Second Sunday of Easter – Sunday of Divine Mercy
New Life, New Living
We are an Easter people! That means that our “Alleluias” are bold, loud and frequent! We sing for joy! We celebrate Resurrection! That’s Easter Sunday! And then we revisit the Acts of the Apostles and we learn what it means to be followers of Jesus on our own. Communal life–sharing meals, holding all possessions in common, distributing resources according to need, praising God with exultation—these were the actions and ways of being among the Apostles.
These acts of the apostles offer a great challenge to us during this time of re-connecting and re-engaging in parish life. Anne Osdieck offers us this poetic interpretation:
Christ,
Come right through
our fear of locked doors;
breathe your Holy Spirit into us.
Give us please your peace
that comes from
perfect
love.
Not
to hoard
such treasure,
we want to give it out
to everyone who would believe.
Make us instruments
of the power
of your
Resurrection.
To be instruments of the power of Jesus’ resurrection is to live as Jesus taught us. “Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” What is the awe that we are experiencing? Jesus is alive and well in all the medical personnel—the angels of mercy—who live their vocation to care for the ill and the dying in difficult conditions. Jesus is alive and well in those who feed the hungry, who share rather than hoard possessions. Jesus is alive and well in our being the domestic church, just like in the days of the apostles. Jesus is alive in our commitments to act for justice. Jesus is alive and well in the peace we offer to others.
Many of us are becoming aware of signs and wonders—awed in fact—by the beauty of creation, the signs of new life. Mother Earth is breathing fresh air, mountain tops are visible, bird chirps are louder, and animals are roaming freely. Re-creation is occurring everywhere. We are amazed and filled with awe! We are passionate about sharing this beauty of God’s creation for generations to come!
He is alive! He is among us! There are many, many more stories about Jesus that only you can tell because you are living them today! Praise and thank God for the “wonders and signs” you are experiencing in yourself, your family, and our parish community. Tell about them! We can all be instruments of the power of Jesus’ resurrection! Let us love each other well!
Resurrection is about the change that is happening in each of us, in all of us! Can we see it? Can we name it?