SACRAMENT OF RECONCILLIATION
SATURDAY 3:30PM – 4:30PM ENGLISH
SUNDAY 3:30PM – 4:30PM SPANISH
OR BY APPOINTMENT
SUNDAY REFLECTION
In 1931, a young Polish nun named Faustina Kowalska saw Jesus appear with rays of mercy emanating from his heart. He asked that an image of his divine mercy be venerated on the Sunday after Easter Sunday, which had long been associated with the final day of the Octave of Easter. On April 28, 1935—nearly exactly ninety years ago— Divine Mercy Sunday was celebrated for the first time with a completed painting of her vision of the merciful Lord. In 2000, Saint John Paul II decreed that this feast be made official worldwide.
WHERE TO SEEK THE ONE WHO LIVES?
Faith in Jesus, raised by the Father, didn’t spring up easily or spontaneously within the hearts of the disciples. Before their meeting with him, now full of new life, the Gospel writers talk about their confusion, their search around the tomb, their questions and uncertainties. Mary of Magdala is the best prototype of what probably happens to all of them. According to John’s story, she seeks the crucified in the shadows, “when it was still dark.” Naturally she seeks him “in the grave.” She still doesn’t know that death has been conquered. That’s why the emptiness of the tomb leaves her upset. Without Jesus, she feels lost.
The other Gospel writers gather a different tradition that describes a search by the whole group of women. They can’t forget the Master who has welcomed them as disciples: their love brings them to the tomb. They don’t find Jesus there, but hear the message that points out to them where they need to direct their search: “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He isn’t here. He has risen.”
Faith in the risen Christ isn’t born spontaneously in us either today, just because we have listened from childhood to catechists and preachers. In order to open us to faith in Jesus’ resurrection, we need to make our own way. It’s decisive to not forget Jesus, to love him passionately and to seek him with all our energies, but not in the world of the dead. The one who lives must be sought where real life is.
If we want to meet the risen Christ, full of life and creative energy, we need to seek him, not in a dead religion, one that is reduced to fulfilling and observing external laws and norms, but there where people live according to Jesus’ Spirit, where people are welcomed with faith, love and responsibility for Jesus’ followers.
We need to seek him, not among people who are divided and engaged in sterile battles, empty of Jesus’ love and of Gospel passion, but there where we go about building communities that put Christ in their center because they know that “where two or three gather in his name, there he will be also.”
We won’t meet the one who lives in a faith that is stuck in routine, wasted in every kind of topic and formula separate from experience, but in a faith that seeks a new quality in our relationship with him and in our identification with his project. A Jesus who is obscure and inert, who doesn’t fall in love or seduce, who doesn’t touch hearts or spread freedom, is a “dead Jesus.” He isn’t the living Christ, risen by the Father, the one who lives and who gives life.
We won’t meet the one who lives in a faith that is stuck in routine, wasted in every kind of topic and formula separate from experience, but in a faith that seeks a new quality in our relationship with him and in our identification with his project. A Jesus who is obscure and inert, who doesn’t fall in love or seduce, who doesn’t touch hearts or spread freedom, is a “dead Jesus.” He isn’t the living Christ, risen by the Father, the one who lives and who gives life.
RISING WITH HIM TOA NEW LIFE
Jewish tradition tells of a rabbi who gathered his students together very early in the morning while it was still dark, and asked them this question: ‘How can you tell when the night has ended, and the day has begun?’ One student answered: ‘Maybe it’s when you see an animal and you can distinguish if it’s a sheep or a dog.’ ‘No,’ the rabbi said. A second student answered: ‘Maybe it’s when you are looking at a tree in the distance and you can tell whether it’s a fig tree or a peach tree.’ ‘No,’ said the rabbi. After a few more guesses the students demanded the answer. The rabbi replied: ‘It’s when you look on the face of any woman or man and see that she is your sister, and he is your brother. If you cannot do this, no matter what time it is, it is still night.’
In St John’s account, the Easter story begins very early in the morning of the first day of the week while it is ‘still dark ‘. In one of his letters, th
e same writer insists that ‘the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining ‘. But this is strictly on one condition, which he spells out clearly: ‘Whoever loves his brothers and sisters,’ John says, lives in the light.’ On the other hand, whoever prefers to hate . . . is in the darkness.’ (1 Jn 2:8-11).
Just two days ago, as we remembered the sufferings and death of the most marvelous human being the world has ever known, we came face to face with the dark side of human nature, the darkness that led the enemies of Jesus to torture, humiliate, and finally murder him on a cross. On that black day in Jerusalem, the capacity of human beings to hate, hurt and harm one another went completely out of control. It’s no wonder, then, that ‘darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon‘, that ‘the sun’s light failed”, and that ‘the curtain of the temple was torn in two‘(Lk 23:24).
Just two days ago, as we remembered the sufferings and death of the most marvelous human being the world has ever known, we came face to face with the dark side of human nature, the darkness that led the enemies of Jesus to torture, humiliate, and finally murder him on a cross. On that black day in Jerusalem, the capacity of human beings to hate, hurt and harm one another went completely out of control. It’s no wonder, then, that ‘darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon‘, that ‘the sun’s light failed”, and that ‘the curtain of the temple was torn in two‘(Lk 23:24).
Between light and darkness, between good and evil, one mighty struggle is still going on. It’s going on in the physical cosmos, in human societies, and within our own personalities. Although the darkness often appears to be stronger than the light, it has not yet triumphed. The light is remarkably resilient. Often in danger of being extinguished, it manages to survive, and even to win many victories. The words of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern India, still ring as true as when he spoke them seventy years ago: ‘When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but, in the end, they always fall.’ The words of the Easter Vigil liturgy express the same truth in an equally appealing way: ‘The power of this holy [Easter] night,’ it proclaims, ‘dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners’ joy. It casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.’ Our celebration of Easter reminds us that the darkness of evil and hatred will never have the last say. For the resurrection of Jesus proclaims the ultimate triumph of light over darkness and goodness over evil, both in us and in our world.
Jesus was buried at sunset, as darkness was once again creeping over the earth, to all appearances a victim and a failure. But on the third day afterwards the sun came up on him victorious and triumphant, alive, powerful and influential. Once again, ‘the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (Jn 1:9)
So, we celebrate his resurrection today by rising from darkness and death ourselves. The Risen Lord himself, represented here by this beautiful Easter candle burning in our midst, is asking us to leave behind the works of darkness, to renounce and reject anything and everything in our lives which is dark, sinister and evil, and as persons connected to him by baptism, to ‘walk always as children of the light ‘, following in his footsteps.
So, we are now invited to renew our baptismal promises. Reject darkness, evil and sin in every shape and form. And promise to follow Jesus Christ from now on, in a life of light, goodness and love, a life shaped by his own powerful example, a life supported and guided by the Holy Spirit, whom he first gave us at baptism and whom he gives us again right now. So together, dear People of God, let us renew our baptismal promises, and renew them as loudly, clearly, joyfully and enthusiastically as we possibly can.
So, we are now invited to renew our baptismal promises. Reject darkness, evil and sin in every shape and form. And promise to follow Jesus Christ from now on, in a life of light, goodness and love, a life shaped by his own powerful example, a life supported and guided by the Holy Spirit, whom he first gave us at baptism and whom he gives us again right now. So together, dear People of God, let us renew our baptismal promises, and renew them as loudly, clearly, joyfully and enthusiastically as we possibly can.
A MYSTERY BEYOND WORDS
Mary Magdalene finds the empty tomb and runs to the apostles to tell them her astonishing news. St John’s is the only account where the apostles are directly involved in finding that the tomb was empty, and where neither Jesus nor angels were there to give any guidance about the meaning of it. The Beloved Disciple was present with Peter to see the discarded burial-cloths within the tomb, and he at once realized what this meant: that Jesus was risen from the dead!
Like many others, I felt deep emotion on seeing the Grand Canyon in Arizona; my whole being was thrilled by the awesomeness of it all. I had a camera, and I used it to the best of my ability, trying to capture the vision, the emotions, the experience, and the wonder of it. Later I realized the futility of such photos when I came home and tried to explain to friends what my experience had been. The fact was that it would be necessary for the others to see for themselves what I saw, before there was any hope of real understanding or appreciation taking place. For those who don’t understand, no words are possible, and for those who do understand, no words are necessary. That’s the sense we have when reading the resurrection story. It tells of a deeply mysterious fact, but we can’t quite capture what its impact was within the hearts of his followers, that first Easter day.
Let’s remember that this gospel, this truly great news, is timeless and so is still for here and now . In a real sense, I am reflected by every person in that story and should try to put myself within the story as told by Saint John today. Am I like Magdalene who told the others the news of resurrection? Or like the apostles who responded immediately by running to the tomb to see for themselves. I’m not exactly sure when I first heard about the resurrection of Jesus. But it was many years later when I personally experienced this for myself. The discovery came in moments of darkness and desolation, when I cried out to God for help. We all have our moments when we cry out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? But God does not forget or forsake us, and the darkest hour is just before the dawn.
On Easter morning, the stone was rolled away from the mouth of the tomb. Could I think of my heart as a tomb awaiting a resurrection? Can I identify anything akin to a stone that is holding me back from enjoying the fullness of life? It could be an addiction, a compulsion or some hidden and dark secret that I have never shared with anyone. We can be as sick as our secrets. But as pope Francis declares, “We are called to be people of joyful hope, not doomsday prophets!” Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can all have hopeful joy and go out to share it with the world.
Gospel: John 20:19-31
“The presence of the risen Jesus dispels fear and brings peace to his friends“
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.