Second Sunday (Divine Mercy), Year B

Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)

·         Acts 2:42-47;

·          1 Pet 1:3-9.

·         John 20:19-31

The second Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as Low Sunday, and recently it has also been declared the Divine Mercy Sunday. The death of Jesus smashed the hopes of His disciples. Thomas likely was the worst affected: he was wounded and his mind was darkened by doubt and broken with grief. This explains why when at last the other disciples re-grouped, Thomas was nowhere to be found. When they found him they told him that Christ had risen. But he doubted the resurrection of Christ; and insisted on seeing the risen Christ and touching his wounds in order to believe. 

Many of us Christians are like Thomas. They have doubts, questions, and their demands for proof. Some would even say, “How can I believe that God loves me when I am suffering, sick and hungry?”  They are like the Pharisees who persisted in their unbelief even when there were so many signs for them to see. But Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe ( Jn 20:29). Thus to go to church every Sunday because others are going is not to have faith. But to live in companionship with God and neighbor is the ideal thing. St. James asks, “What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have good works. Can that faith save him? (Jas 2:14). Good works are done to neighbors – the community of God for the sake of God.

Thus, our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles exemplifies an ideal faith community. The early followers of Jesus supported one another by praying and worshipping together; and by rendering selfless and loving service to one another. In this wise, in the second reading St. Peter tells that faith in the resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our hope and eternal life. This hope enables us to bear patiently our trials and tribulations in life. By rejoining the rest of the apostles, Thomas did a noble act indeed.  Notably, as he rejoined his faith community, he re-encountered Jesus. And when he touched the wounds of the risen Christ his doubt turned into faith. Thomas’ drama underscores one very important truth: Before a car can start the main motor has to be put in motion.

No doubt, most Christians, like Thomas, have an idealized picture of Jesus. When our idealized picture of Jesus does not manifest itself we begin to doubt. But from Thomas we learn that by rejoining the faith community (the church), we re-encounter Christ; resolve our doubts and sustain our faith. Importantly, to his credit, Thomas is the first to proclaim the divinity of Jesus: “My Lord and my God,” (Jn 20:28).

Today’s bible readings also fit into the theme of Divine Mercy.” It is the Spirit of the Lord that enables the early Christian community of the 1st reading, to abandon their egos and selfishness and live, pray together, and share meals together, be forgiving to one another and be generous to one another as Christ had taught them. With all the homilies we have preached and heard, with all the sacraments we have celebrated, with all the catechism and bible classes we have taught and attended since our baptism, how many of us today are willing to share our bread and possession with the poor, which has remained the center- piece of Pope Francis’ ministry? This is Divine Mercy. How many are willing to bear witness to the Divine Mercy?

The entire event of Christ, his life, dead and resurrection is an event of Divine Mercy. Peter in the 2nd reading also captures this so well, when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefined, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:3-9). God’s mercy, from the beginning to the end; from creation to the resurrection, is the source of our salvation. What can we do without the mercy of God through the Christ of Easter?

Today’s Gospel from John is a teaching Gospel. It intensifies this mercy of God in action. Christ mercifully appears to the disillusioned Apostles for the first time after his resurrection. He encourages them. He brings them peace and joy and wishes them well. He breathed his spirit of mercy, love, kindness and compassion on them saying, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”  In other words, inviting them to bear witness to Divine Mercy, He further sets an example by forgiving the doubting Thomas of his unbelief, doubts and skepticism, and reminds us that none of our weaknesses, doubts, frailties, and faithlessness are too difficult for God to forgive- provided we are willing to say like Thomas “My Lord and my God.” He also reminds us that none of our neighbors’, spouses’ , friends’ weaknesses is too difficult to forgive provided we allow the Spirit of the Lord to dwell in us, to work in us, to take effect in us.

Today’s celebration challenges us to listen to Pope Francis. It challenges us share our bread, possessions with our neighbors. It challenges us not to be too harsh even on ourselves. It challenges us to appreciate the sacrament of penance. It challenges us to bear witness to the divine mercy. To love one another. To show mercy, spiritually and corporally to those we encounter each day, especially the poor, the needy and those in prisons.

Divine mercy should challenge us to be merciful to one another just as our heavenly Father is merciful to each of us (Luke 6:36). Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us also that God will be merciful to those who are merciful (Matt. 5:7). The apostle James (2:13) expand more on this teaching when he writes that judgement will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgement.

One of the key sicknesses of our world is the lack of mercy starting from our families. Little things degenerate into huge fights fought with deep bitterness and resentment. Mercy has gone on vacation in most families with people barely managing and tolerating themselves instead of celebration one another. Communities are divided into various factions and Nations are in turmoil because people are deficient of the milk of kindness and mercy.

We are encouraged to look forward to and pray for divine mercy. God loves us more and attends to us when we come to Him asking mercy. David was not shy to say: “ Have mercy on me oh God in your compassion” (Psalm 51:1). The blind man Bartimaeus shouted it: “Jesus Son of David have mercy on me” (Mark 10: 47).  Today, we are also challenged to become channels of mercy for everyone we meet in the journey of life; especially those who hurt us. The deeper the hurt the greater the flow of mercy. As we celebrate God’s divine mercy, let us continue to expand the borders of mercy wherever we go; today God is giving you a new name: Mercy.

Easter Sunday, Year B

Easter Sunday Year B

Acts 10:34, 38-42

Colossians 3:1-4

John 20:1-18

Today, the psalmist rightly stated: “This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it”, (Psalm 118:24). We rejoice in Christ’s resurrection, the good news, the highest point of our Christian faith, as planned by God! Can you imagine what our Christian faith would be without the resurrection, without Easter day; without this day of hope, without this day of glory? Easter day, today, is the “Feast of Feasts” a “Solemnity of Solemnities.” It is a day that death has not only been annulled but defeated. By his Resurrection Christ guarantees us eternal life. He guarantees us that the Tomb will never be our final destination nor that of our loved ones.  Faith in what we celebrate today, Christ’s resurrection, transforms us from darkness to light and from the feeling of despair to hope. It brings us newness of life.

Of course, the mixed events of Palm Sunday and of the Stations of the Cross of Good Friday, humanly speaking, would have been thought of as a defeat, but divinely speaking the Resurrection is a victory which repairs. This seeming defeat of Good Friday! The passion seems definately humiliating, but the Resurrection glorifies. It is a victorious combat divinely directed, since the tomb was never going to be Christ’s final destination.

Why do we rejoice today? We rejoice because our faith in Christ has been vindicated, truth has triumphed over falsity, justice over injustice and tragedy has turned into comedy.

The story of the suffering and death of Jesus on Good Friday is the story of the triumph of falsity over truth, of injustice over justice, of evil over goodness. Jesus was falsely charged of crimes he did not commit, and unjustly sentenced to a death he did not deserve. His good friends betrayed him, his trusted companions deserted him and his number one man denied him. The people he loved demanded his crucifixion and chose to have the bandit Barabbas released in his place. It is a story of betrayal and lies, dishonesty and meanness, unfaithfulness and wicked violence directed against an innocent and apparently helpless victim. All this comes to a head on Good Friday when Jesus was scourged, mocked, led on the death march, nailed to the cross where he died after a few hours and hastily buried in a tomb. If that were the end of the story that would be a bad story, a tragedy. But glory be to God it is not.

Death is not the end of the story. There is one more chapter. This is the most important chapter because, as the saying goes, they who laugh last laugh best. And in the last chapter of the story of Jesus we see him rise from the dead in all glory and majesty. He is vindicated. His enemies are shamed and confused. Jesus regains his eternal glory with the Father. He is the Lord who will prevail over all humankind, his enemies included. For us his embattled followers this is good news.

It is good news to know that truth is immortal. We can suppress Truth, accuse it of being a lie, condemn it, torture it, kill it, bury it in the grave but on the third day Truth will rise again. Remember this and do not give up on Truth even when everybody seems to give up on it. Do not give up on Truth; do not give up on Justice. Do not give up on doing what is right. True will always be true. Just will always be just. Right will always be right even when the world around us would have it otherwise. We must learn to believe in the sun even when it is not shining, knowing that by and by it will shine again. It is the end of the story that counts. That is why the church asks us today to rejoice and be glad. Even when we are going through very difficult times: through betrayal, unjust discrimination, lies, misrepresentations; even when the enemy seems to be winning the battle in our lives. Today Christ has won. And we know that in Christ we shall overcome.

Commenting on how quickly Christ’s resurrection was, Saint Leo the Great said in his Sermon (71.2), “That Jesus hastened to rise as soon as possible because He was in a hurry to console His mother and the disciples.” The resurrection of Christ consoles us of the temporary sadness of the Good Friday!

In the 1st reading (Acts10:34, 37-43) St. Luke documents on Peter’s personal life encounter with the Jesus of Nazareth. Born of Mary, baptized by John the Baptist, commissioned and anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach, heal, liberate the poor and the needy, visit those in prison and the down trodden. A similar, account is heard in Luke 4, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sights to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor ( Luke 4:18-19). In spite of Christ’s goodness and selflessness, they put Christ to death on the tree, as we witnessed on Good Friday. But on the 3rd day, “today” Peter says, God raised him from the dead.

Besides Peter, Saint Paul in his various preaching ministries bore witness to the resurrection of Christ. In 1 Corinthian 15:3-8  Paul reliably says, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried …raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…appeared to Cephas, then the Twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive … Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all … he also appeared to me.”

In today’s 2nd readings (Colossians or 1 Corinthians) Paul continues to speak of the resurrection of Christ metaphorically, in a coated language. For Paul (Colossian 3:1-4) the risen Christ is already at the right hand of his Father, waiting for us, who are invited to constantly seek things that “are above”: holiness of life, those virtues, hope, faith and love.

What is the significance of being at the “right hand side?” “Right hand side” in ancient days, represent a pre-eminent place, an important position. The resurrection of Christ, puts us in a better position of joy, hope and union with the Lord.  It has a transforming impact. The resurrection of Christ, Paul says,  is  like clearing the sorrow of the old yeast, old malice, old habits, especially the bad ones,  and making room for the joy of the new yeast, the newness of life ( 1 Cor 5:6b-8). The resurrection of Christ brings us out of the tombs of sadness, selfishness, corruption into life of justice and generosity. It brings us out of the tombs of malice, grudges into a new life of friendliness and forgiveness. Through his resurrection God is calling us out of the tombs of war, violence, terrorism into a new life of dialogue and peace! He is calling us out of the tomb of indifference into a new life of reaching out and actively caring for one another, especially the poor, the aged and the voiceless.

The resurrection of Christ transforms us as it did Mary Magdalene and the disciples of Christ who first encountered the empty tomb (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20-21).  John’s Gospel specifically states how Mary Magdalene first got to the tomb very early in the morning, out of love and care for Christ. When she found the stone removed from the tomb she ran back to inform Peter, John and other disciples. They all came witnessing the empty tomb and the burial cloths rolled up in a separate place. Christ has been raised! They became a different people, a transformed people.

Though transformed, each of these witnesses to Christ’s resurrection reacted differently in the first place.  Mary ran back with amazement to inform others. Peter and his fellow disciples hurried with Mary to the tomb, and believed Mary’s testimony! Paul, on the other hand, preached this testimony throughout his ministry. Common among these witnesses, is a change, a reaction, a transformation, from one point to another, from unbelief to belief, from lack of understanding to understanding!  Scripture says, they now understood, that Christ “had to be raised from the dead.”

For us today, how do we react to this joyful event? I think we need to be joyful, hopeful, faithful, and truthful in sharing Christ with our neighbors– that God has not abandoned us even in the face of terrorism currently experienced in in our State and in different parts of the world.

It will be useless for us to shout “Alleluia!” without knowing and appreciating what God did for us through His Son. It will be an absurd acclamation if we do not realize how far our Lord Jesus Christ went for our sake and for our salvation. The celebration will be preposterous if we do not pay attention to the details of the resurrection that brought about our salvation.

May the Ressurection of Christ bring us change in how we see the Good Friday; how we handle sufferings, illnesses, failures and life challenges. May it strengthen us in our baptismal promises to denounce sins, selfishness, violence, terrorism, bokoharamism, isisism, for Peace. And may the transforming joy, blessings and newness of the Risen Lord reach to our homes, schools, factories, offices, towns, counties, villages, nations and work places as we celebrate the joy of Easter!

Mass of the Easter Vigil

Homily, Mass of the Easter Vigil Year B

Readings:(1) Gen1:1–2:2;

Ps 104:1-2,5-6,10-14,24,35or Ps 33:4-7,12-13,20-22;

                    (2) Gen 22:1-18;

Ps 16:5,8,9-11

                     (3) Exod 14:15–15:1;

Ps Exod 15:1-6,17-18;

                     (4) Isa 54:5-14;

Ps 30:2,4-6,11-13;

                      (5) Isa55:1-11;

Ps 12:2-3,4-6;

                      (6) Bar 3:9-15,32–4:4;

Ps 19:8-11;

                     (7) Ezek 36:16-17a, 18-28;

[b] Isa 12:2-3,4bcd,5-6

[c]Ps 51:12-13,14-15,18-19;

                      (8) Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2,16-17,22-23;

Mark 16:1-7;

Holy Saturday is the third day of the Paschal Triduum by which we reach the high point of the liturgical year. We have been preparing for this great event for 40 days with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. All these were intended to break us from our worldly attachments and help us focus on the most important things in our life – things that will nourish our relationship with the Lord and with one another. Unless we let go of our selfish desires, we will never experience the tremendous power of God over us.

The celebration of the night is divided into 4 parts of beautiful and meaningful celebrations. Part one celebrates Christ, as the light of the world, which we started with the blessing of the lights, crossing the Paschal Candle with the Greek Letter- Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the end, and who by his glorious wounds on the cross guards and protects us, our children, parents, friends, homes and nations. Processing into the church in darkness we ended part one with the singing of that joyful song of “Exultet,” basically putting our salvation history into a joyful music!

 Part two, builds on the theme of Exultet. It is that patient reading, praying the Psalms and listening to the Word of God, who is Christ himself. Traditionally, about nine readings are provided from the Bible; 7 from the OT, and 2 from NT including Paul’s Letter to the Romans 6:3-11. In part three, we are reminded of the meaning of newness in Christ, our baptismal liturgy and promises, dying and rising with Christ at Easter. In part 4, everyone, including the new members, are welcome to the table of the Eucharist, in gratitude for what God has done for us.

If Sunday is the high point of the week, the Solemnity of Easter is the high point of the liturgical year. Although Holy Saturday is marked by the commemoration of the entombed Jesus and therefore many of us spend this day in silence, rest and recollection today is not the time of sadness and gloom. This evening, Easter Vigil, is the mother of all vigils in the Church. Our presence here tonight is a reminder also of the vigil that the Blessed Virgin Mary and the disciples of Jesus must have kept after He was suddenly taken away from this world.

Easter Vigil is the Mother of all vigils because tonight is the most important night for the Christians. We are, as if, waiting to witness the most important event in our Christian life, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So this night should be characterized with joy and gladness. Originally, Easter Vigil seems to have occupied the entire day and lasted until early morning so that on Easter day no additional liturgy was celebrated; only later on a special Eucharistic celebration was held on the day itself. Therefore, we must distinguish between two separate but intimately connected liturgical celebrations: The Easter Vigil during the night and the Mass on Easter Sunday.

In a world filled with darkness, we are called to bring the Good News of hope to our society today. Easter is a celebration of hope. We are called to be a people of the Resurrection. As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we are called to be strong and not anymore be defeated by humanity’s selfishness and greed. We must breathe life into our seemingly hopeless world. We are also called to enhance and nurture all of creation so as to serve the needs of all.  

As the events unfolded during the Holy week, one can readily see the human weaknesses that men suffer from…when on Palm Sunday Jerusalem welcomed Jesus in victory as a Messianic Hero; and everyone wanted to be part of and participate in that victory which is clearly what is expected of human beings.  However, four days later, after our Lord’s capture, the shouts of the mob was “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” Here we validate the saying that “Victory has many fathers,” and defeat (failure) is an orphan.” 

The orchestrated events by the enemies of our Lord were motivated undoubtedly by the greed for power, privilege and gold. So it is not strange that today we see some of those who wield temporal power, do acts and make judgments that are reminiscent of what the Jewish leaders did over two thousand years ago. After all we are merely imperfect human beings who at times succumb to the temptation of committing sins. We hope and pray for the redemption of humanity and the forgiveness of our sins!

Easter is not only concerned with recalling the resurrection of Jesus or its impact on the first disciples but also with the meaning of this event for our own lives and for our faith. The celebration of Easter is a call for us to change – and perhaps change radically – as Jesus’ own disciples changed. The sign that we are truly sharing in the risen life of Jesus is that our lives become good news to other people. We not only believe, we not only proclaim, but we also do what we believe and do what we proclaim.

Easter reminds us that we have the same mission of evangelization as Peter and Mary Magdalene and the other disciples of Jesus. Their transformed lives clearly tell us what evangelization is all about: It is not just the handing on of doctrines but the sharing with others our experience of having seen the Lord in our lives and inviting them to have the same experience.

In the creation account of the 1st reading and the Psalms, we see a God of goodness, universalism, orderliness, love, the sovereign of all creation, plants, the seas, lights, lands, mountains, animals and human, male and female in his own image of love and kindness, mercy and forgives, joy, patience an charity(Gen1:1–2:2). The 2nd reading reminds us of the calling and the faith, the sacrifice of Abraham, especially the unconditional and loving covenant of blessings that God entered with him, after the fall of our first parents, the rivalries of Cain and Abel, and the tower of babel which ended with the flood of Noah. Even when he had his own trials, including long period of childlessness, when Isaac finally came, Abraham was willing to give back to the Lord, what the Lord had given him, in the first place.

Our lives belong to God. God is our inheritance, as the Psalmist would put it (Psalm 16). He watches over our going and coming, which is evident in the 3rd reading from the Book of Exodus (Exod 14:15–15:1). The enslaved and exiled Israelites, marched through the dry, land. They witnessed God’s miraculous liberation, through the Angel of the Lord with the instrumentality of the Moses, a great prophet and a strong leader.

 While in exile in Babylon as a result of sin, God did abandon his people, the covenant he established his people, especially those who called upon his name. In the 4th reading Isaiah 54:5-14, God the reading comforts and pities his people. He promised them an everlasting new covenant in the 5th reading, Isaiah 55:1-11. And the 6th reading, Baruch, a friend of Jeremiah, insists on God’s blessing and freedom to Israel if they do not worship other gods, or give their glory to others, rather than to their Maker, the God of Israel. Also while in exile, Ezekiel like Jeremiah and Baruch promises Israel a new heart and a new spirit of joy, strength and rebuilding of that which was once destroyed, killed: the temple, and even their faith.

What these scriptural passages, and Israel’s prophets foretold has been fulfilled in Christ’s events, his paschal mysteries, particularly in his resurrection which we all witness tonight, just as Saint Paul  had witnessed in Roman 6:3-11

Christian baptism, 3rd part of this liturgy, symbolizes our death, burial and rising with Christ! At baptism we renounce our “old selves,” sins, Satan, darkness, becomes followers of Christ, members of the church, God’s children and live in newness of life.  We also let go many things, especially bad habits, and grow into union and friendship with Christ. Speaking of this union Paul says, “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” In other words, those faithful witnesses which we bore to Christ Passion during the past Holy Week, the sacrifices we made, those penances, the Stations of the Cross we walked, the suffering we accepted patiently have resulted in our faithful witnesses to the joy of Christ’s resurrection tonight.

Like those women, on the first day of the week in today’s Gospel (Mark 16:1-7) we are witnessing tonight, this day, the joy and the glory of the empty tomb; the hope and life that the Risen Lord brings! We are witnessing young man sitting on the right side of the entrance of the tomb, clothed in white robe. The place where Jesus was laid is empty. The sign of the empty tomb is a sign of a new presence to which the Disciples of Christ must joyfully bear witness.

There are many things and "darknesses" we can shake off in our lives, in the spirit of Easter. These could be voting out corrupt government in our nations. Those that are not serving the interest of the people and disrespect the dignity of the human persons. Cutting off bad habits, denouncing selfishness, terrorism, laziness, bokoharamism, ISISism, war mongering, violent, faithlessness, sorrows, despair and sadness. May the transforming joy, divine blessings, and spiritual newness, of the Risen Lord reach our homes, schools, factories, offices, towns, villages, nations and places of work!