Reflection for the Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday

  There is something almost undeniable beautiful about sunrise and sunset. The soft play of red, orange, and yellow light yields for many, hope for the coming day and a sense of inner calm and gentleness as day fades into night. Last week we celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord in the early morning hours of Easter. Today our thoughts turn to Easter evening, as the Gospel calls us to take in and savor fully the events of that most sacred day.       John’s Gospel recounts the Lord’s visit to the disciples on the evening of His Resurrection. Even though He had been abandoned by them on Good Fr, the very first word Jesus utters to them is ” Peace ” His entire work of redemption, the scouring, all the bitter anguish he suffered, and his ultimate sacrifice on the cross are all summarized in this one purpose: To bring peace and reconciliation between God a fallen humanity. The peace that Christ won for us means that by his blood a new relationship is forged that opens a new life  for us, calling us to belong to Gods own family.After announcing peace to his disciples, Jesus does something we might find curious: He breathes  on them. When love is profound it is beyond words. God’s love is so deep that it is expressed by a sign or a breath. It was at creation that God breathed  into Adam and he became a living being . At the down of history, the breath of God endowed humankind with spiritual and physical life, and all that constitutes human dignity.        Now, on the evening of the Resurrection of Jesus, the breath of the Son of God gives the disciples new life, even better than the gift given to Adam in the garden. Jesus has conquered death, but He also established a new order of creation. As Jesus was dent forth from the Heavenly Father, now he commissions his disciples to become participants in God’s own work – to bring souls back to life through the gift of Reconciliation. In the Church, this gift has been passed on from the Apostles, to their successors the bishops, and to pries in an unbroken chain of succession. By it, the breath of God continues to give us new spiritual life, constantly remaking us as sons and daughters who have been redeemed and forgiven.      Jesus is with his Church yesterday, today, and forever. Through the gift of the Sacrament, the Risen Lord is with us still, and from the depths  of his mercy he continues to make us new creations. May we offer our lives to him, let his Divine Mercy forgives our sins, and with Thomas proclaim in his presence: ” My Lord, and my God ”      So, through this  Divine Mercy Sunday, let us pray together:” For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world ”        May God bless you all!        Fr. Dominic         Your brother in Christ