THE GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE COMES FOR
YOU
(John 20:19-31)
Today, the second Sunday of
Easter is the Sunday of Divine Mercy.
Today, being the eight day after
the resurrection of the Lord we call to mind the great mercy of God even in our
unbelief and sinfulness. We have a God who gives us chances, first, second and
more chances. Do we utilize these opportunities?
The Gospel of today shows us
manifestations of the mercy of God on the universal Church, in the life of the
disciples, of the apostles and even in the life of Thomas the doubter. Jesus
comes for you again and again to meet you in your weakness. He comes with peace
and the Holy Spirit, He comes with reconciliation.
RECONCILES WITH THE
RECONCILERS
The disciples had lost their
friendship with Christ on account of their betrayal at different levels,
disappointments, ingratitude, denials, abandonments etc. They were filled with
guilt, sorrows, shame, fears, troubles, regrets and feeling that they have
failed. They lost their peace of mind. Jesus came in as they shut themselves
because of fear of the Jews.
JESUS STOOD
Jesus stood and watched Peter,
watched all the apostles and remembered their involvements in breaking His heart.
He watched and saw them feel very sorry. He saw what was lacking in them;
peace. They never expected it but Jesus surprised them with it in His merciful
love. He said: Peace be with you. This means: "I have made peace with you
on the cross", " I have forgiven you", "We are friends once
again", " Let's forget about the past", "Let's move
on" 'Udo ka mma' (peace is better). Jesus gave them yet another
chance to experience His mercy and compassion.
JESUS MAKES THE APOSTLES
RECONCILERS
Jesus did not only get reconciled
with His apostles He went forward to make them reconcilers. He entrusted the
message of reconciliation into their hands. He gives them His Spirit, the
Spirit to bind and lose, the Power to forgive sins and even to retain them. He
restored the 'Godbreathedness' lost in Adam once more. He breathed upon
them and filled them. Thus, the community of the apostles present got both the
forgiveness of Christ and the power to forgive.
MERCY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL-
THOMAS
For some reasons, Thomas was absent
when Jesus visited the community of the apostles. For that, he doubted and
wouldn't believe that Jesus is risen, that He who had these wounds, pains,
scars, who died such a shameful death could just come back to easily forgive
and restore his betrayers. He challenged
God and Jesus came just for him. He gave him another chance of seeing Him. He
gave him another chance of being forgiven, He gave him another special
opportunity of touching Him. And the mercy and love of Christ amazed Him that
He concluded that no man can do these. His eyes opened to see the God in Christ
and He proclaimed: My Lord and my God!
JESUS COMES TO YOU WITH MERCY
You see, Jesus comes to us with
mercy, true love and compassion. He knows we can't do without it. He knows how
weak we are. He knows that we can err. He knows we are human, that we are made
from humus, that we are fallible. But He doesn't want us to perish in the dust
of sin, of shame, of immorality, of corruption. He raises us in the Sacrament
of reconciliation, nourishes in communion and wants us to confess our sins and
receive His mercy whenever we fall. He wants to hear us call for mercy. He
hears our cry for mercy and heals us when we ask for forgiveness.
LET'S BE MERCIFUL
The Lord Jesus wants us to be
filled with His mercy and show mercy to others. He wants to live in love. He
wants us to forgive one another. Jesus wants us to have mercy on people around
us. Jesus wants us to feel with the poor and the needy; those in need of our
spiritual gifts, our moral support, our forgiveness, our peace and our
reconciliation.
Let us be merciful like our
heavenly Father.
LET US PRAY
We ask for your mercy Oh Lord. We
can't do without it. Plunge us into the ocean of Your Mercy. Forgive us our
sins, help us to take the chances You offer us in the sacrament of
reconciliation seriously. Pardon us Lord, Give us Your peace and fill us with
Your Spirit, restore to us the joy of our salvation through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Happy Easter/ Divine Mercy Sunday
(Yr B)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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