Collect Series: Second Sunday of Easter Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series

COLLECT SERIES

 

COLLECT

 

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Eastertide reads as follows:

 

God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast

 kindle the faith of the people you have made your own,

Increase, we pray, the grace You have bestowed,

that all my grasp and right understand in what font they have been washed,

by whose Spirit they have bee 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

 

1.    What does God’s mercy mean to me?

2.    How will I celebrate Mercy Sunday?

3.    In what areas of my faith does my faith need kindling?

4.    What does it mean to me be to be reborn in the Spirit?

5.    What difference will it make to my life this coming week to have been redeemed by Jesus?

“Peace be with you… Receive the Holy Spirit.”

The Gospel opens in a locked room.

The disciples are not gathered in triumph, but in fear.
The doors are shut. Their hearts are shut. Their hopes feel shattered.

And into that space—without force, without accusation—Jesus comes.

“Peace be with you.”

Not once, but three times.  This is not just a greeting. It is the first act of mercy.

Jesus does not say: “Where were you?” “Why did you abandon me?”

Instead, He gives them exactly what they do not deserve and deeply need:
peace, presence, and restoration.

 

 The Wounds That Speak Mercy

Jesus shows them His hands and His side.

These wounds are not hidden.
They are not erased by the Resurrection.

They remain—transformed, not as signs of defeat, but as signs of love that endured.

This is the heart of Divine Mercy Sunday.

In the revelations to Saint Faustina Kowalska, Jesus asks that we contemplate the rays flowing from His heart:

• Red – the blood (life poured out)
• Pale – the water (mercy washing and healing)

The same reality is present in this Gospel:
The open side of Christ becomes the source of mercy for the world.

 

Thomas: The Honest Disciple

Then comes Thomas.

He is often remembered for his doubt—but perhaps he is simply the most honest.

He does not settle for second-hand faith. He wants encounter.  “Unless I see… unless I touch…”

And what does Jesus do? He returns.  He comes again—for one person.

This is Divine Mercy in action:

• Patient
• Personal
• Persistent

Jesus meets Thomas exactly where he is, not where he “should” be.

 “My Lord and My God”

When Thomas encounters Jesus, everything changes.

Notice: he never actually touches the wounds.

The invitation alone is enough.

What he receives is not proof—it is mercy.

And his response is the most profound profession of faith in the Gospel:

“My Lord and my God.”

 

 Divine Mercy Sunday – The Heart of the Gospel

This Sunday is not an “extra theme.” It is the unfolding of the Resurrection itself.

Mercy is not something Jesus does after rising—
Mercy is what the Resurrection reveals.

• The locked doors → opened by mercy
• The fearful disciples → restored by mercy
• The doubting Thomas → embraced by mercy

And now…

You.

 Personal Reflection

Where are the “locked doors” in your life right now?

• A fear you haven’t voiced
• A disappointment that still lingers
• A place where your faith feels uncertain

Jesus does not wait for you to fix it.

He comes into it.

And He speaks the same words:

“Peace be with you.”

 

A Prayer for Mercy Sunday

Jesus,
You come into the closed rooms of my life
without judgment, without hesitation.

Show me Your wounds—
not to shame me,
but to remind me how deeply I am loved.

In my doubts, be patient with me.
In my fears, speak Your peace.
In my weakness, pour out Your mercy.

Like Thomas,
may I come to know You not just in my mind,
but in a living encounter—

and say with my whole heart:
My Lord and my God. Amen.

Praying the Communion antiphon series Eastertide: Thursday of the Easter Octave (Easter Thursday)

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Eastertide

He is Risen as He Said

 Easter Thursday — A Chosen People

Communion Antiphon

“O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia.” (cf. 1 Peter 2:9)

 

1. Thinking about the Words

“Chosen… called… proclaim…”

These are not passive words.

They speak of:

• identity
• movement
• mission

 

 Chosen people

Not because of achievement or not because of worthiness but because God has drawn us to Himself.

 

Called out of darkness

This is very real. Darkness is not abstract: It is

• confusion
• fear
• sin
• heaviness

We know it.

And yet:

we are called out not left there

 

Into his wonderful light

Not just light— but wonderful light

There is joy here. Beauty. Clarity. Life.

 Proclaim

Not keep it. Not hold it quietly. But share it.

 

2. The Gospel Connection — Encounter

Today’s Gospel (Gospel of Luke 24:35–48) continues the moment of encounter.

The disciples:

• have seen
• have heard
• have touched

And now Jesus opens their minds to understand.

 

And then: He sends them

 

Now hold the antiphon and the Gospel together:

• The antiphon says: “proclaim the mighty works”
• The Gospel shows: disciples being prepared to be sent

 

They are no longer:

• just witnesses
• just receivers

They are becoming proclaimers

 

 3. For Us — Where is Resurrection today?

If I have been:

• called
• brought out of darkness
• drawn into light

Then this is not only for me.

 

Where might I be invited today to:

• speak a word of hope
• share something of faith
• live in a way that reflects light

 

Not loudly or not forcefully. Rather simply  as someone who has been called

 

A quiet question

Do I live as though I am still in darkness…
Do I live as someone who has already been brought into light?

 

Why do the disciples not recognise Him?

After the Resurrection, Jesus is:

• the same
• and yet not the same

He is not a ghost. He is not a different person. He is transformed.

We see this across the Gospels:

• Mary Magdalene thinks He is the gardener
• the disciples on the road do not recognise Him
• even in the upper room, they are startled

So yes—His appearance is not immediately recognisable in the ordinary way.

 

2. But the deeper reason is within them

This is the more important layer. Their minds and hearts are still shaped by:

• grief
• shock
• trauma
• expectation of death

They have seen:

• crucifixion
• loss
• the end of everything they hoped for

 

So even when Jesus stands before them: they are not yet able to receive what they are seeing

 

 3. Their expectation is “stuck”:

“their brain had got stuck… in a loop”  They are still living inside the belief:

 “Jesus is dead” So everything they see is filtered through that.  Even truth… gets misinterpreted.

 

 4. Recognition comes as a gift, not a deduction

This is very important. They do not “figure it out.”

Instead:

• Mary hears her name
• the disciples recognise Him in the breaking of the bread
• Jesus opens their minds

 Recognition is given, not achieved

 

 5. When there is too much to process

When something is overwhelming:

• the mind protects itself
• it slows things down
• it cannot absorb everything at once

So, the Resurrection is not: instantly understood. It is: gradually received

 

So what is “stopping” them?

Not just one thing:

• a transformed presence
• grief and trauma
• fixed expectations
• emotional overwhelm

And yet…

Nothing is actually blocking Jesus.  He keeps:

• coming
• speaking
• showing
• giving

 

And this is where it becomes very personal

Because we do the same.

Sometimes:

• we don’t recognise grace
• we don’t recognise His presence
• we don’t recognise what is new

Not because He is not there. But because we are still holding onto what we expected.

 

You might carry this today:

“Lord… help my heart catch up with what You are doing.”

 

 Final thought

The disciples are not failing.  They are: being led, step by step, into something too big for them

And Jesus is incredibly patient with that.

 

And so with us.  He does not rush us or put pressure on us to “get it.”

 He invites us to just:  walk, listen, receive. Until… recognition comes.

The Church gives us 50 days to celebrate this Resurrection.

 4. Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You have called me out of darkness
into Your wonderful light.

Help me to live as one who is chosen,
not in pride,
but in gratitude.

Give me the courage to proclaim,
not with many words,
but through the way I live this day.

Let Your light be seen in me.

Alleluia.

 

He is Risen As He Said.

Come Holy Spirit: The Spirit of Revelation

 Come Holy Spirit Series

Come Holy Spirit

 Come Holy Spirit — The Spirit of Revelation

 A New Beginning in Easter Light

Having journeyed through Lent and entered into the joy of the Resurrection, we return to our Come Holy Spirit series ( a once a week post)  not to begin again, but to go deeper.

Over the past year, we have explored the gifts, the fruits, and the names of the Holy Spirit. Now, in this season of Easter, we turn our attention to living more consciously with the Spirit, allowing Him to prepare our hearts for Pentecost.

We begin with a title that is both powerful and essential:

The Spirit of Revelation

 

Scriptural Foundation

“God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:10

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth…”
— John 16:13

 

 What Is the Spirit of Revelation?

Revelation is not simply learning something new.

It is:

• truth being uncovered
• eyes being opened
• the heart suddenly understanding

The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Revelation does not just give information —
He reveals what was already there, but unseen.

This is exactly what we see after the Resurrection.

The disciples had heard Jesus, walked with Him and witnessed miracles

And yet… they did not fully understand. It was only after the Resurrection, and through the work of the Spirit, that everything began to make sense

 

 Revelation in the Light of the Resurrection

Think of the road to Emmaus (Luke 24).

Jesus walks with them  but they do not recognise Him

Then:

• the Scriptures are opened
• their hearts begin to burn
• their eyes are opened

This is the work of the Spirit of Revelation. The Spirit does not force or is overwhelming but is gently faithful. Then we can say Now I see.

 

How the Spirit of Revelation Works in Us

The Spirit of Revelation is at work when:

• A Scripture you’ve read many times suddenly speaks personally
• A situation becomes clear after prayer
• You recognise God’s hand in something you previously resisted
• You see yourself truthfully — not harshly, but honestly
• You begin to understand why God has been leading you a certain way

This is not human reasoning.

This is:
light from within

 

A Personal Reflection

It can be very easy (and very human) to try to figure everything out.

To analyse, solve and control. The Spirit of Revelation does not work like that.

The Holy Spirit may not  always give answers immediately.

Instead, He:

• opens gradually
• reveals gently
• waits for our readiness

And then… almost unexpectedly:

something shifts
something becomes clear

 something lands

Not because we worked it out  but  because He showed us

 

Living With the Spirit of Revelation

As we move through Eastertide, this becomes our invitation:

• To slow down
• To listen more deeply
• To allow the Spirit to reveal — rather than forcing understanding

This is how we prepare for Pentecost.

Not by striving but by becoming open.

 

For Reflection This Week

• Where am I trying to “figure things out” instead of waiting on the Spirit?
• When have I experienced a moment of sudden clarity that felt like grace?
• What might the Holy Spirit be gently trying to reveal to me right now?
• Sit with a scripture from this week. Enter into the scripture. Allow the Spirit to reveal something to you… a word, a phrase that jumps off the page, you may wish to become one of the disciples after the resurrection or the women who came back to tell the disciples or the disciples on the way to Emmaus.
• What graces do I wish to receive at Pentecost? Ask the Holy Spirit for those graces I desire and for the graces He knows I need.
• Choose a few verses of scripture either from the gospel, first reading or psalms  and allow them to take root in our hearts. Ask the Holy Spirit to give us insight into these scriptures and how I might live them out.
• Pray a simple heartfelt prayer to the Holy Spirit asking to Him to come closer.welcome Him since He is the third person of the Trinity. Holy Spirit I want to know you as my best friend. come and reside in me.

 

 Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Revelation.
Open the eyes of my heart.

Where I am blind, bring light.
Where I am confused, bring clarity.
Where I am closed, gently open me.

Reveal to me the truth of who You are,
the truth of who I am,
and the path You are inviting me to walk.

Teach me to wait for Your light
rather than rush ahead without it.

Come, Holy Spirit.
Reveal what I cannot see on my own.
Amen.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon series: Eastertide Wednesday of the Easter Octave

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series Eastertide

He is risen as He said

Wednesday of the Easter Octave (Easter Wednesday)

Hearts Burning

Communion Antiphon
“The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread, alleluia.” (cf. Luke 24:35)

 

1. Thinking about the Words

Recognized… in the breaking of the bread.

 The Recognized did not at the beginning or on the road or not even while He was speaking.

But in the breaking.

This is so gentle—and so precise.

The disciples had:

• walked with Him
• listened to Him
• spoken with Him

…and still did not recognise Him until this moment.

 

There is something here about how recognition happens.

Not always:

• quickly
• or clearly
• or when we expect it

But often:

in the quiet, familiar action

in the moment of giving and receiving

 

 2. The Gospel Connection — Encounter

Today’s Gospel (Gospel of Luke 24:13–35) unfolds slowly.

Two disciples are walking away:

• from Jerusalem
• from hope
• from what they thought would be

Jesus comes alongside them but they do not recognise Him.

He listens. He explains. He walks with them. And then, at table:

·         He takes

·          Blesses

·         Breaks

·         gives

And suddenly:

their eyes are opened

 

Now hold the antiphon and the Gospel together:

• The Gospel shows the moment
• The antiphon gives us the meaning

They recognised Him in the breaking of the bread

 

This is where it becomes deeply Eucharistic because this is not just their story.  This is our story—every time we come to Communion.

 

 3. For Us — Where is Resurrection today?

How often do I say:

• Where are You, Lord?
• Why can’t I see You?
• Why does this feel unclear?

And yet…

He may already be:

• walking beside me
• listening to me
• speaking into my life

 

·         The disciples only recognised Him:

·         when they stayed

·         when they received

·         when the bread was broken

 

Where might I be invited today:

• to stay a little longer
• to listen more deeply
• to receive what is being given

 

And especially:

When I receive Communion…

do I pause, even briefly, to recognise?

 

 4. Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You walk with me, even when I do not recognise You.

When my heart is slow to see,

stay with me.

Open my eyes in the breaking of the bread,

that I may know Your presence.

in the quiet and familiar moments of this day.

Let my heart burn within me

as You speak and as You give Yourself to me.

Alleluia.

 

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series Eastertide: Tuesday of the Easter Octave( Easter Tuesday)

 Praying the Communion Antiphon series Eastertide

He is risen as He said

 Easter Tuesday

Communion Antiphon
“If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; think of what is above, not of what is on earth, alleluia.” (cf. Colossians 3:1–2)

 

1. Thinking about the Words

There is an if at the beginning.

“If you have risen with Christ…”

Not a doubt—but an invitation to remember who we are now.

Through the Resurrection, something has already happened:

• we are no longer where we were
• we are no longer only earthly
• we are already drawn into something more

Therefore  the antiphon calls us to:

• seek
• set our minds

This is active. Intentional.

Not drifting but choosing where our heart rests.

 

 2. The Gospel Connection — Encounter

Today’s Gospel (Gospel of John 20:11–18) brings us to Mary Magdalene at the tomb.

She is:

• weeping
• searching
• looking for Jesus

Even when He stands before her she does not recognise Him.

Why? Because her heart is still fixed on what is earthly:

• the body
• what has been lost
• what she expects to find

And then everything changes with one word:

“Mary.”

 

Now hold the antiphon and the Gospel together:

• The antiphon says: “seek the things that are above”
• The Gospel shows: recognition comes when the heart is lifted beyond what it expects

Mary is not wrong in her love but she is still looking in the wrong way.

It is only when Jesus calls her by name that her gaze is lifted and she sees.

 

3. For Us — Where is Resurrection today?

Where is my mind resting today?

• on what is missing
• on what feels unresolved
• on what I expected but did not receive

The antiphon gently shifts us:

·         Seek what is above

·         Set your mind there

This of course is not as an escape from life but but as a way of seeing life differently since Christ is not absent.
He is present—often unrecognised until something in us lifts.

Sometimes all it takes is:

• a pause
• a prayer
• a quiet calling of our name

Taking The Communion Antiphon Further:

Already there is thread of the Octave between the 2 days- not as separate days but a movement.

From yesterday to today

Yesterday:

“Do not be afraid.”

Today:

“Seek what is above.”

They belong together because you cannot truly lift your heart while it is still held down by fear.

The movement

Yesterday, Jesus meets us in our fear and says:

Do not be afraid.

He does not remove everything but He loosens fear’s grip.

Today, the Church says:

Now… lift your gaze.
Now… seek what is above.

 

The deeper connection

Fear does this:

• pulls us down
• fixes our eyes on what is wrong
• keeps us circling the same place

Resurrection does this:

• frees
• lifts
• reorients

So the journey is:

From fear to lifting
From being held to seeking
From looking down  to looking up

 

And it fits the Gospels perfectly

• Yesterday: the women are afraid… but moving
• Today: Mary is searching… but not yet seeing

And in both:
Jesus meets them where they are and gently draws them further

Yesterday we heard: “Do not be afraid.”
Today we are invited to lift our hearts beyond fear,
to seek what is above, where Christ is.

We may wish to ponder:

·         What fear from yesterday is still sitting in me today?

·         Can I lift it even slightly—toward Him?

 

4. Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You call me by name.

When my mind is fixed only on what is before me,
lift my heart to where You are.

Teach me to seek what is above,
not by leaving my life behind,
but by seeing it in the light of Your Resurrection.

Open my eyes to recognise You
in the ordinary moments of this day.

Alleluia.