Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) – April 27, 2025.
Readings: Acts 5:12-16; Ps 118:2-4.13-15.22-24; Rev. 1:9-11a.12-13; Gospel – John 20:19-31.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, our first reading (Acts 5:12-16) reveals how the apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit and worked signs and wonders among the people. In the second reading (Rev. 1:9-11a.12-13), John writes his experience on the Island of Patmos, testifying to the post-resurrection experience by narrating how God took him into a holy frenzy. The gospel (John 20:19-31) recounts how Jesus appeared to the apostles on the first day of the week with the message of peace. Like Sr. Faustina Kowalska, we are urged to care for others in this “Hospice of Mercy” by being disciples of mercy!
Introduction
Friends in Christ, as an Easter people, the Alleluia mandate is one that we are still excited about. The Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday, points to the unfathomable mercies of God. I would like to share two short anecdotes: First, I imagine the Church as the largest “Hospice of Mercy” with Jesus as the Chief Medical Director and the clergy as corresponding physicians. To my mind, the nurses are consecrated persons while auxiliary nurses or paramedics are members of the laity – all acting towards the same goal, the salvation of souls.
In his merciful love, the medical director prescribes the breaking of the Word and the Holy Eucharist as medicine. The priests and deacons ensure strict administration of the drug. It falls to the nurses to guarantee that patients, in this case, sinners, take their medication and are cared for. Members of the laity who share this tertiary medical facility with others are expected to be ambassadors of God’s love, mercy, and peace by showcasing the deeds of mercy – being kind and nice to everyone, sharing the good news of God’s uncanny mercy. It was Abigail Van Buren who said, “The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
Second, on 15 April 2018, at St. Paul of the Cross parish in Rome, a young boy, Emanuele, who was visibly in tears, asked Pope Francis a question: A little while ago, my father passed away. He was a nonbeliever, but he had all four of his children baptized. He was a good man. Is Dad in heaven? The Holy Father’s response was apt: Since your father had all of you baptised, he had a good heart. God has a father’s heart – a dad’s heart. He does not abandon his children. He is the one who determines who goes to heaven.
Background & Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Acts 5:12-16) tells how the apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit and worked wonders among the people. It recalls that they were one in heart, and many people joined the faith. As they witnessed the resurrection, many people from around Jerusalem came bringing the sick on beds and sleeping-mats and those tormented by unclean spirits – all were cured. As Peter passed, his shadow fell across some people, and they received their healing.
In the second reading (Rev. 1:9-11a.12-13), John writes his experience on the Island of Patmos. He testifies to the post-resurrection experience by narrating how God took him into a holy frenzy. At the sound of the trumpet, he was told to write down in a book what he saw and send it to the seven Churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Amidst the seven golden lampstands, he saw the Son of Man dressed in a long robe tied around his waist with a golden belt.
In the gospel (John 20:19-31), Jesus appears to the apostles on the first day of the week with the message, “Peace be with you” thrice. He showed them his hands and his side, and they were filled with joy. He breathes on them and gives power to forgive sins. An absentee during the visit, Thomas, doubts, insisting that seeing is believing. Jesus’ appearance 8 days later with the message of peace, Thomas’ confession, “My Lord and My God,” leads us to Jesus’ solemn blessing: “happy are those who have not seen, yet believe.” The text assures that not all that Jesus did was recorded in the Bible, but these were written so we can have eternal life. This leads us to the message of mercy.
Sr. Faustina & Divine Mercy
Sr. Faustina Kowalska, who received the message of Divine Mercy, was described by Pope John Paul II as “a gift of God for our time” and “to the whole Church.” He made this assertion in his sermon on the canonization of Sister Faustina on 30 April 2000, while reminding the world about his great joy in presenting the life and witness of Sr. Faustina. He particularly recalled the words of Jesus to Sr. Faustina: “Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to divine mercy.”
The Holy Father also stated that “through the work of the Polish religious, this message has become linked forever to the 20th century, the last of the second millennium, and the bridge to the third. It is not a new message but can be considered a gift of special enlightenment that helps us to relive the Gospel of Easter more intensely, to offer it as a ray of light to the men and women of our time.”
Practical Lessons
- Be Merciful like the Father: We are charged to be merciful like the Father, whose mercy is boundless as revealed by God to St. Faustina.
- Be Transformed by Personal Holiness: That Peter’s shadow could heal the sick challenges pastors of souls to seek personal holiness and keep a constant communication with God, who can use them for his mighty works.
- Be assured he is with us: The message of St. John to the Seven Churches encourages Christians in various parts of the world who are persecuted that the Lord is with His Church until the end of time.
- Be Sympathetic to the Sick: We are urged to keep alive the spirit of the healing ministry of Jesus by paying attention to the sick and those troubled by evil spirits.
- Be Peace-Makers: By saying “Peace be with you” to his disciples thrice, Jesus challenges us to ensure peace in our hearts, homes, and communities.
Summary Lines
- The Alleluia mandate is one that we are still excited about.
- Divine Mercy Sunday points to the unfathomable mercies of God.
- As Peter passed, his shadow fell across some people, and they received their healing.
- [Jesus] He …breathed on them and gave them the power to forgive sins.
- Thomas said, “My Lord and My God.”
Conclusion
We hear that the Bible is not a piece of literature that contains all that Jesus did. The Gospel insists that these few were written for us to believe and have eternal life. As such, keep a date with the Lord every three o’clock – the hour of mercy. Also, recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily. Additionally, display the Portrait of Divine Mercy in our home. You are invited to become disciples of mercy who walk humbly and act justly. That was, as Pope Saint John Paul II would say: “The light of divine mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sr. Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third millennium” and beyond. For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.
