Sunday, May 4, 2025

Collect Series: Collect for Third Sunday of Eastertide Year C

Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.


Collect: Third Sunday of Eastertide

The Collect of the Mass for Third Sunday of Easter reads as follows:

 

May Your people exult for ever, O God,

In renewed youthfulness of spirit,

So that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption,

We may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection.

Though our Lord Jesus, Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

 

Reflection Questions

In making this prayer tangible for my life during this week, the following reflection questions emerged: 

 

1. What does youthfulness of spirit mean to me? How will I use it this during Eastertide?

2.Reflect on what it means to be restored and to be an adopted child of God

What difference does it make to me being a son or daughter of God?

3. What does it mean to me to look forward with hope to my resurrection?

4. What areas of my life would I like Christ to renew during Eastertide? 

5. How might I live in the joy and hope of my resurrection this week?

 

Gospel Reflection:

 

On the Third Sunday of Easter, the Gospel highlights Jesus feeding his disciples (and us). Jesus is patient when Peter and his disciples go back to the trade they know-fishing. They caught nothing all night, and yet when Jesus tells them 'to throw the nets to starboard', they could not haul it in because there were so many. When they haul it in, the nets are not broken and yet there is a huge haul of fish.

 

Jesus is patient with us too when we, after having stepped out in faith, retreat to our own comfort zone. and go back to our tried and tested ( and yet failed) ways.  Jesus invites us to throw out our nets to the deep and haul in our catch. He will be on the shore providing our needs, just as He provided the disciples with a charcoal fire and fish already cooking.

 

There are some interesting aspects to this Gospel which are tucked in but we can not fully appreciate. Let us explore some of these aspects:

 

 

1. Is it unusual not to catch any fish for professional fishermen?

Yes, for seasoned fishermen like the disciples (Peter, James, and John were professionals), it would be unusual to fish all night and catch nothing.

  • The Sea of Galilee (also called Tiberias) was well known for being rich in fish.
  • Fishermen in that region typically fished at night, when the fish rose to the cooler surface waters, making them easier to catch with nets.

So, a completely unfruitful night would have been deeply frustrating — and perhaps humbling especially for skilled professionals. This sets the stage for the miracle: their own effort produced nothing, but at Jesus’ command, they experience abundance.

2. What side of the boat did they usually fish from? Was it unusual to fish on the starboard side in the light?

  • Traditionally, fishing was done from the left side (port side) of the boat. Most fishermen were right-handed, and the rudder was on the starboard (right) side, making the port side more accessible for casting and hauling nets.
  • Also, boats in ancient Galilee were relatively small and balanced for hauling nets on one particular side.

So yes — casting on the right (starboard) side in daylight would be unusual and even counterintuitive, especially after a night of no success.

This highlights:

  • Obedience over experience.
  • The miracle wasn't in the technique but in following Christ’s word — even when it defied logic or habit.

3. What does the number 153 represent?

The number 153 has invited centuries of interpretation. Here are the most well-known possibilities:

  • A literal count: It may simply reflect the astonishing abundance — large fish, counted precisely, and the net not breaking. It shows the miracle's physical reality and eyewitness detail (John often includes exact figures).
  • Symbolic interpretations:
    • St. Jerome (4th century) noted that ancient naturalists believed there were 153 species of fish in the world — suggesting a symbol of the universal mission of the Church to "catch" all peoples.
    • St. Augustine suggested it symbolizes perfection: 153 is the sum of the numbers 1 through 17 (a triangular number).
      • 10 (representing the Ten Commandments) + 7 (gifts of the Spirit or completeness) = 17
      • 1+2+3...+17 = 153

Mystical interpretations also see the number as representing the fullness of God's work, unity, or the completeness of the Church.

That openness after failure is deeply moving. The night of emptiness prepared them for the morning of grace.

The humble posture of the heart that says:

“I don’t understand this… but because You say so, I will.”

It echoes Luke 5:5, from the first miraculous catch:

“Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing — but at Your word, I will let down the nets.”

Here in John 21, the same Peter — older, maybe a little more weathered — doesn’t even say a word this time. He just obeys. That silence speaks volumes.

And yes — the fact that they didn’t defend their expertise is telling. Professional pride often resists divine instruction, but hunger and failure made space for faith.

You might even say:

  • Empty nets can empty pride.
  • And empty hands are ready to receive a miracle.

 

4.“It is the Lord!” (John 21:7)

This exclamation from the disciple whom Jesus loved (traditionally understood as John) is packed with beauty and spiritual insight.

Recognition through abundance

  • It wasn't Jesus’ physical appearance that caused recognition at first.
  • It was the miraculous abundance — the result of obedience — that opened John’s eyes: “It is the Lord!”

This tells us something profound:

Sometimes we see Jesus not in His form, but in His fruits.

When grace suddenly pours in — when the emptiness turns to fullness — it often dawns on us: He was here. He was guiding us.

 

5. Peter’s Reaction: Leaping into the Sea

  • Peter throws on his outer garment (he had stripped for work) and jumps into the water to get to Jesus first.
  • It’s so Peter: passionate, impulsive, personal.

He doesn’t wait for the boat to reach shore. He just dives in — soaked with longing and love. After all that had happened (his denial, the death, the silence), this is reunion — not formal or scripted, but raw and real.

It’s the heart crying out:“I have to get to Him. Now.”

 

6. The Charcoal Fire & Shared Meal (John 21:9–13)

This moment is deeply gentle:

  • Jesus has already made a charcoal fire — the same kind mentioned in Peter’s denial scene (John 18:18). A silent reminder, yet surrounded by love.
  • Bread and fish — a quiet meal. No accusations. No sermons. Just presence.

Jesus meets them:

  • In their hunger (physical and spiritual)
  • In their confusion about what’s next
  • And He feeds them with care and invitation, not rebuke.

It’s a glimpse of the Eucharist. Of reconciliation. Of divine hospitality.

 

Peter learned that being a disciple means also responsibility and service. Peter loves Jesus and accepts the mission Jesus gave him.  Jesus has an unique mission for each of us.  Do I love Jesus to answer His call and accept the mission He asks of me?

 

Let us step out in faith to fulfill the mission Jesus gives to us. In our moments of fear and failure we can pray the words of the psalm:

"I will praise the Lord for You have rescued me'.

 

 

.

 

  

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Entering The Joy: Easter Entrance Antiphon Series; Feast of St Philip and St James.

Entering The Joy: 

Easter Entrance Antiphon Series.

He is Not Here. He is Risen.


Saturday of  Second Week of Easter: 

Feast of St Philip 


These are the holy men whom the Lord chose in his own perfect love; to them he gave eternal glory, alleluia.”
(Entrance Antiphon – Feast of St Philip and St James)

Today the Church honours two apostles who might not be as well-known as Peter or John, but who were just as faithfully chosen, loved, and sent.

This antiphon holds three rich truths:

1. “These are the holy men…”

They were ordinary men made holy through their closeness to Christ. Holiness, in this context, isn't about perfection — it's about being set apart for God, walking closely with Jesus, and staying faithful, even when the road is unclear.

2. “…whom the Lord chose in his own perfect love”

Jesus chose Philip and James not for their accomplishments, but out of love — perfect, divine love. That’s the same love that called each of us at baptism.
We are chosen, too.

3. “To them he gave eternal glory”

Their earthly lives involved work, misunderstanding, and eventually martyrdom — but the end is glory. The Resurrection assures us that suffering is never the final word.

 

A Word on Each Apostle

Philip: In John 14, Philip says, “Lord, show us the Father.” Jesus gently tells him, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Philip reminds us of our longing to understand, to see clearly — and Jesus invites us to trust Him as the full revelation of the Father.

James the Less: Often identified as the son of Alphaeus, he’s traditionally seen as a quiet, faithful follower — a witness to the Resurrection and possibly the first bishop of Jerusalem. His life teaches us that quiet faithfulness matters. Not all saints are loud — some are steadfast and steady, and God sees them.

 

Spirituality in Action

How will I practice this antiphon today?

  • Reflect: Where is God calling me to live out quiet faithfulness like James?
  • Pray: “Lord, help me see You in Jesus, as Philip longed to do.”
  • Act: Encourage someone who may feel unseen or unimportant — remind them they are chosen and loved.
  • Affirm: Say aloud: “I am chosen in perfect love.”

 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Thank You for calling Philip and James,
and thank You for calling me.
Help me to live my faith faithfully,
whether seen or unseen,
and to walk in the hope of eternal glory.
Amen.

 

and St James.


Friday, May 2, 2025

Entering the Joy: Easter Entrance Antiphon Series: Friday of the Second Week of Easter

Entering the Joy: Easter Entrance Antiphons.

He Is Not Here. He Is Risen.



Today’s Entrance Antiphon (Friday, Second Week of Eastertide) is:

“In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth. The Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and Clothed him in a robe of glory. ,alleluia.”  Sirach 15:5)

It is also the Memorial of St Athanasius.


“In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth”.

This speaks of courage and calling — not just to speak, but to speak truth in the midst of the Church.  St Athanasius did just that: during the Arian crisis, when many denied that Christ was fully divine, Athanasius stood firm — sometimes alone — and refused to be silent.


“The Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding…”

These are gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2), and essential for anyone who teaches, leads, or proclaims.  St Athanasius wasn’t just intellectual — he was Spirit-filled, grounded in love and truth.  His wisdom led him not only to theological clarity, but to deep prayer and faithfulness under pressure.

“Clothed him in a robe of glory”

This echoes the idea that those who suffer for the truth will be exalted — not with worldly praise, but with the dignity that comes from God.  Even when Athanasius was exiled five times, he remained faithful. That is his robe of glory.

 

Spirituality in Action

How will I practice this antiphon today?


  • Ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of wisdom and understanding — especially in any conversation or situation where you need courage.
  • Read (or recall) one line of Scripture and speak it aloud — even quietly. Let it be a way of “opening your mouth in the midst of the Church.”
  • If you’re called to speak truth with love today — do it with calmness, not fear.
  • Reflect: Where am I being invited to stand firm in Christ, even quietly?

 

Closing Prayer

Lord of Wisdom,
You filled St Athanasius with courage, clarity, and love.
Fill me today with your Spirit,
that I too may speak when needed,
and live the truth with peace and joy.
Clothe me in your light,
and help me walk in your glory.
Amen.

 

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Come Holy Spirit Series: Gift of Understanding.

Come Holy Spirit Series.

Come Holy Spirit.

Gift of Understanding.

Welcome back to Come Holy Spirit Series.
As part of my own preparation for Pentecost, even though we have just entered into Eastertide, I decided as part of my own spiritual journey to explore the gifts and fruits of the Spirit and to see how to use them in my life now.   This series is born from this perspective. It is my refresher and preparation for Pentecost, something that I hope will have a whole different perspective this year.  Perhaps you might like to join me on this adventure on Who is the Holy Spirit and invite the Holy Spirit to come.
In last week's post, we discussed Who is the Holy Spirit and the first of the Seven Gifts- Wisdom. In this post, we will explore what the Gift of Understanding is and how it relates to gift of Wisdom.  We will also explore how we might tap into this gift in our lives this week.  Let’s begin.

 

Week 2: The Gift of Understanding: "Holy Spirit, I want to know You again."

 

What Does the Compendium of the Catechism Say About Understanding?

In the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, understanding is mentioned under the broader explanation of the gifts of the Spirit:

Q. 389. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  (CCC 1830–1831)

It is listed second, immediately after Wisdom, because once we see with God's eyes (wisdom), we need to enter into His truths more deeply (understanding).

Though the Compendium lists the gifts without individual detailed explanations, in the full Catechism (CCC 1831) and Catholic tradition, Understanding is seen as:

  • A gift to grasp the truths of the faith in a deeper, interior way.
  • Not just knowing "about" God—but knowing and feeling His mysteries at the level of the heart.
  • A light that allows us to penetrate mysteries that reason alone cannot fully explain (like the Trinity, the Eucharist, divine providence, and mercy).

Therefore we can say simply:

Wisdom lets us see as God sees whereas
Understanding lets us enter what God sees.

 

What Is the Gift of Understanding, Really?

Understanding is not about being clever, quick, or theologically brilliant. It's about the Holy Spirit breathing into the soul a deeper intuition and recognition of spiritual realities.

When we have the gift of Understanding:

  • Scripture comes alive in new ways.
  • We feel the truth of the mysteries of our faith, even when we cannot explain them fully.
  • We trust God's ways more easily, even when they seem hidden or difficult.
  • We move from head knowledge to heart knowledge.

It’s like a lamp being lit inside us—suddenly, what once seemed abstract becomes personal.

Think about the disciples on the road to Emmaus:

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32)

That’s the Gift of Understanding at work.

 

 Why Do We Need the Gift of Understanding?

Because faith is not just information—faith is relationship.

Without Understanding, we may know doctrines but struggle to enter into their beauty.
We may repeat prayers without feeling their life.  We may hear about forgiveness without grasping its freedom.

Understanding:

  • Bridges our mind and our heart.
  • Brings joy when meditating on Scripture and the Sacraments.
  • Strengthens our trust when life is confusing.

Without this gift, the mysteries of faith remain like locked doors.  With this gift, the Spirit Himself becomes the key. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us Himself in this way and if we have been confirmed already, to refresh, renew and reinvigorate this gift within us.   Come Holy Spirit.

 

How Can We Refresh, Renew, and Use the Gift of Understanding?

1. Ask for it simply and daily.

“Come, Holy Spirit, Gift of Understanding. Open my mind. Enflame my heart.”

2. Sit with Scripture slowly.

Let us not rush reading scripture. When something stands out, stop. Stay there. That’s often Understanding trying to work.

3. Receive the Sacraments with fresh eyes.

Next time we go to Mass or Confession, ask the Holy Spirit to help us "understand" more deeply what is happening beyond the visible signs.

4. Embrace mystery.

If we don’t understand something about God or life, let us not panic. We can use this opportunity to simply say:

“Holy Spirit, I don't understand yet. Help me to trust and to love.”

The Gift of Understanding grows by living the mysteries, not explaining them away.

Scriptures That Speak of Understanding

·         “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”  Luke 24:45

·         “The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:10

·         “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

 

Reflection Question for the Week:

Where in my faith life do I need the Holy Spirit to move me from knowing about God to truly encountering Him?

 

Daily Soul Moments for Understanding Week

  • Sunday: Thank God for a moment you understood something new about Him.
  • Monday: Pray: “Holy Spirit, open the eyes of my heart.”
  • Tuesday: Read Luke 24:13–35 (Road to Emmaus). Where does your heart “burn”?
  • Wednesday: Reflect on a mystery of faith (e.g., the Eucharist). Ask to understand it more deeply.
  • Thursday: Bring a current question or doubt to prayer. Don't solve it—just sit with it.
  • Friday: Meditate on Proverbs 3:5. Trust where you don't yet understand.
  • Saturday: Look back: How has God helped you understand something you once struggled with?

 

Closing Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, Gift of Understanding,
Awaken my heart to the wonders of faith.
Teach me to walk not by sight, but by the light of Your truth.
Where my mind is closed, open it.
Where my heart is hesitant, embolden it.
Where my spirit is weary, renew it.
Teach me to know You, not as a stranger, but as my closest companion.

 

 



Entering The Joy: Easter Entrance Antiphon Series Wednesday Second Week of Eastertide

 Entering the Joy: 

Easter Entrance Antiphon Series.

He Is Not Here. He Is Risen.

Wednesday Second Week of Eastertide.

Entering the Joy: Easter Antiphon Series.

 
Let’s unpack today’s Entrance Antiphon:

1. "I will praise you, Lord, among the nations"

Eastertide is missionary by nature:
The Resurrection isn't just a private joy — it must be proclaimed among the nations.  This line calls us outward — to be joyful witnesses of what God has done, not just inside church walls, but in the world.

2. "I will tell of your name to my kin"

  • Kin = family, community, those closest to us.
  • It reminds us: evangelization doesn't only happen "far away" — it begins right where we are — with our families, friends, neighbours.
  • Telling of God's name is telling of God’s saving love — His mercy, His kindness, His resurrection life.

3. "Alleluia"

  • Still the Easter cry: Not just surviving, but proclaiming with joy.

How does this relate to St Pius V whose feast day it is.

  • St Pius V was a pope who courageously reformed the Church after the upheaval of the Protestant Reformation.
  • He "praised the Lord among the nations" not by grand gestures, but by faithfully defending truth and renewing the Church’s liturgy and prayer (he helped standardize the Mass and the breviary after Trent).
  • His life reminds us: faithfulness is a form of proclamation.
  • You don't have to be loud — a life of integrity proclaims Christ.

 

Today’s antiphon reminds us: Easter joy isn’t meant to stay hidden.
It’s a song meant to be sung among the nations — and whispered to our kin.

Resurrection is a reality that demands a response:

  • In our words
  • In our lives
  • In our love

Some are called to proclaim Christ loudly; others are called to live so faithfully that Christ is made visible through them.
Today, we remember St Pius V — a pope who praised the Lord among the nations not through noise, but through courage and renewal.

Wherever you are planted today, you are called to be a living “Alleluia.”

 

Spirituality in Action

How will I practice this antiphon today?

  • Speak one small word of praise aloud — even if just in prayer.
  • Offer thanks to God for your family and community — your "kin."
  • Look for a way to encourage someone today — proclaim God's goodness quietly but truly.
  • Ask yourself: Is there one person I can share the joy of Christ with today, even by or through a simple act?
  • Reflect: How does my daily life "praise the Lord among the nations"?

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus,
let my life be a song of Alleluia.
Let my words praise You
and my love proclaim You,
so that among the nations and in my own home,
Your name may be glorified.
Amen.

 


Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Entering the Joy: Easter Entrance Antiphons. Feast of St Catherine of Siena

 Entering the Joy: 

Eastertide Entrance Antiphon Series.

He Is Not Here. He Is Risen.


Entering the Joy: Easter Entrance Antiphon: Feast of St Catherine.

Today's Entrance Antiphon alludes to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1–13).

Entrance Antiphon (St Catherine of Siena):

"Here is a wise virgin, from among the number of the prudent, who went forth with lighted lamp to meet Christ, alleluia."


Let’s explore it first:

1. "A wise virgin"

  • "Wise" here isn't just intelligence — it's spiritual attentiveness.
  • The Wise Virgins kept their lamps trimmed and burning — they were ready when the Bridegroom came.

2. "From among the number of the prudent"

  • Prudence is not fear or hesitation, rather it is the right judgment of when and how to act.
  • It is choosing to be prepared even when others are careless or distracted.

3. "Lighted lamp"

  • The lamp symbolizes faith, hope, and love burning actively.
  • Oil often symbolizes the Holy Spirit — the ongoing fuel for the soul.

4. "To meet Christ"

The goal is not just to be prepared for anything.  It is to be prepared specifically to meet Jesus.

  • Readiness is about relationship, not just duty.

How this fits into Eastertide:

  • We are living in the “in-between” time: Christ has risen and ascended — but we are still waiting for the final fulfilment.
  • Eastertide invites us to live as wise and ready people which means that we need to be awake, joyful, alert, lamps lit, faith alive.

 

Feast of St Catherine of Siena – Reflection on the Entrance Antiphon

Today’s antiphon paints a vivid picture: a wise and prudent soul, lamp lit, walking out to meet her Beloved.

This wisdom isn’t just head knowledge.

It’s the wisdom of prepared love — the readiness of a heart that stays awake, even when the wait is long.

St Catherine of Siena lived this reality:

  • She burned brightly with faith.
  • She let herself be fuelled by love of Christ.
  • She moved toward Jesus with courage, even when it meant confronting emperors or traveling across Italy.

In the parable of the Wise Virgins, those who brought oil were welcomed into the wedding feast. Those who came unprepared found the door shut

Today’s entrance antiphon invites us into the heart of St Catherine of Siena’s life: a soul ablaze with love, a lamp burning brightly for Christ.

St Catherine was not only a woman of deep action — advising popes, healing divisions — but also a mystic who spent hours contemplating the Passion of Christ.
She understood that the Resurrection does not erase the wounds of Christ. Jesus rises with His scars still visible — glorified, but not sanitized.

For St Catherine, and for us, contemplating Christ’s wounds is not morbid; it is the wellspring of wisdom.
In the wounds of the Risen Christ, she found courage, love, and the fire to live for others.

If you wish to listen to a homily which connects the love that St Catherine discovered for Christ, here is the link. 

Easter joy is not naïve.
It sees the scars and still sings “Alleluia.”
It keeps the lamp lit even in the darkness because it knows that the Bridegroom is coming.

Today we are invited to do the same — to let the memory of Christ’s Passion fuel our joy, not diminish it.
To meet Him — scarred, risen, glorious — with our lamps still burning.

 

Eastertide reminds us:

Christ has already opened the door — but we are still called to keep our lamps burning brightly until the final meeting.

Even in small ways today, we can live like the Wise Virgins — trusting, joyful, ready.

 

Spirituality in Action

How will I practice this antiphon today?

  • Check the "oil" in your spiritual life: Prayer, Scripture, love — are they part of your daily living?
  • Light a candle today in prayer, asking God to keep your lamp of faith burning brightly. Let us keep our light burning brightly even in a wounded world.
  • Choose an act of love today that you might otherwise postpone. Kindness is oil for the lamp.
  • Reflect: If Christ knocked on my door today, would I be ready to greet Him with joy?
  • Spend a few moments contemplating Christ’s wounds today especially and in our prayer time so the we remember they are now signs of victory, not defeat.
  • Pray: "Jesus, let my heart stay awake, my love stay strong, my hope stay lit."
  • If you feel weak or tired, offer that feeling to Christ — He knows the cost of waiting and of loving through suffering.


 Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus,
Keep my lamp burning brightly today.
Let wisdom guide my steps,
and let love fuel my heart,
so that whenever You call,
I may run with joy to meet You.
Alleluia.

 





Sunday, April 27, 2025

Collect Series: Second Sunday of Eastertide Year C ( Mercy Sunday).

Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.


Collect Second Sunday of Eastertide Year C ( Mercy Sunday).

COLLECT

 

God of everlasting mercy,

who in the very recurrence of the pascal feast,

Kindle the faith of the people You have made Your own,

Increase, we pray, the grace You have bestowed,

That all may grasp and rightly understand

in what font they have been washed,

By whose Spirit they have been reborn,

By whose Blood they have been redeemed.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You

In the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

  

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1.  What does God’s mercy mean to me?
2.  How have I experienced God’s mercy in my life?
3.  What grace has God bestowed on me? 
4.  What does my baptism mean to me and how does it affect my daily life?
5.  What does it mean to me to be redeemed by Jesus? 
6.  How can I live a life of mercy?

7.  What does living Easter entail for me during Eastertide and throughout the year?

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

Today we hear the Gospel of the meeting of the Risen Lord  with St Thomas. It has evoked much writing from The Fathers of the Church and has also proven to be a source of inspiration for numerous artists who have in their work tried to represent the reality of the risen Christ to His disciples 8 days after the resurrection.

Perhaps we can see ourselves in the doubting Thomas and so we can identify with his initial unbelief.  He wanted proof. Put ourselves in his shoes for a moment. Imagine being told someone you have loved and had been buried a week before is now alive.  What would really be our reaction.  Probably like Thomas- I want to see this for myself.

And yet what a response from Thomas after he saw His risen Lord. Jesus’ response to Thomas, after he recognized Him as ‘My Lord and my God’, has a mysterious fascination that must relate not so much to the disciples—those who ‘have seen’—but rather to those, like us, who were added to their number afterwards. ‘You have come to believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.’ (Jn 20:29)

The Second Sunday of Easter (the ‘eight days after,’ which is the Sunday after the Resurrection), permits us to tie our reflection to one of the most significant Eucharistic hymns composed by another Thomas, St Thomas Aquinas. In the Adore Te Devote, which refers to the Eucharist, we read: ‘Sight, touch, taste are all deceived in their judgement of you. But hearing suffices firmly to believe’. Combining these words with today’s Gospel we can justly affirm that the experience ‘to see’ was not denied to us, but it is in contrast with the Apostle Thomas’ physical experience, who was able to put his own finger into the holes in Christ’s hands and side, whilst we can only comprehend it in the faith which is guarded and transmitted by the Church, our Mother and Teacher.

That which we ‘have not seen’ is therefore the glorious Body of the Risen One. However, today we have the ability to ‘listen’ to the Word of God and the Magisterium of the Church and so we can ‘see’the real Body of Christ which is the Eucharist. We can ‘see’ His Mystical Body which is the Church. We can ‘see’ Him in our lives and in the lives of our many brothers who, after meeting the Lord in a real but mysterious way, are united to Him in His Spirit!

Like Thomas, Christ calls us to fill the holes left by the instruments of the passion in His Body with our own hands so that our lives and the verbal witness that we give proclaim His Resurrection. Our senses could betray us, but we know that we have met the Risen One and we have recognized Him!

MERCY SUNDAY

  This Sunday is popularly known as Mercy of God Sunday. Between 1930 and 1938 Christ appeared to Sister Faustina, a Sister of Mercy in Poland who initiated the Divine Mercy devotion. She was canonized on April 30, 2000, the Sunday after Easter, the Feast of Divine Mercy. On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that Blessed Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the following Saturday. Jesus also asked that a picture be painted according to the vision of Himself as the fountain of mercy. He gave her a chaplet to be recited and said that it was appropriate to pray the chaplet at three o'clock each afternoon (the Hour of Great Mercy).

Jesus to Sr. Faustina

On one occasion, I heard these words: "My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.

"[Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice.

"From all My wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy. From this fountain spring all graces for souls. The flames of compassion burn Me. I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls. Speak to the whole world about My mercy."

Excerpted from Diary of Sr. M. Faustina Kowalska.

 

 On this second Sunday of Easter, ''Mercy Sunday'', the gospel gives a clear description of the institution of the  sacrament of Reconciliation- Jesus giving His disciples to forgive sins in His name. Obviously, every priest who hears confession gives the sign and the words of absolution, provided that the conditions of the penitent have been met.  Absolution is not a given if the disposition of the penitent is clearly not meeting the criteria that a priest must weigh up before giving absolution.  However, it is Christ Himself hidden in the priest who hears our sins and gives us absolution.  Some people think that they are confessing only to a priest and forget this essential element.  

 As we celebrate Mercy Sunday, let us give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and everlasting love.

Let's get Practical: How does God's Mercy extend to us in the Church ?

On this Mercy Sunday, let us take the opportunity given us by the Church to receive a plenary indulgence by receiving communion at Mass, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The church knows that it is not always possible to receive the sacrament on this day itself. It provides us with the same graces and opportunity  by allowing us to receive the sacrament with the appropriate disposition and requirements within a week before or after the feast) and say the prayers for the Holy Father.  Given that Pope Francis has died and that currently we are in transition whilst we wait for the conclave, those prayers for the Pope can either be directed towards the soul of Pope Francis and to pray for the upcoming conclave of the cardinals who will elect a new pope.