Homily – April 19, 2009 – Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy

Last Sunday we celebrated the great event of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead; it was the astounding confirmation of his entire life. Everything that ever happened to him, everything that he ever said – everything that he ever foretold and predicted – everything that he ever did to demonstrate the tremendous depth of the love of God for his people was AFFIRMED, VALIDATED AND GIVEN ABSOLUTE ENDORSEMENT – absolute sureness, certainty and believability. Had Jesus not risen from the dead he would have been a complete fraud, a phony and the greatest of all impostors! BUT HE DID RISE FROM THE DEAD!
HE IS THE REAL DEAL! And now everything is DIFFERENT!

It is good for us during this Easter Season to reflect upon the attributes or qualities of what it means for Jesus to exist now in a glorified, risen state; and what it will consequently mean for us who will share in his resurrection – his newness of life – if we live as though we want it. According to St. Thomas Aquinas in his great masterwork Summa Theologica, the glorified, resurrected body (which shares in the very risen life of Jesus) has seven characteristics:

• Identity – We retain our original identity; we will be essentially the same person as we were before we died. (John 20:11-16)
  
• Integrity
  – We will retain all of the parts of our bodies – our bodies will be complete (if for some reason they were not before death). (John 20:24-27)
  
• Quality
  – Our bodies will be youthful and will retain our gender – we will still be male and female. (Rev 1:12-18)
  
• Impassability – We will be incapable of suffering, and therefore not be susceptible to death and pain. (Rev 21:4, I Cor 15:50-57)
  
• Subtlety – Our bodies will be free from restraint by matter (even if there were matter to block us – we could pass-through it easily), our bodies will still be palpable (able to be felt and touched). (John 20:19-23)
  
• Agility
  – We will have complete freedom of movement, our souls will direct our bodies without hindrance. (Luke 24:15,31,36)
  
• Clarity – The glory of our souls will be visible in our bodies.  We will be beautiful and radiant (this is reminiscent of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the Mountain). (Rev 4:3, I Cor 15:40)
  

 

Yes, the Resurrection of Jesus was not only important for him, but it is very important for us who will share that very "newness of life!"

And so we can understand now what happened when Jesus suddenly appeared to the Eleven in the Upper Room on Easter Sunday night – even though the door was locked for fear of the Jews – the Apostles were afraid that they would be hunted down and killed too. With his new attribute of subtlety Jesus simply passed through the door without any problem at all and stood in their midst.

Then he made an extraordinary four word statement!:

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

His reaction to their running away from him, denying and betraying him when he could have used a friend very much, was to offer them PEACE!, deep, rich and abiding peace like no one else could ever offer! Jesus then immediately began to apply the effects of his sin-forgiving, life-restoring death: PEACE BE WITH YOU (he said again): AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO NOW I SEND YOU: (then breathing on them he said): RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHOSE SINS YOU FORGIVE ARE FORGIVEN THEM AND WHOSE SINS YOU RETAIN ARE RETAINED.

In that very same room when three days before he gave them also an effect of his death, before it even happened: his presence in the Holy Eucharist (the transubstantiated bread and wine) telling them to do that in his memory; now in the same room he is telling them to forgive sins in his name, or to hold them (not to forgive them) (thus making them and their successors and helpers true and qualified judges in cases of faith and morality).

A week later, they were gathered together again, and this time Thomas (who was absent when Jesus appeared on Easter Sunday) was with them. Thomas told the others that he would not believe that Jesus was raised, unless he touched his wounds with his own hand. And so Jesus again simply appeared, as before – and he told Thomas to come to him and touch his wounds; he also invited him to believe! Thomas did come to believe and made the simple, yet dramatic acclamation: MY LORD, AND MY GOD! This scene also demonstrates the palpable, touchable nature of a glorified, risen body!

And so we have Jesus inaugurating the beginning of the sacramental system that came from the blood and water that flowed from his Most Sacred Pierced Heart as he hung dead on the Cross for us, and for our salvation! This is the Divine Heart of Jesus from which flows God's eternal love, forgiveness and mercy! On this Mercy Sunday we are reminded that the grace of God's mercy and forgiveness are always available now – simply for the believing, simply for the asking, simply for the willingness to in turn be merciful to others, simply in being willing to trust Jesus for absolutely everything we need in life! EVERYTHING!

After Mass today we will honor the Divine Mercy Image, celebrate the day in its fullness and fulfill all the requirements of the Plenary Indulgence for those participating in that option. The Mercy Chaplet will be prayed after Mass as the Prayer for the Intention of the Holy Father. It does not take very long to pray. Everyone – is invited to stay and pray that short cycle of prayers!

Our God is slow to anger; rich in mercy, and o so willingness to forgive our sins and cast them into the sea – if we but turn to him with all our hearts –and TRUST IN HIM ABSOLUTELY!