Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord which is the most pivotal event of the Christian faith. The resurrection of the Lord marks a new mission of disciples who became witnesses of the risen Lord.

1. A New Encounter- the Christian faith is characterized as an event of an encounter. This event opens a new way of looking at Jesus, at life, and at one’s faith. Christ’s resurrection becomes an event for us to see things from the transcendent point of view. Life does not consist of what is temporal and phenomenal but what is beyond. Pope Francis said: “our Easter faith, which opens us to the encounter with the risen Lord and prepares us to welcome him into our lives, is anything but a complacent settling into some sort of “religious reassurance.” On the contrary, Easter spurs us to action, to run like Mary Magdalene and the disciples; it invites us to have eyes that can “see beyond,” to perceive Jesus, the one who lives, as the God who reveals himself and makes himself present even today, who speaks to us, goes before us, surprises us.” Easter is also an encounter of the light and the dawn of a new day and a dawn of a new encounter with the risen Christ. Benedict XVI says: “Light makes life possible. It makes encounter possible. It makes communication possible. It makes knowledge, access to reality and to truth, possible. And insofar as it makes knowledge possible, it makes freedom and progress possible. Evil hides. Light, then, is also an expression of the good that both is and creates brightness. It is daylight, which makes it possible for us to act. To say that God created light means that God created the world as a space for knowledge and truth, as a space for encounter and freedom, as a space for good and for love.”

2. A New Life- Easter is the springtime of life. It is an event that is beyond the dreadful experience and fearful anticipation of an inescapable time of death. Pope Francis said: “This is the message of Easter: we must look for him elsewhere. Christ is risen, he is alive! He is no longer a prisoner of death, he is no longer wrapped in the shroud, and therefore we cannot confine him to a fairy tale, we cannot make him a hero of the ancient world, or think of him as a statue in a museum!” A new springtime of life involves a new perspective of life. Easter invites us to approach the light rather than live in darkness. The darkness of Good Friday and Saturday had been cast out. St. Paul, in the second reading today exhorts to “think now of things above and not of the things below.” John Paul II delivered a homily on April 6, 1996 saying: “Let no one be afraid of the light of Christ! His Gospel is the light which does not bring death but which develops and brings to full maturity whatever is true, good and beautiful in every human culture. The Gospel of Christ is meant for man, for the life, peace and freedom of every individual and of all people. May you yourselves, dear catechumens, be witnesses of this, enlivened by the Holy Spirit who in a little while will be poured abundantly into your hearts.”

3. A New Witnessing- Easter is an event of witnessing Christ in a new way. Peter experienced this Easter value. “This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” Peter witnessed Jesus as no longer in the Crucifixion but how Jesus appeared to them and they “ate and drank” together. To eat and drink may refer to the Eucharist that Jesus celebrated with them as a sign that He is alive. With Christ, we come to believe in the Light. A light that enlightens the whole of human existence. Easter is the feast of the new light and the new creation. It is living in the light rather than darkness. Benedict XVI said: “The darkness that poses a real threat to mankind, after all, is the fact that he can see and investigate tangible material things, but cannot see where the world is going or whence it comes, where our own life is going, what is good and what is evil. The darkness enshrouding God and obscuring values is the real threat to our existence and to the world in general.”

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. It is a feast declared by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000 upon the request of St. Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s for the refuge and shelter of souls. Today’s readings focus on the tangible elements of God’s mercy.

1. Peace- Peace is the most evident and discernible element of God’s mercy. When the disciples were gathered in the room, Jesus appeared to them and said: “Peace be with you.” Jesus greeted them three times which is a perfect number reserved to God. The first greeting of peace illustrated the effects of His Passion. Jesus showed His side and His hands manifesting the pains and sufferings of Christ are redemptive. We are not left to ourselves every time we are in pain and in suffering. The second greeting of peace was about mission. After the greeting, Jesus said: “As the Father sent me, so I also send you.” This illustrates that our desire and struggles to live good Christian lives will be graced by Jesus’ peace. Likewise, Jesus will bless those who do mission of making Him known to others especially the act of forgiveness and reconciliation. The third greeting of peace was directly addressed to Thomas who left the other disciples and doubted that Jesus is alive. Peace will always be given by Christ to those who return to the community of believers which is the Church, to those who put faith to eradicate doubt against God.

2. Reconciliation- Reconciliation is a deep grace from God for one who seeks for forgiveness of shortcoming. It is deep because it is connected to the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus breathed on the Apostles and said: “receive, the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Reconciliation is an act of mercy from Christ. His disciples were commissioned to forgive others’ sins the way they received forgiveness from Christ. John Paul II said: “Now this power to “forgive sins” Jesus confers through the Holy Spirit upon ordinary men, themselves subject to the snare of sin, namely his apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” This is one of the most awe-inspiring innovations of the Gospel! He confers this power on the apostles also as something which they can transmit-as the church has understood it from the beginning-to their successors, charged by the same apostles with the mission and responsibility of continuing their work as proclaimers of the Gospel and ministers of Christ’s redemptive work.” (RP 29).

3. Tangibility- Tangibility is a sign of God's mercy. Jesus made Himself tangible to His Apostles and to Thomas who was doubting Christ’s resurrection to give them hope and direction in life. Jesus showed His hands and His side to the Apostles and to Thomas specifically to touch the wounds of Jesus hands and His side. Jesus spoke words to the Apostles saying “peace be with you” and to Thomas Jesus spoke words saying: “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.” Words and touching are tangible signs of God’s mercy. We thank God who speaks to us and allow us to touch Him most especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Thomas confessed immediately after hearing the words of Jesus and touching His hands and side: “My Lord, and My God.” This is indeed an essence of a liturgical act where we hear Jesus speak and touch Him in the Holy Eucharist. John Paul II clarifies saying: “The confession of sins therefore cannot be reduced to a mere attempt at psychological self-liberation even though it corresponds to that legitimate and natural need, inherent in the human heart, to open oneself to another. It is a liturgical act, solemn in its dramatic nature, yet humble and sober in the grandeur of its meaning. It is the act of the prodigal son who returns to his Father and is welcomed by him with the kiss of peace. It is an act of honesty and courage. It is an act of entrusting oneself, beyond sin, to the mercy that forgives.” (RP 31)

The Season of Easter is a wonderful season of grace. The risen Lord has become a mystery to the disciples chosen by the Lord to carry on His ministry on earth. The disciples did not fully understand what Christ meant in all his discourses and dialogue with them. It will be the power of the Holy Spirit that will enable them to grasp all the things Jesus did and spoke. Yet in the entirety of the mystery of Christ’s mission and identity, images are being used by Christ in order for us to grasp the entirety of the meaning of the mystery resurrection. Let us look into the images.

1. The number 7- It is a perfect and a liturgical number. When Peter said that he will be going back to fish and be a fisherman again after being frustrated and hurt because of Jesus’ resurrection. Some of the disciples came with him but they were unaware that they were 7 of them namely: Peter, James and John, Nathaniel, Thomas, and two other disciples. The number 7 is given importance to address human situations. When frustrated and hurt, like Peter and the other disciples, we go back to what 7 signifies. We go back to the images that reveal the mystery of God through the liturgy. It is through the seven sacraments, the seven gifts of the Spirit, or the seven last words of Jesus, etc. If the number seven is reflected in the number of apostles who went back fishing, then the mystery in the Church lies in its hierarchical institution for which the apostles signify. The Church is hierarchical and institutional.

2. The number 153- The number 153 signifies perfection and universality. Biblical commentaries would say that 153 is the number after 1+1=2, 2+2=4,4+3=7, 7+4=11,11+5=16 and so forth and so on until consequent numbers added until 17 times. The words of John in the Gospel indicated the perfection of Christ’s event, that is, the resurrection, His Words, and His identity. The miraculous catch that the disciples happened with these important connections: a) they were 7 disciples fishing, b) the words of Jesus to go back and lower their nets; c) the identity of Jesus as Perfect and as the risen Lord where all things are new; d) the universality of the fish signified with the 153 kinds which was known varieties of the time.

3. The time of the day- The Gospel of John uses a dualistic approach to bring out the meaning and the message. The dichotomy between night and day is significant in the Gospel today to illustrate the miracle that Jesus can do which is beyond human comprehension. Peter and the other disciples were fishing at night but caught nothing while Jesus commanded them go back to the deep for a catch in broad daylight and a sizeable number of fish was caught. This illustrates that Jesus is the only one who can make miracles. He is the miracle worker. He is beyond human expertise though Peter and the other disciples were fisherman themselves.

4. The Kind of Death that Peter will undergo- Jesus reveals to Peter the kind of death he would undergo. He will be feeding and tending Jesus’ sheep which is indicative of leadership and the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to feed the flock. The way Jesus invited Peter to eat breakfast with bread and fish, (bread and fish are symbols of Christ) he has also to feed Jesus to the sheep. Yet, it will be in his leadership and in his priesthood that he will die for the lambs just as the shepherd dies for his sheep. Jesus reveals his identity as God who knows how Peter would die for Him and His Church.

Today is Good Shepherd’s Sunday because the readings focus on Jesus as the Good Shepherd and besides it is placed on the fourth Sunday of Easter. It was begun by Paul VI on April 11, 1964 to pray for vocations. It is likewise called World Day of Prayer for Vocations. There is a gradual decline of vocations to the priestly and religious life all over the world. Pope Francis expresses the need for priests and religious today to accompany people in their direction of life. He said: “Nowadays, many young people feel dismayed as they look to the future. Often, they experience insecurity about their prospects of employment and a profound identity crisis, a crisis of meaning and values, which the confused messages of the digital world only aggravate. The unjust treatment of the poor and vulnerable, the indifference of a complacent and self-centered society, and the brutality of war all threaten the hopes for a fulfilling life that young people cherish in their hearts. Yet the Lord, who knows the human heart, does not abandon us in our uncertainty.  He wants us to know that we are loved, called and sent as pilgrims of hope.” The readings for Good Shepherd Sunday illustrate basic truths about risen Christ and about the flock He gathers.

1. The Sheep recognizes the Shepherd’s Voice- Shepherds keep their sheep away from wolves in safety places like caves in the evening. When morning comes, sheep do not make their way out of the caves or ranches by their own to graze themselves. They wait for the shepherd to call them by familiar sounds. They would not follow a strange sound. Once the shepherd makes a sound, as the sheep recognizes the sound, they come out and follow the shepherd. Jesus wants His sheep to listen always to His voice, His word, His call. Once the sheep is accustomed to listen to Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the sheep would not listen and follow a strange sound. Today, we pray for more vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life that the Shepherd’s voice may be heard more and more each day. Pope Francis expects that shepherds in the world today speak of God’s voice and not their own voices. They are called for service and care for others. He said: “Every vocation, once perceived in the depths of the heart, gives rise to an impulse to love and service, as an expression of hope and charity, rather than a means of self-promotion.  Vocation and hope go together in God’s plan for the happiness of each man and woman, all of whom are called by name to give their lives for others.”

2. The Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep- In the past, when sheep are already kept in fences and secured in caves. The shepherd sleeps at the mouth of the cave or near the gate of the enclosed sheep fences. He guards the sheep from the wolves and he is willing to die for his sheep just to protect the sheep from devouring enemies. Jesus explains this in the Gospel today: “No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.” A hired man would not die for the sheep because he is just paid and it is his priority to save his life more than the sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he dies for the sheep that they may live. Not only that the sheep

3. The Sheep and Shepherd in Eternal Life- The sheepfold and the shepherd are images that refer to patterns of life in this world but Jesus, as the Good Shepherd spoke of a sheepfold that are saved and led to eternal life. The first reading secures this truth: “All who were destined for eternal life came to believe…” Besides, the eternal life of the sheep is assured because of the Shepherd who lives in eternity. Jesus promised the sheep who believe and follow Him: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” St. John the Evangelist saw this eschatological truth: “I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.”

The setting of today’s Gospel is the Last Supper. John dedicated five chapters about the event of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples namely: chapters 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. During this event Jesus unfolds to his disciples the heart of a new faith and a new life in Him. The values to be learned and imbued are meaningfully distributed in the events and conspicuous acts revealed in the readings today.

1. Departure- There are two departures that are illustrated in the readings today. First, is the departure of Judas from the Last Supper. He left Jesus and he left the apostles. The Gospel tells us that “Judas left them.” This form of departure is founded on disbelief and the lack of love for Christ and His Church symbolized by the disciples and the Holy Eucharist. The second departure is Christ glorifying God through His Passion and Death on the Cross. Jesus leaves His disciples for four major reasons namely: a) to glorify the Father, b) to save mankind from their sins through His death on the Cross, c) to send the Holy Spirit to be the abiding power and grace of the Church, d) to make His presence in a new perspective through the Church.

2. Love- As Judas left them, Jesus now demonstrates the meaning of the virtue of love. He reveals the values connected with love namely: a) fidelity to Christ and to the Church; b) service to one another as Jesus showed it through the washing of the feet and Judas was no longer there; c) new commandment of love which is to “do what I command you”; d) discipleship in Jesus by constantly listening to Him and not leaving Him anytime.

3. Newness- The Good News is all about newness of experience in Christ. Jesus speaks of a new commandment as a sign that a new experience of God’s presence is now unfolding. With the newness that is constantly experienced by the Apostles because of their desire to be with Christ, Jesus revealed to them regarding new “children” and new “discipleship.” John wrote in the Book of Revelation that there will be: a) new heaven and a new earth, b) new Jerusalem, c) new dwelling place in heaven.

4. Suffering- Human suffering will now have a new meaning in Christ. Suffering will no longer be seen as a curse or as an effect of sin and family origin but a new meaning through the Paschal Mystery. St. Paul and Barnabas exhorted the Christians in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch to strong in the midst of suffering. He did the following: a) they strengthened the spirits of the disciples; b) they exhorted to persevere in their faith; c) they reminded them that “it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God;” d) they appointed leaders in each church with prayer and fasting; e) they presented to the Lord those who were chosen. Suffering became salvific since the Gentile community were now converted to the Lord. The suffering and trials of Paul and Barnabas had now born fruit through the conversion of the Gentiles. Suffering does not only have its personal but also a collective effect in the community.

The readings today focus on the eternal gifts the Lord would endow those who obey His commandments. Jesus promised those who obey and love him: 1) my Father will love him; 2) we will come to him; 3) and make our dwelling with Him, 4) you would rejoice. To be able to obey and love Jesus will depend on the values revealed in the readings today:

1. Transcendence- the capacity for transcendence is a gift of Easter. The resurrection of the Lord is the initial call towards transcendence. The truth of Jesus’ resurrection can only be accepted by those who has the capacity to think and believe of what is beyond human phenomenon. One who has faith is confident. The word confidence comes from two Latin words namely: “cum” which means “with” and “fides” which means “faith.” Therefore, one who has confidence is one who has faith which is a sign of transcendence.

2. Trinity- The Gospel today reveals the concealed way the Holy Trinity. Jesus introduces the Father and He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit whom He calls the “The Advocate.” The search for the Father’s will, to know who the Father is, and to love God as a Father are fundamental journeys and the longings of Easter. Jesus, as the Son has to be believed in as the One who is sent.

3. Hierarchy- The dispute between the converted Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians marked an important historical point in the early Church foundations. Paul and Barnabas as well as the representatives of the Gentile churches agreed to go to Jerusalem to discuss the dispute with Peter and James the Less. The recognition of the evolving Church’s hierarchy was remarkable of the Easter spirit and grace. Once we recite the Apostles’ Creed “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church,” this means that we believe in the institutional Church established by Christ.

4. Holy Spirit- The primacy of the Spirit in the mission of the Church is important in the evolving magisterium. The early church had to abide with the Spirit that was guiding them as they collectively decide during major controversies. The Acts of the Apostles wonderfully testified to the power of the Spirit working in the infant church. As the Church now becomes universal, the diversity of cultures and religions would be the challenges of the times. Thanks to the Holy Spirit that never left the Church alone in its journey towards its Founder, the risen Christ.

Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. It is the 40th day since the celebration of Easter Sunday. It is based on Acts 1:3 which we read: “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” This is also the basis where we believe that the 40th day of a beloved who died should be remembered through prayers. Today also marks the conclusion of the earthly ministry of Jesus and the anticipation of the coming down of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. It is always the hope of Jesus that His disciples will remember Him, of His words and His deeds. There are significant things to reflect on today’s liturgical readings.

1. The Ascension Narrative- St. Luke placed the Ascension narrative at the end of his Gospel while he narrated it again at the outset of the Acts of the Apostles. This provides the room for reflection: the Ascension narrative of the Gospel marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. It is marked by two important things: first, it is the anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by the Father; second, it is to mark the beginning of being missionaries by strengthening their understanding of the word “witness.”

2. The Name Theophilus- The name Theophilus appeared as the addressee of St. Luke in the Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles. Though biblical scholars suspect that Theophilus might be a bishop or an important elder of a Christian community. However, the name Theophilus comes from two Greek words namely: Theos which means God, and philo which means love. St. Luke might be addressing his two books for the lovers of God. They were dedicated to those who were devout disciples of Christ and sought his holiness and his salvation. The “lovers of God” are the lovers of his word, his life, and his mystery.

3. The Descent of the Spirit- The significance of the descent of the Holy Spirit is worth mentioning at this point. In the Baptism of the Lord at the Jordan by John, the Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. Jesus was in the physical body form when He was baptized. At the Ascension of the Lord, as He returned to His original status as God and Divine nature, where is His body now? St. Paul in the second reading today clarifies that His body now is the Church, and as the same pattern with the descent of the Spirit at the Baptism of the Lord, so does the Spirit shall descend on His Body which is the Church.

4. The Importance of Being a “Witness”- Before Jesus underwent His passion, He reminded His disciples to be missionaries by making His name known, His deeds to be emulated and imitated. His parting missionary statement was: “You are witnesses of these things.” Jesus desires that His disciples would be missionary “to all the world” which means that the mission of Christ is universal.