Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (They were of one heart and mind.)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (4:32-35)

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24)

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting. (Ps 118:1)

Or Alleluia.

Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R)

I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just. (R)

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R)

SECOND READING (Whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.)

A reading from the first Letter of Saint John (5:1-6)

Beloved: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. — The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Jn 20:29)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me,

says the Lord; blessed are they who have not seen me,

but still believe! (R)

GOSPEL (Eight days later Jesus came and stood in their midst.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (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. —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Year C

FIRST READING (More than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them.)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (5:12-16)

Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico. None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24)

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting. (Ps 118:1)

Or Alleluia.

Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R)

I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just. (R)

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R)

SECOND READING (I was dead, but now I am alive for ever and ever.)

A reading from the Book of Revelation (1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19)

I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you see.” Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest.

When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.” —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Jn 20:29)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me,

says the Lord; blessed are they who have not seen me,

but still believe! (R)

GOSPEL (Eight days later Jesus came and stood in their midst.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (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. —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“We have Seen the Lord!”

This Second Sunday of Easter has been called “Divine mercy Sunday” since 2001 when St. John Paul II designated it to the vision of the Resurrected Lord granted to St.  Maria Faustina Kowalska, a mystic and visionary nun from Poland. The vision occurred in early 1931, and St. Faustina described what she saw in these terms: “In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy. After a while, Jesus said to me, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.”

  In the image described by Saint Faustina, Jesus was depicted with his right hand raised in blessing to all mankind, as if saying: “Peace be with you”, these are words we hear in the liturgy on this Sunday after Easter. On this day St. John’s gospel relates the resurrected Jesus’ appearance in the room of the last supper and of the institution of the sacrament of reconciliation. In the painting we see the rays of blood and water flowing from the veiled pierced heart of Jesus, and the wounds on his hands and feet giving witness to the events of Good Friday. The picture of Divine Mercy unites the two gospel events, which is the greatest witness of the merciful love of God for all his people.

At the center of this Gospel account from St. John is the Apostle Thomas, whom we have come to know as “doubting Thomas.” We seem to think that he is somewhat different or more lacking in faith than the other apostles… but that is not really so. The episode in today’s Gospel helps us to see and understand what Easter faith is all about. In reflecting on some of the doubts of Thomas we can understand our own moments of doubts of faith.

The first doubt of Thomas was his hesitation to believe the truth of the Resurrection because he could not see the Risen Lord. The affirmation of the others, “We have Seen the Lord!” is something we all long to say and experience. This is a transition we are all called to make, from looking for a visual experience of Christ with our eyes to experiencing the invisible, spiritual of the Risen Lord in sign and sacrament.

Although we cannot SEE the Lord, he is here: in the sacraments; in the community of believers; in the life of the Church. The EASTER CANDLE symbolizes the LIGHT OF CHRIST, His presence in our midst. Even though we cannot see him with our eyes, we can reach and experience him through faith. This is the real meaning of today’s Gospel as well as the 2nd reading.

Thomas’ second doubt had to do with the nail marks, the wounds. Thomas – like many – doubted that the wounds were a sign of glory. Remember again the symbolism of our Good Friday liturgy! Thomas knew the wounds from the nails led to death. But to Risen life? How? Thomas wanted to SEE THE SCARS. He knew the scars were real and so if the person appearing had these scars, then he would believe that Jesus was truly risen. 

Look again at our Paschal Candle with the 5 nails representing the 5 wounds (hands, feet, side). These teach us that because of our faith we can suffer and survive setbacks and rise up to glory too. Out of any kind of death, the Risen Lord can bring us to new life.

The third doubt of Thomas was that the Risen Lord could forgive the apostles for abandoning him. They had left their Master and run away and hidden. Thomas found it hard to believe that they could be forgiven. And yet, Jesus did just that. He appears and says, “Peace be with you!” and then he institutes the Sacrament of Penance – of FORGIVENESS. 

Many of us go through life doubting that Jesus will ever forgive us. But this is part of our Easter faith – The gift of Christ’s forgiveness gives us all the power to seek healing and to receive a new start from Christ. Last week 10 men and women were baptized and received this new start through the grace of Baptism and Confirmation.

In the Gospel today we see the birth of Easter faith in and through St. Thomas. We see that we encounter Christ not with our eyes, but through faith. We know that everything that happens to us, even our wounds and sufferings, can be part of the way to new life. And we know that we can always receive Christ’s forgiveness and begin again.

“Blessed are they who have not seen but have believed!” Yes. BLESSED ARE THEY…. BLESSED ARE WE! It is through faith, not through visions, that we can know the same salvations, the same forgiveness, the same grace, and the same union with Christ that the very first Apostles knew and experienced.

It is not SIGHT but SURRENDER to Christ that saves.

Prayers

Celebrant:  As witnesses of the Resurrection, the apostles were sent forth to continue the work of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for the mission of the Church and the needs of the world.

READER: That, led by the successors of Peter and the apostles, the Church will boldly proclaim the truth of Easter, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That those who guide the economy of nations will distribute resources fairly among all peoples, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That people weighed down by sin and guilt may find pardon and peace in the Divine Mercy, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That our lives be transformed by the joy of the resurrected Lord, and in thanksgiving for the newly Baptized adults of our parish, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD. 

READER: [SMC only, For the repose of the soul of Lydia LIN for whom this Mass is offered, and] For the sick and the faithful departed of our community, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: As your people continue the work of the apostolic witnesses, we beseech you, most merciful Father, to grant our petitions, through Christ Our Lord, (all) AMEN.