Acts 2:42-47 ·
Psalm117(118):2-4,13-15,22-24
1 Peter 1:3-9 ·
John 20:19-31
At Mass every day during Easter week, and continuing today, the gospel readings have all centered on the appearances of our Blessed Lord to His disciples after His Resurrection from the dead. The profound truth of the angels’ message at the empty tomb in the garden—’He is not here. He is risen’—is demonstrated on multiple occasions to the apostles and to the other disciples. Each account begins with their initial disbelief and culminates in faith, hope, and love—three great virtues inspired, nurtured, and reinforced through our encounters with the risen Christ.
For example, we can reflect on the women who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, which had been hastily laid in the grave; they expected only to find a corpse, not an empty tomb. Or consider Mary Magdalene, who was standing weeping outside the tomb, knowing it was empty, and initially mistook the risen Jesus for the gardener until He spoke her name. Similarly, on the road to Emmaus, the two disciples assumed all hope was lost; they did not recognize Jesus when He walked with them and explained the Scriptures, but they recognized Him when He broke the bread at their meal. These stories teach us a vital lesson—of recognizing Christ in His word, as Mary did, and in the breaking of the bread, as the disciples on the way to Emmaus did. When we attend Mass and hear Christ speaking in His Word, and when we receive Him in the broken host, do we experience the same thrill of recognition, wonder, and love as those disciples?
On this Sunday of Divine Mercy, let us ask ourselves how often we truly appreciate God’s mercy in our daily lives. Are we drawn towards Him who is love and mercy itself? After His appearances to the select few, Christ Himself appeared among the disciples, hiding in their locked room. His words to them were not rebukes for their fear and lack of trust but reassurances of peace: ‘Shalom. Peace be with you.’ His tender greeting reflected His compassionate nature. When they saw Him—His hands and side and wounds—they recognized that it was truly Jesus risen from the dead. The wounds are our sins inflicted upon Him. Our sufferings he bore, our sins he carried. His words dispelled any remaining fear and shame from their disloyalty during His Passion. Jesus restored their friendship, trusting them with divine authority—giving them the power to forgive sins in His name, a gift fulfilled through the priests in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament remains the most sublime expression of God’s love and mercy. He continues to wait for us, arms wide open, showing His hands and side from which His blood flows for the forgiveness of our sins, calling us to repentance and to receive His grace.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, we are called to recognize the risen Christ—to declare with Thomas, ‘My Lord and my God’—and to embody the faith, hope, and charity exemplified by the disciples. When we do, we receive the command from Christ to make Him known throughout the world. Recognizing Christ in His Word and in the Eucharist—the Body broken on the altar—is the foundation of our participation in His Resurrection.
Reflecting on these gospel accounts deepens our Easter joy, a joy beautifully expressed in our liturgical celebrations during this season. As the evangelist John explains the purpose of recording these events: ‘These signs are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.’ Wishing you all a blessed and grace-filled Easter season.
Fr Joseph Osho