Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy) - Year A
April 23, 2017
Gospel: Jn 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.
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(*)To retain means to keep or remember something. Hence, to retain
a sin means not to forgive it.
This week’s spotlight
The Easter season
From Easter Sunday all the way to Pentecost, we
celebrate the Easter season. Lent, the season of penance, was forty days long,
but this joyful season lasts fifty days.Throughout this season, the Priest
wears white as a sign of joy. We rejoice that Jesus Christ died and rose to
forgive our sins and open the gates of heaven. Death has no more power over
those who believe in Jesus. Let us rejoice, alleluia!
“l believe in one God”
The Nicene Creed is a text we recite out loud with the
Priest to profess our faith. This text is very old. The Bishops of the world
came together to write it 1,700 years ago! It is called "Nicene"
because the Bishops wrote it in the city of Nicea. It is called a “creed"
because it summarizes our faith. Creed comes from the Latin "credo,"
which means “I believe."
Reflection
You are my Lord!
The incredible news spreads: “Jesus is
alive! He is risen!” But how can we believe such a thing? Who saw him? Only a
few women, the disciples, and his friends claim that it’s true. How do we know
they weren’t just believing what they wanted to be true? Saint Thomas was with
us on that question. On the first Easter evening, he wasn’t there. Later, the
other Apostles ran to him exclaiming, “We have seen the Lord!” Thomas, however,
could not rejoice with them. “Unless I see...” he protested,"! will not
believe." One week later he does see Jesus, and he cries out, “My Lord and
my God!” Do you believe that Jesus is risen? You have not seen him, but you
have received the gift of faith at your baptism. You can make faith grow each
day by choosing new life in Christ, by praying with Saint Thomas, “My Lord and
my God!”
Discussion questions
1.Why are the disciples behind locked doors?
2.How does Jesus greet his followers when he appears to them?
3.What message does Jesus bring?
4.Why is it hard for Thomas to believe in the Risen Lord?
5.How does Thomas come to believe?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in communion with the whole
Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Father, through Jesus Christ, in
union with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart On this day
when we celebrate again your Son's victory over sin and death, I want to thank
you for your healing mercy. Thank you so much for your forgiveness and love.
Let my joy and love be a light to the whole world.
This week…
Reflecting on your prayers
How do you pray? Do you always pray the same way? There are four basic
types of prayer: "please," "I love you," "I'm
sorry," and “thanks.” Try to use all four types in your daily prayers this
week!
Pray in different ways
Make the sign of the cross, then try staying silent a minute or two.
Think about the fact that God sees you and wants to bless you. To be silent and
listen to God is prayer, too. When you sense his presence, think about Thomas’
words: “My Lord and my God!"
Word Jumble
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm