2nd Sunday of Easter Year A

The Divine Mercy Sunday

Lady Mercy Gives and Receives

Once upon a time, when the world was torn by violence, hunger, and cold hearts, Lady Wisdom cried aloud at the crossroads, teaching truth, justice, and the fear of the Lord (Prov 8:1–3; 9:10), yet many admired her words without living them. Then her identical twin sister, Lady Mercy, stepped into the streets and put wisdom into action, bending low to the poor, the wounded, and the sinner, fulfilling the command to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Mic 6:8; Luke 10:33–34). Lady Mercy urged all to live with open hands and hearts, reminding the rich to give generously and the poor to receive with dignity, for there is greater joy in giving than in receiving, and blessedness in trusting God’s care (Acts 20:35; Luke 6:20; 12:33). Thus, Lady Mercy reveals the heart of the Gospel: love made visible in deeds, calling everyone to give and receive so that, in mercy, wisdom becomes life and the Kingdom of God is already among us (James 2:17; Matthew 25:35–40; Luke 6:36).

The first Christians devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship, and to the Eucharist. They had everything in common. They gave to the community and received from one another (Acts 2:42–47).

The fellow disciples told Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them. But Thomas said, “Unless I see Him, I will not believe.” After eight days of arguments, Jesus appeared again. He offered them peace: “Peace be with you,” and invited them to believe and forgive one another. Jesus challenged Thomas’ attitude: “Touch me and see. Do not doubt but believe.” He then consoled His future followers: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:19–31).

The great mercy of God has given us a new birth and a living hope. For the salvation of souls, we have an inheritance to share with one another, in suffering, and trials, and glory. (1 Peter 1:3–9).

Lady Mercy puts love into action and urges everyone to give and receive. Sharing is the language of love. Love put into practice becomes mercy; thus, mercy is love in action. Mutual love is more fully realized when we both give and receive. In the beginning, the first Christian community had little difficulty with sharing, because they believed that the Parousia was imminent and that the Lord would soon return.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Saturday Week 1 Easter

Reflection

Truth Custodians

Peter and John were threatened for having healed a crippled man. The healing was remarkable; the news spread everywhere, and people were amazed because the healers were ordinary, uneducated men and followers of Jesus of Nazareth. What physicians could not cure, these ordinary men accomplished through spoken words. The Sanhedrin was confused and afraid of the crowd. They ordered the apostles not to preach in the name of Jesus of Nazareth again in the city. They threatened them to keep them silent. But the disciples responded, “We must obey God rather than men. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:13–21).

Mark lists the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection. On the morning of the resurrection day, Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene and commissions her to share the news with others. Later, He appears to two of His followers on their way to Emmaus. These two disciples return to the Upper Room and share their experience with the community. As the disciples are discussing these events at table, Jesus appears to all of them and scolds some for not believing those who had seen Him after His resurrection. He then commissions His followers to proclaim the Gospel of His resurrection to every creature (Mark 16:9–15).

It is impossible to silence the truth. Even when people seem to succeed in hiding it, their actions and attitudes often reveal it—the body language betrays them. Only a dead body can keep secrets forever, yet even then, the truth may be uncovered by the attentive observer. The person who possesses the truth is, in a sense, possessed by it. It is impossible to silence those who bear the truth—the truth holders.

It is impossible to silence the truth. Even when people seem to succeed in hiding the truth, their body language betrays them. Only the dead can keep a secret forever—yet even a corpse testifies to the truth. It “speaks” through evidence: wounds, posture, surroundings, decomposition, even symbolism. To the wise observer, silence itself is evidence. The person who has the truth is possessed by the truth. It is impossible to silence.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Friday Week 1 Easter

Reflection

Back to Square One: Learning to Begin Again

There are moments in life when we find ourselves unexpectedly back at the beginning. Things do not work out as planned, and we quietly—or sometimes painfully—admit, “We are back to square one.” We say, “We have to start from scratch,” because nothing seems left to build on, or “Back to the drawing board,” because our first efforts have failed. These familiar phrases rise naturally from our lips because they name a shared human experience—of disappointment, loss, and the humility of starting again. The language we use tells a story: it reveals how often life becomes its own teacher, reminding us that beginning again is not a sign of defeat but a deeply human moment—one that often becomes the doorway through which God chooses to do something new.

Jesus offered a new beginning to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who were returning to their former way of life (Luke 24:13–32).

Seven other disciples, who were fishermen, decided to go back to fishing. Simon Peter initiated the move. Once more, Jesus appeared to the seven disciples and offered them a new mandate to fish people for God. He confirmed Peter as the leader of the mission of fishers of men (John 21:1–14).

With a single proclamation after Pentecost, the disciples fished about three thousand people to the faith—the way—as it was called. But their preaching of the resurrection of Jesus caused jealousy and hostility. The Sadducees and the high-priestly family became their enemies. Peter and John were held in custody overnight. When questioned by the council, Peter affirmed that Jesus is truly risen from the dead and that salvation is found only in His name (Acts 4:1–12; cf. 23:8).

Experientia docet is a Latin phrase meaning "experience teaches". We can also say that “Experience is the Teacher”. When one is back to square one, Jesus is the assurance, the guarantee of every new beginning. With Christ, there is hope and salvation is assured.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Thursday Week 1 Easter

Reflection

Peter’s Experience of the Risen Christ

Luke does not emphasize the account of Mary Magdalene. We do not know exactly how, but in Luke’s Gospel, the first appearance of the risen Lord is to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34).

The community listened to the account of Simon Peter before hearing the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Having heard these accounts of appearances, everyone longed to see Jesus. He then appeared to them and greeted them: “Peace be with you.” The community needed peace. The events that had taken place in Judea had divided the community: the flight of the male disciples, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, and the appearances to only some members (Luke 24:35–48).

Peter denied Jesus, yet later he accused the people and Pilate of putting Jesus to death by hanging Him on a tree. What happened between Peter’s denial and his accusation of the Jews and Pilate? The appearance of Jesus to Peter confirmed his leadership and freed him from the guilt of his denial (Acts 3:11–26).

It is good to treasure one’s personal experience of Christ. The appearance of the risen Christ changes everything for the better.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Wednesday Week 1 Easter

Reflection

The Perfect Stranger

When you do not know your destination, remember where you came from. The size of your disappointment is measured by the weight of your expectations. Sometimes we are suspicious of strangers. But sharing and speaking with strangers can help to overcome disappointment and brokenness. At times, it is easier to talk about certain things with strangers and travelers; they may listen better and not judge you.

The lame man at the temple gate met two strangers from Galilee, Peter and John. These two strangers healed the man’s brokenness (Acts 3:1–10).

Two of the disciples of Jesus, probably Cleopas and his wife, were deeply disappointed. The events that happened to Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem had taken away their hope. They had followed Him because they believed that He would be the one to set the nation free. The two disciples were broken and lost, but they still remembered their way back to Emmaus.

Another perfect stranger joins Cleopas and his wife on the road to Emmaus. This stranger knows what the Scriptures, the prophets, and the Law say about the Christ. He explains to the disappointed disciples that the fate of Jesus is also the fate of the Messiah. He gives them a seminar on the Christ and a sabbatical course for their new appointment. The conversation on the road builds trust toward the stranger. With his help, the two disciples are energized, as their hearts burn within them, and they invite him to stay with them for the night. The way the stranger breaks bread for them at supper opens their eyes; as they identify him to be the risen Lord, He vanishes from their sight. The perfect stranger, the risen Lord, gives His disciples a new mission (Luke 24:13–35).

In the journey of life, healing begins when you share your story with someone who listens. When we share our hopes and disappointments with others, we often gain new insight, guts, and the courage to overcome past wounds and obstacles. Sharing opens the door to healing.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Tuesday Week 1 Easter

Reflection

The New Faith and a New Beginning

The neophytes joined the early Church—the Baby Church. They professed their new faith in the risen Jesus. The baptism of three thousand people into the early Church parallels the three thousand people who hardened their hearts and refused to follow Moses after the worship of the golden calf. Death was the penalty for those who rejected Moses, but new life in Christ was given to the three thousand who were cut to the heart and joined the Church, the new Israel (Acts 2:36–41; Exodus 32:26–29).

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, who initially refused to accept the news of the empty tomb as proof of the resurrection. Unlike the beloved disciple, who believed that Jesus had risen—that Jesus had walked out of the tomb just as he used to leave the house early in the morning—Mary Magdalene continued to think that the body had been taken away. Jesus appeared to her and called her by name. Like a sheep that recognizes the voice of the Good Shepherd, Mary Magdalene recognized the voice of Jesus when she heard her name. Jesus then commissioned her to announce the news of His resurrection to the community (John 10:3–5; 20:11–18).

Coming to a new faith is a process. It demands practice and perseverance. The tendency is to hold on to the old way of life, but growth comes when one opens oneself to a new life, new insight, and new hope.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Easter Monday the Galilee Day

Reflection

In Galilee They Will See Me

Jesus is a Galilean. Most of the events of His public ministry took place in Galilee. Most of His disciples are Galileans. Galilee is the place where it all began.

After the tragedy in Judea—the Passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus—the risen Lord asks His friends to go back to the place where it all began: “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28:5–10).

After the resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples 11 times—with certainty, he appears to them in Galilee only twice. Why is Galilee so important?

The bishop of the Diocese of San Pedro in Côte d’Ivoire died on Good Friday morning in 2008. Before the burial, a priest from the bishop’s diocese of origin told me how his memory came vividly back to him when he went to the residence of the late bishop and saw where they used to sit and chat. The chairs were still in their places. He said, “I wept bitterly for the first time. I felt he was alive in the room with me. I could feel him, but I couldn’t see him.”

The journey back to Galilee is a journey of reconnecting with the risen Lord and experiencing Him physically—in a personal way. As the disciples recall all the events that took place in Galilee—the teachings and the miracles—they come to believe that Jesus is truly alive; He is truly the Messiah.

Our own journey back to our Galilee helps us recall our personal experiences of the risen Lord: What has Jesus done for you? Who is Jesus for you? In the Galilee of your life, you must remember what the Lord has done for you. In Galilee, we joyfully celebrate the memory of Christ in the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist. We celebrate and share our experiences of Christ.

When things fall apart, we must return—either physically, emotionally, or spiritually—to the place where the story began, in order to reenergize ourselves.

Fr. Simon, SMA

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Easter Sunday Year ABC

Easter Sunday Reflection

The Divine Drama

It is a divine drama. God suffers and dies on a cross; but he knew that he has power to rise from death. Jesus said it, “I lay down my life to take it up again. I have the power to lay it down, and to take it up again. I have received this command from my father.” (John 10:17-18)

God cannot be held by death. God saw how his Son was buried and a stone was sealed over the tomb (John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:57-61). God intervened, the stone rolled back, and the Son of God walked out of the tomb.

When Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb, she thought that the body of Jesus was stolen. She was worried. An empty tomb is not sufficient evidence for resurrection. But full of love, the beloved disciple sees the empty tomb and he believes that resurrection is God’s victory over death. (John 20:1-9)

God shows no partiality when he rewards Jesus’ good life with resurrection. Anointed with the Holy Spirit, after the baptism of John, Jesus went about doing good and healing people. He commissioned his followers to bear witness to his life. (Acts 10:34, 37-43)

So, beloved, to enjoy the divine drama, you ought to turn your mind away from the earthly things, clear out the old yeast, and seek the things of heaven to have fellowship with the risen Lord. (Colossians 3:1-4; 1Corinthians 5:6-8).

Fr. Simon, SMA

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The Eater Vigil Year A

Easter Refection

The Appearances as Evidence for the Resurrection.

Given that there was no eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus, narrating the Gospel stories of the resurrection is one of the most difficult tasks for the apostolic preachers and the evangelists. No one saw how Jesus rose from the dead. The burial cloths left behind in the tomb could be used as evidence either to argue that the body was stolen or to support belief in His resurrection. Unlike the Passion narratives, all four Gospels provide no detailed description of the actual moment of the resurrection.

The original ending of Mark’s Gospel stops when three female followers of Jesus went to the tomb to perform the customary anointing that had not been done before the burial (Mark 16:1–2). It was also an opportunity for Mary to fulfill Jesus’ words about the costly perfume of pure nard that she used to anoint His feet at Bethany: “She will keep it for the day of my burial” (John 12:3, 7). The women discovered that the tomb was open and empty. At first, they thought that the body of Jesus had been taken by those who had killed Him. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe. The young man announced to them, “He is not here; He has risen. Look, there is the place where they laid Him.” Mark ends his Gospel with the unfinished account of the empty tomb—the bewildered followers who said nothing to anyone because they were afraid (Mark 16:1–8).

The apostolic preachers and the evangelists developed the proclamation of the young man at the empty tomb—“He is not here; He has risen”—into fuller accounts by gathering the testimonies of those who encountered the risen Lord. The risen Jesus has the habit of appearing and disappearing within unfolding events. He is no longer bound by time and space. He cannot be located on a map with a specific address, longitude, and latitude. The appearances are the accounts of the personal experiences of those who saw Jesus after His resurrection. These experiences are the Gospel of the risen Christ.

Mark provides a list of Jesus’ appearances. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven seven demons. Then, He appeared to two of His followers walking on their way to the countryside. Later, He appeared to the eleven as they were at table and rebuked them for not believing those who had seen Him after He had been raised. He then commissioned to share their stories in the whole world (Mark 16:9–15).

What do the appearances of Jesus of Nazareth mean to me? If I am granted the grace of experiencing the physical appearance of Jesus, it may reveal moments of doubt in my life—the storms around me require His presence to re-energize me and give me hope for the journey. Whenever I experience the grace of God in my life, it is the risen Lord who is present to me.

Fr. Simon, SMA