Divine Mercy Sunday / 2nd Sunday of Easter Year A

Acts 2:42-47
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31

Easter is a season of growth and transformation. Are we ready? Are we open?

My brothers and sisters, we have entered the Easter Season, a season of new growth and new beginning. In the spirit of Easter, let us reflect: As a faith community, in what areas do we need to grow?

The First Reading this week presents us a model of the early Christian community for us to emulate. There are a few key traits of the early Christian community:

• They constantly grow in their knowledge of God: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching …” (verse 42).
• They break bread together, signifying closeness and unity in beliefs: “… to the breaking of bread” (verse 42).
• They prayed: “… and the prayers.” (verse 42)
• They were charitable: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” (verse 44-45)
• And they were acutely aware of God’s blessings upon them and were grateful: “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (verse 46)

As a testament to their faith, through the Apostles’ hands, God performed wonders among them: “many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles'” (verse 43) And God constantly added to the community with new members: “And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (verse 47) My brothers and sisters, reflecting on the early Christian community, how does our faith community measure up to the early Christian community? Not just our faith community, but our family too, for our family too is a mini-church. How does our family measure up to the early Christian community? Where are the areas we need to grow?

For our faith community and family church to grow in faith this way, we individually need to grow as well. Hence, there is a second reflection point this week: As an individual, in what areas do I need to grow? Like the early Christian community had done, do I constantly seek to grow and to know God better? Do I pray often? Am I charitable? Am I aware of God’s blessings in my life and are grateful for them? And if we are lacking in any of these, is it because we harbour doubt? How do we overcome it? On this last point, we can look to the Gospel story of Thomas for inspiration.

Thomas was not in the room when Jesus first appeared to the disciples. When Thomas returned, “the other disciples told 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 in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.'” (verse 25) About a week later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again, this time with Thomas in the room. Jesus then invited Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” (verse 27) St Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!” (verse 28) In spite of his initial doubt, St Thomas did not close his heart to faith but remained open. So, when he finally met the resurrected Jesus, he was dramatically converted. St Thomas went on to be martyred for the faith. What a transformation for one who initially doubted!

My brothers and sisters, whether as individuals or as a community, Thomas’ example is what it means to experience a new birth in Jesus. In the words of St Peter in the Second Reading, “By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (verse 3). And as our faith grow from strength to strength, even if trials are to come our way – e.g. sickness, financial challenges, lost of a loved one – we continue to rejoice. “In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials” (verse 6).

Indeed, the Scripture today lay a path for us to grow and transform. Through knowledge, unity, prayers, acts of charity, gratefulness, we can cast out doubt and like Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (verse 28). Let the Holy Spirit be our companion in this journey: “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'” (verse 22) Amen.