St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are in the second Sunday of Easter also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The first reading tells us about the Apostles receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and Peter’s speech to the crowd led to the baptizing of 3,000 people. The reading presents the ideal community way of living. It is by devoting to the teachings of the apostles, dedicating themselves to communal life and to the breaking of the bread. How does this first Christian community life stand as a model for our modern community life?

The second reading tells us about the blessing of God and the truths that motivate this blessing. It is the great mercy of God which grants a new birth to a living hope. Knowledge of our salvation through Jesus’ resurrection strengthens us in times of suffering that test our faith. This is the reality for the early Christian community as well as for us today. How do we strive to progress in our faith even in times of suffering?

In the gospel we hear the Risen Christ appearing to the disciples in the locked doors and making more tangible by His showing them His wounds. This proves His transcendence from the mere physical. He imparts His peace to them as they were not in peace. The Risen Christ, knowing their fear, will first fill them with courage by the gift of the Holy Spirit. We also hear about the confession of Thomas once seeing and touching the wounds of the Risen Christ. Are we at peace with the Risen Christ? What is our sincere confession to Him?

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony