Second
Sunday of Easter
(or
Sunday of Divine Mercy)
It-Tieni Hadd tal-l-Ghid
(jew Il-Hadd tal-Hniena Divina)
Messalin
C 195
Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the
hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico. None of the others dared to join
them, but the people esteemed them. Yet
more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were
added to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid
them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall
on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the
vicinity of Jerusalem
L-Ewwel Qari - mill-Ktieb ta’ l-Atti ta’ l-Appostli
5, 12-16
Bis-saħħa
tal-appostli kienu jsiru ħafna sinjali u mirakli fost il-poplu.
U huma lkoll qalb waħda kienu jinġabru
flimkien fil-portiku ta’ Salamun, u ħadd
mill-oħrajn ma kien jissogra jissieħeb
magħhom; imma kulħadd kien ifaħħarhom ħafna.
L-għadd ta’ dawk li kienu jemmnu fil-Mulej, kemm irġiel kemm nisa, kien dejjem jiżdied u joktor, hekk li
kienu wkoll iġorru l-morda tagħhom fuq
sodod u mtieraħ u jqegħduhom fil-pjazez
biex, xħin jgħaddin Pietru, jaqa’ mqar
id-dell tiegħu fuq xi ħadd minnhom. In-nies kienu jiġu mill-ibliet ta’ madwar Ġerusalemm,
iġorru l-morda u lil dawk li kienu maħkuma mill-ispirti mniġġsa; lkoll kienu
jitfejqu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R./ Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.” R/:
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just: R/:
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.” R/:
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just: R/:
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it. R/:
Salm Responsorjali -- Salm 117 (118)
R/ Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Ħa
jgħidu wlied Iżrael:
“Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu”
Ħa
tgħid dar Aron:
“Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu.”
Ħa
jgħidu dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej:
“Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu.” R/
Il-ġebla
li warrbu l-bennejja
saret
il-ġebla tax-xewka.
Bis-saħħa
tal-Mulej seħħ dan:
ħaġa
tal-għaġeb f’għajnejna.
Dan
hu l-jum li għamel il-Mulej;
ħa
nifirħu u nithennew fih!” R/
Ejja,
nitolbuk, Mulej, salvana!
Ejja,
nitolbuk, Mulej, agħtina r-riżq!
Imbierek
minn
Inberkukom
minn
Jaħweħ
hu Alla; hu d-dawl tagħna. R/
Reading 2 - Revelations 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in
Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos
because I proclaimed God’s word and gave
testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind
me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you see.” Then
I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw
seven gold lampstands and in the midst
of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around
his chest. When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He
touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one
who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write
down, therefore, what you have seen, and
what is happening, and what will happen
afterwards.” This is the Word of the Lord.
It-Tieni Qari
- mill-Ktieb tal-Apokalissi 1, 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
Jiena, Ġwanni, ħukom u sieħeb tagħkom fit-taħbit u fis-saltna u fis-sabar
ma’ Ġesu’, jien sibt ruħi fil-gżira jisimha
Patmos minħabba l-Kelma ta’ Alla u x-xhieda ta’ Ġesu’. Darba f’jum il-Mulej, ħassejtni
merfugħ fl-Ispirtu, u minn nara
min kien qiegħed ikellimni; u kif dort, rajt
seba’ kandelabri tad-deheb, u f’nofs il- tara , kemm il-ħwejjeġ li hawn issa u
kemm dawk li jiġru ‘l quddiem. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Gospel - John 20:19-31
On the evening of that
first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for
fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace
be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw
the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive
the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive
are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called
Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless
I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks and
put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples
were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were
locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to
Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my
hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving,
but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said
to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not
seen and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
L-Evanġelju
- Qari
skont San Ġwann 20,
19-31
Dakinhar filgħaxija, fl-ewwel
jum tal-ġimgħa, meta d-dixxipli kienu
flimkien imbeżżgħa mill-Lhud, bil-bibien
magħluqa, ġie Ġesu’ u qagħad f’nofshom; u qalilhom:
“Is-Sliem għalikom!” Kif qal hekk,
uriehom idejh u ġenbu. Id-dixxipli ferħu meta raw lill-Mulej.
Imbagħad Ġesu’ tenna jgħidilhom:”Is-Sliem għalikom! Kif
il-Missier bagħat lili, hekk jien nibgħat lilkom.” Kif
qal hekk, nefaħ fuqhom u qalilhom: “Ħudu
l-Ispirtu s-Santu. Dawk li taħfrulhom dnubiethom ikunu maħura, u dawk li żżommuhomlhom ikunu miżmuma.” Tumas,
wieħed mit-Tnax, jgħidulu t-Tewmi, ma kienx magħhom, meta ġie Ġesu’.Għalhekk id-dixxipli
l-oħra qalulu: “Rajna lill-Mulej.” Iżda
hu qalilhom: “Jekk ma narax f’idejh il-marka
tal-imsiemer u ma nqiegħedx sebgħi fuq il-marka tal-imsiemer u idi fuq ġenbu, jien ma nemminx.” Tmint ijiem wara, id-dixxipli tiegħu kienu ġewwa, u
Tumas magħhom. Il-bibien kienu magħluqa,imma
Ġesu’ daħal, qagħad f’nofshom, u
qalilhom: “Is-Sliem għalikom!” Imbagħad qal lil Tumas:”Ġib sebgħek hawn u ara idejja, u ressaq idek u qegħedha
fuq ġenbi; tkunx bniedem bla fidi, iżda
emmen.” Wieġeb Tumas u qallu: “Mulej
tiegħi u Alla tiegħi!” Qallu Ġesu’: “Emmint għax rajtni! Ħenjin
dawk li ma rawx u emmnu.” Hemm ħafna sinjali oħra li Ġesu’ għamel quddiem
id-dixxipli tiegħu u li m’humiex
imniżżla f’dan il-ktieb. Iżda dawn
inkitbu inkitbu sabiex intom temmnu li Ġesu’
hu l-Messija l-Iben ta’ Alla, u biex
bit-twemmin tagħkom ikollokom il-ħajja f’ismu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
/////////////////////////////
Mercy Is the Flower of Love
Commentary
by Archbishop
What I’d like to underline regarding this Sunday’s Gospel is the
fact that, in order to help Saint
Thomas
Today we are asked to remember the
encounter of an incredulous man who was allowed to put his hand into Christ’s
chest. From Christ’s heart pierced by sin surges the wave of mercy. Even if our
sins were dark as the night, divine mercy is stronger than our misery. Only one
thing is needed, that the sinner leaves ajar the door of his heart … God will
do the job.
St Faustina Kowalska wrote that
everything begins in His mercy and everything ends in His mercy. For this
reason Blessed John Paul II had dedicated the Second Sunday of Easter to Divine
Mercy.
In fact next Sunday’s liturgy starting
with the first prayer is a liturgy of mercy. Undoubtedly John Paul II’s
decision was inspired by the private revelations of St Faustina who saw two
rays of light, a red one which represents blood and a white one which represents
water, coming out from the chest of Christ. If blood recalls the sacrifice of
the cross and the gift of the Eucharist, water recalls baptism and the gift of
the Holy Spirit. (Jn 3:5; 4:14; 7:37-39)
Through the pierced chest of the
crucified Christ, divine mercy reaches humanity. Jesus is “Love and Mercy
personified” (St Faustina Kowlaska, Diaries 374). Mercy is the “second name” of
Love (Dives in misericordia, 7) caught in his most deep and tender meaning and
in his ability to take charge of every need, above all of the need of
forgiveness. “The great wound of the soul is the great mercy of God” (Saint
Eusebius).
Jesus “uses” the ointment of his
chest’s sore to cure Thomas’s heart, which has been wounded by incredulity. The
medicine of his mercy is greater than human sins. He goes to Thomas, to his
disciples and to every one of us and doesn’t ask “What did you do?” but “Do you
love me?” as He did to Peter on the lake’s shore after the resurrection. The
answer that Peter and we have is our pain, but that’s enough for Him. In the
same way He did with Peter, He confirms us in his merciful love, a love that
makes free, heals and saves.
We are poor and fragile things, but we
can rejoice if we say, “My God I trust you” (as suggested to Saint Faustina by Jesus;
Diaries, 327) because the announcement of this mercy is source of gladness:
Jesus is mercy. He is the envoy by the Father to let us know that the supreme
characteristic of the essence of God is mercy.
We should ask ourselves if we are
always conscious of the fact that we live because of God’s mercy and of his
charity that gives us life, freedom, love, hope, forgiveness and all graces. We
should also ask ourselves if we practice charity. Charity is a fact that
touches the roots of man’s life because it is acceptance of the way of living
of Christ, who “for your sake became poor although he was rich, so that by his
poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). It is the acceptance that Christ is
the richness of our life and that we must follow him without regretting what we
leave behind. (Mt 19, 21)
Charity – mercy is not pure and simple
philanthropy, but it is the love for Christ that we reach through our poorest
brothers: “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you
did for me.” (Mt 25). This is why Christ accepts the fact that the most
expensive perfume is “wasted” on him instead of being sold to get money for the
poor. Christ is the valid foundation of every love for the poor.
Mercy
as vocation
Even pain is reversed: since Christ is
resurrected “all the pain of the world is not the pain of agony but the pain of
childbirth” (Paul Claudel). Then life can be lived as a feast, the Resurrected
offers imagination and courage to create the “new thing.” Human ideologies and
utopias break against the rock of death. Jesus opens the doors of the Christian
hope that doesn’t disappoint and does not resolve to a “wish denied.” No cross,
no test, no drama can take away peace or extinguish the joy which comes from
the Resurrection.
The Easter of the Resurrection shows
that death wins only for “a little while” and does not have the last word.
Our vocation like the one of Thomas and
the apostles is to announce the Gospel of Mercy, to tell about the Father’s
mercy through the ability of forgiveness and remission of sins (for the ones of
us who are priests). Everybody, the lay people and priests, are called to be
yeast of mercy.
If we listen to the Gospel, the
expression “gracious and merciful is the LORD” (Ps 111:4) who with
indescribable goodness gave to us his only Son, our Redeemer, becomes clearer.
In being able through the Church to
experience the love with which God had loved us ( Eph 2,4), let’s welcome his
mercy and let’s proclaim him inside the Christian community and in the world.
We are called to be yeast of mercy in the world’s dough. We do not belong to
the world, we belong to Christ and we share his mission to be yeast of mercy to
resurrect the world.
We have an example of this in the face
of Jesus’ Mother which is reflected in the face of the consecrated virgins who
try to follow the divine Master and to be sign of divine mercy and tenderness
for humankind.
Let’s follow the invitation of Pope
Francis: “let’s learn to be merciful with everybody. Let’s invoke the
intercession of the Virgin who had in her arms the Mercy of God made man’ (Pope
Francis, Angelus, March 14th, 2013).
Mercy is God’s love in excess by which
the consecrated Virgins live, donating themselves completely to Christ. It is
the measure filled and overflowing beyond justice, neither commensurate to the
merit of the other person nor to their own interests. They evangelize through
mercy because, like Mary, in virginity they welcome the dead Christ in their
lap and proclaim His forgiveness.
They are sure of the Emmanuel, of the
“God with us” to whom they offer their life to be with him, Holy Bread of
mercy, who forgives and renews life.
Experimenting God’s forgiveness and
forgiving always, we become certain that His power is greater than our
weakness. We are certain of the “God with us.” Joy can come only from this
certainty and joy can come only from the certainty of the “God” within. We
should ask ourselves if we are conscious of the fact that we live because of
God’s mercy, of his charity that gives life, freedom, love, hope, forgiveness
and all graces. Through them Christ’ mercy continues to be the gift of life, of
the life lived in Christ, with Christ and for Christ-Mercy. /////
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