Idenity, mark and testimony
Second Sunday in Easter Time - April 24, 2022
Acts 5: 12-16; Revelation 1: 9-13,17-19; John 20:19-31
This Sunday is liturgically called the Low Sunday which marks the end of the Easter Octave. "Eight days later", indicates the Gospel today; it was a week later that Jesus appears to all the eleven, including Thomas and patiently, mercifully and lovingly leads them to true faith. The feast of Divine Mercy was instituted and fixed for this day by the late Pope John Paul II, who was canonised (declared a saint officially) on this Sunday eight years ago! Along with him a Pope so much loved for his compassion and mercifulness towards everyone, Pope John XXIII was raised to the altar too. All of these give us one strong message today: MERCY! The first reading speaks of how the early community of Christians becomes a mighty witness to the Lord. They were the epitome of the command that Jesus gave, 'be merciful as your heavenly father is merciful'. Mercy becomes their way of life, or rather their renewed way of life. As a mark of being a Christian, mercifulness to each other specially to those in need, becomes the point of attraction for many...and as the reading goes - the Lord added to their number everyday!
Mercy, we know, is the high point of Christian identity. But what matters most is how it is lived on a daily basis. It begins with our life at home: with our dear ones, elderly parents, sickly loved ones, troublesome children, rebellious youngsters... how is our relationship? What level of patience and acceptance do we manifest? At a larger level of the society and the human history, how do we choose to resolve issues and claims - can we be really called Christians if we resort to war, violence and killing?
The Second reading speaks to us of the source of mercy, God the father of Jesus Christ who in mercy sent the only Son for our salvation! This is probably the unique place where the Lord refers to himself in the risen form: I was dead and now I am to live for ever and ever and I hold the keys of death... This is a very strong manifestation of God with us, not just in the incarnate form, but in the resurrected form - that is, in all splendour, glory and might. Once we realise that, our whole life changes, thinking of our blessedness and our unworthiness of this mighty presence of God with us.
The Mercy of God is given to us as the example and the measure of our "genuineness of faith"! Preaching and believing in high ideals of love and compassion, if we but hate people and divide families, envy others and detest their well being... we are far far away from God, the God of Mercy and compassion. Jesus' encounter with the disciples after his resurrection manifests a special quality of mercy... it is an encounter that is full of unlimited forgiveness and unconditional love! There is no demand that the disciples have to render an account for having abandoned Jesus at the crucial moment of suffering, for having betrayed him or having denied him! All that Jesus does is, tell them he is with them and invite them to be his witnesses throughout the world.
That is the mercy of God embodied, incarnate, which dwelt among us in flesh and blood and dwells among us today in the Resurrected Lord and in the Spirit. This experience cannot be a frozen, static and documented fact; it has to be a vivacious, dynamic, lived and shared goodness.
Mercy, hence, has to be lived today in forgiveness and love; there can be no place for grudge and grievance, envy and slander, cheating and stealing, killing and enmity. There is no need for us to justify ourselves or be ashamed of our weaknesses... God knows everything and wishes only our child like readiness to recognise and accept God's merciful love.
As we celebrate the Divine Mercy of Jesus...we are called to understand and accept Mercy as our mark of identity as God's own children, the distinctive character of persons who call themselves Christians! Let us be merciful as our heavenly father is merciful.
