Divine Mercy Sunday

Some years ago, when he declared Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska to be a Saint of the Church, our Holy Father John Paul II declared this second Sunday of Easter to be dedicated to Divine Mercy (more here). Many people still call it Quasimodo Sunday because, as you can see from the picture above, the entrance antiphon in Latin begins with, 'Quasimodo geniti infantes...' Which, in English, is 'Just as new-born children...' and is from the first letter of Saint Peter:

"[Just as] you are children new-born, and all your craving must be for the soul’s pure milk, that will nurture you into salvation, once you have tasted, as you have surely tasted, the goodness of the Lord." - 1 Peter 2: 2-3

This is part of Saint Peter's call to Christians to put on virtue, to choose good and avoid evil in the best tradition of Hebrew and Jewish philosophy. So, he tells us to put aside all ill-will and deceitfulness, to dismiss our affectations and the grudges we bear, and certainly to give up slanderous talk. As Christians, we are new-born of the Lord and have tasted of his goodness, and we are to be like Christ. More about that in our second reading at Mass today, which speaks of God providing us safe-conduct (probably through the grace-filled imitation of Christ) through the trials of this life until we reach our home in the heavenly Jerusalem. By the way, the above antiphon is also how the hunchback in the famous Victor Hugo novel got his name.

Mass was offered this morning for the repose of the soul of Sam Lukins (+), and for his family and friends, those who mourn his passing from among us. May they be blessed in their desire to see him again, one day on the distant shores to which Christ beckons us. The first reading today spoke to us of the community of the primitive Church, still under the guidance of the Apostles, with regular Mass (read 'the breaking of bread') and fixed times of prayer (the beginning of the divine office of prayer of the Church). Miracles were still in common evidence, for the Apostles were still among them, and the community lived together for mutual support, sharing all things, visiting the Temple regularly, growing in number and reputation among the wider Jewish community. This much we are told by Saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles (2: 42-47) and this common life was only to be disrupted by the spate of persecutions that soon raised its ugly head and sent the Christians flying from Jerusalem to all parts of the Holy Land and further, notably to Damascus in the north-east and to Antioch in north-west Syria. 

The Gospel story tells of the commission of Christ to the Apostles to receive the confessions of the Christians: 

"...he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit; when you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven, when you hold them bound, they are held bound.'"- Gospel of S. John 20: 22-23

And then we hear the story of the absence of our scientist Apostle, Saint Thomas, for whom I have much affection. When he arrives, they tell him about it all and he says, What? I need proof. Unless I can feel the imprints of the nails and the spear which you tell me are still present, I shall not believe! And, thus he brings forth for us who live thousands of years in the future a blessing we can be glad of:

"'Thou hast learned to believe, Thomas, because thou hast seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have learned to believe.'" - Gospel of S. John 20: 29

May you all be blessed in your devotion to our Lord and to his blessed Mother, in your prayer this Easter and in the graces that the most High God sends to you during this Easter and in the present circumstances of the nationwide lock-down. Pray for me here at S. Joseph's, as indeed I pray for all of you.