2nd Sunday of Easter (B)

Acts 4:32-35; 1Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20:19-31

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as “Divine Mercy Sunday”.

Since his days as a young priest, John Paul II had developed an interest in the teachings of Sister Faustina Kowalska (a polish nun and mystic) and her devotion to the Divine Mercy. In 1993, the late pope beatified Kowalska and dedicated the Second Sunday of Easter to the devotion she had worked hard to promote.

Why is this day aptly called Divine Mercy Sunday? It is because the gospel reading of every Second Sunday of Easter narrates how the risen Christ appeared to the apostles and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them; and those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” Traditionally, this passage is considered the foundation of the sacrament of reconciliation, which is the great fountain of God's mercy within the Church.

The whole life of Christ was an expression of the boundless mercy of God for sinful humanity. In his public ministry, Jesus welcomed sinners, forgave and called them to a new way of life. While hanging on the cross, the Lord continued to show mercy to sinners as he prayed: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” To the repentant thief on his left, he promised: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

The forgiving attitude that the risen Christ showed to his close followers in today's gospel is quite striking. The apostles were hiding in a room for they were scared to death. They hid themselves from the Jews because they feared having to suffer the same fate with Jesus. From nowhere the risen Lord appeared in their midst and said: “Peace be with you!” The apostles deserved nothing but tongue-lashing for having deserted the Lord during his most painful walk to the cross. And yet, the risen Christ greeted them peace and well-being. Like the father of the prodigal son, the Lord manifested no second thoughts in reaching out and forgiving offenders.

The apostles, who themselves benefited the unconditional mercy of God, were given the authority to forgive sins. Primarily, they were to use this power not to condemn people but to extend God's mercy to repentant sinners. Bishops, the direct successors of the apostles, together with their priests, are now responsible for the keys of heaven. In the sacrament of reconciliation, they are to bring the heart of God which possesses all the love for humanity.

As we ourselves receive the mercy and forgiveness of God, we are also called to forgive and be reconciled with one another. We are challenged to keep a heart which is like the sacred heart of Jesus. Hatred and revenge have no place in the Christian community. If we truly believe in Christ, we should change the way we live and relate with one another.

A TIME magazine issue in 1984 presented a startling cover. It pictured a prison cell where two men sat on metal folding chairs. They sat facing each other, up close and personal. They spoke quietly so as to keep others from hearing the conversation. The young man was Mehmet Ali Agca, the pope’s attempted assassin; the other man was Pope John Paul II, the intended victim. The pope held the hand that had held the gun whose bullet tore into the pope’s body. John Paul wanted this scene to be shown around a world filled with nuclear arsenals and unforgiving hatreds. This was a living icon of mercy. The pope had been preaching forgiveness and reconciliation constantly. His deed with Ali Agca spoke a thousand words. He embraced his enemy and pardoned him. At the end of their 20-minute meeting, Ali Agca raised the pope’s hand to his forehead as a sign of respect. John Paul shook Ali Agca’s hand tenderly. When the pope left the cell he said, “I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust.” This is an example of God’s divine mercy, the same divine mercy to which Saint Faustina bore obedient witness.

(The story is from Catholic Update, March 2008)