his disciples to the journey and mission he had intended for them when he called them. Even the weak among them, the doubtful among them represented by Thomas was not left out of the mission and life. That Thomas was not present at the initial time or first time that Jesus came was not a problem for Jesus. He appear again to them and addressed Thomas who exhibited doubts, resentment and unbelief when he was told that Jesus was risen. He instructed him never to doubt but to go believing that he has risen.
That obstacles in our faith and conviction must never be our setback in the mission of proclaiming reconciliation and carrying out the mission of Christ. So coming back for Thomas and directly addressing Thomas’s problem was an indication of the urgency, importance and seriousness of the mission and the need to be very much convinced of what we are called to proclaim and do for the salvation of the world.
The mission is one of high value and great premium. It is a mission of salvation for humanity. And it is one entire mission of Christ. It is geared towards reconciliation of people with God. Whatever sin you forgive they are forgiven and what ever sin you retain they are retained. It means therefore that Jesus calls the apostles and send them out to be the bridge between God and man. To remove any obstacle that hinders mankind returning to God and being in one heart and mind with God. It means preaching repentance and reconciliation with God.
The mission begins with the disciples and the apostles themselves. The first reading describes their lives together. That they were reconciled in themselves is testified by their living together and sharing their lives together. No one was in want of anything. They lived in close union with each other. They sold their property and presented the proceeds to the heads of the people who distributed and everyone was satisfied. They were witnesses of reconciliation and lived with one heart and one mind.
That is the greatest testimony and witnessing that they could give as disciples of Christ.
But this testimony embodies with it the most important virtue of compassion and mercy shown by all. They accommodated all, they looked for each other’s interests, they were compassionate to their needs and help others out of their worries.
Today, we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday. Mercy is one of the most essential element of human compassion. It’s divine nature is more an imitation of the mercy shown us human being by Christ Jesus. The nature of divine mercy is such that it comes from Jesus himself and shown in its unconditional love and affection towards man and in his sinful condition. It was Saint Paul who puts it well in his letter to the Philippians, that though he was God, Jesus did not count his equality with God but emptied himself and assume the nature of a slave and submitted to death, death on a cross.
Divine mercy calls us therefore to reflect on the mercy that we have been granted in Christ Jesus by his death and resurrection. And it is one that we must emulate and show in our lives to people around us. We are ambassador of divine mercy and not just beneficiaries of divine mercy.
Practically, we are called to carry with us the problems of people, help them in their situation and bear their burdens, lift them out of misery and suffering, offering them comfort, peace and affection of love and compassion even when we are hurt, inflicted with pains and suffering.
Divine mercy is the most intimate way God showed us love and compassion and it is the most intimate way to bear true witness and testify to the goodness and kindness of God in our lives.
God our Father, as we celebrate the feast of divine mercy, you unconditional love and compassion over us, increase in us your grace, to understand in what font we have been washed, by whose spirit we were reborn and by whose blood we were redeemed such that we may reciprocate same to others through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
