Second Sunday of Easter – April 11, 2021
We know that fear can be very disabling. We can be
tempted to hold back from saying something because we are fearful of how it
will be received. If we suspect that someone is going to oppose us for doing
something, we can be tempted not to do something, even though we might know
that it is the right thing to do.
Today’s gospel introduces us to
a group of fearful disciples. They fear those
who put Jesus to death,
suspecting that what they did to Jesus they could do to them. It may be eight
days after Easter, but the shadow of Golgotha hangs over
them. The risen Lord
comes to his fearful disciples. John’s gospel simply states: “He stood among them.” Standing can be a sign of
strength and confidence.
We speak of people standing on their own feet, or
standing their ground.
The Lord stood in all the strength of his risen life.
Rather than standing,
the disciples were cowering, trying to make themselves
small, invisible even.
In standing among them, the Lord led them from fear to
joy, from weakness to
strength. He enabled them to leave their self-imposed
prison and to go forth
as his joyful and confident messengers of Easter good
news.
As Jesus stood among them, he says to them, “Peace be with you” and breathes the Holy
Spirit upon them. The risen Lord was reconciling his failed disciples to
himself; they came to recognize themselves as forgiven, and, so their hearts
were filled with courage and joy.
Remember, in John’s gospel during the Last
Supper, Jesus gives a rather long
discourse. And in the discourse, he mentions
that he is giving them his gift
of PEACE. When Jesus was preparing to leave
this world, he made a specific
promise to his gathered disciples:
Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts
be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)
Notice that Jesus says, “my peace”. It was a one-of-a-kind gift that belonged to Jesus
because of his unique relationship with his Father. Notice also the generosity
of Jesus, “My peace I give to you.” It was his peace that he gave them. It was the same
kind of peace which he h-imself enjoyed, a peace which hehad in God. Jesus has
procured for
us peace and reconciliation with God.
Jesus had neither silver nor gold to give. He was even
stripped of
his clothing before the soldiers nailed him to the cross. In making
our wills, we more commonly give our possessions to those important to us.. All
these promises are contained in his words to his disciple-s: “Peace be with you.” Our Lord Jesus Christ has
bequeathed true pea-ce to his followers as he breathes on them andsaid to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Having experienced the gift of the Lord’s forgiveness, they are sent out in the power of the
Spirit to offer to others the gift of forgiveness they have receiv-ed. That gift
and mission is given to all of us who have been baptized into the risen Jesus.
We are all sent out as ministers of reconciliation — the daily fo-rgiveness of
our brothers and sisters; speaking the words, “I am sorry” and the gracious acceptance of another’s offer of apology. In these moments, Jesus stands in
our midst,
Today is was designated by Blessed Pope John Paul II
as Divine Mercy Sunday, -in which we are to rejoice in the Easter gift of God’s merc-y: forgiveness.
Fr. Don, cp