Reflection for Second Sunday of Easter Solemnity Year A 2023

  On this Second Sunday of Easter we celebrate the truth of God’s mercy is everlasting, and our of celebration of that mercy is itself a perpetual gift to the Church of our Saint Pope John Paul II, who declared this Sunday as Divine Mercy Sunday.
           What is it that you fear the most? Do you fear your own death? Or is your fear a fear of pain? Do you fear the prospect of hell? Do you fear being insignificant? Whatever the fear is that each of us has, it is fear that keeps us from believing and acting on our belief. Fear is the greatest weapon evil has in the world. Fear paralyzed us and keeps us from living and believing.
             The disciples huddled together in the upper room fearing that their fate would be the same as that of Jesus. When Jesus appeared to them they feared him because they had abandoned him at the time of his greatest nee. We might presume that the first words to a room full of fearful people might be, ” Have courage!”the first words of Jesus were: “Peace be with you”. The appearance of Jesus and his first words told  the disciples that they no longer needed to live paralyzed by their fears. Immediately, Jesus sent them on mission into the world. He  didn’t give them a lecture about being afraid. He knew they seeing him and hearing his words of peace would give them the faith they needed to wipe out their fears and live lives of hope and charity.
             The first reading from the Acts today described in detail how those early disciples lived in hope and charity with their fears wiped away by their faith. It is amazing how simple it is to live in love and hope when our fears are removed. We who struggle to believe in the Lord based on the testimony and witness of our ancestors, also have the possibility of experiencing the peace that Jesus offered to the first disciples. Jesus promises, that we who have not seen and yet believe we truly blest.
        We must let Jesus cast away our fears like the disciples and Thomas did. We must let Jesus free us from the fears we have, knowing that alone we cannot over come those fears. We must the openly live our lives in hope based on Jesus’ promise of eternal life. We must reach out to others with charity knowing that our acts of love will be the best witness we can give to our faith in the Risen Lord – My Lord and my God!
May God bless you all
Fr. Dominic
Your brother in Christ