A call to be people of mercy

On March 13, 2015, Pope Francis surprised the entire world by inviting us to experience an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.  The theme for this Jubilee was Merciful like the Father.  Mercy is a subject that is very dear to the heart of our Holy Father, and he wants to do everything he can to help all of us to encounter this special gift that God offers to us.

The gospel passage that we have just heard gives us a glimpse into the merciful heart of our God.  It begins by describing the encounter between the disciples and the risen Jesus inside the house where the disciples had met (cf Jn 20:19).  Despite the fact that the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you.  He didn’t knock; he just appeared among them and showed them his hands and his feet.  The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (Jn 20:20).  They had heard him speak about rising from the dead, but it wasn’t until they saw him for themselves that they were able to rejoice.

If the other disciples were unable to truly believe that such a miracle was possible, is it any wonder that Thomas, one of the disciples who was not with them when Jesus appeared (Jn 20:24) was skeptical about accepting the witness of the other disciples? ... and what about us?  Week after week, we gather here to pray; we recite the words of the Creed: I believe in God ... I believe in Jesus Christ ... who was crucified, died and was buried; ... on the third day, he rose again from the dead (Apostles’ Creed) but do we truly believe that Jesus rose, or is there still a part of us that needs to see the mark of the nails in his hands (Jn 20:25) before we will believe?

It’s interesting to note that Jesus did not give up on Thomas.  Even though he was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples, Jesus came back to give Thomas another chance, and that’s what he does with us too.  Jesus wants to give each one of us a chance to encounter him in our lives so that we can come to believe that he is not just the object of a story that is told year after year.  Jesus is living in our midst and when we encounter him, he speaks the same words to our hearts as he spoke to the disciples: Peace be with you! (Jn 20:19, 20, 26).  Peace is Jesus’ wish for each one of us and mercy is the face that we encounter when we meet him.

This second Sunday of the Easter season is known as Divine Mercy Sunday.  It is a special gift for all of us, a reminder that whenever we are in the presence of our God, the first gift He wants to show us is mercy.  Recognizing and celebrating God’s mercy has been a long-standing part of the life of our faith.  It was because they had encountered Christ’s mercy that the first disciples came to believe in him and it was through personally experiencing mercy that others have also been drawn to learn more about who God is, how he sent Jesus among us to reveal his merciful face to us and how the Holy Spirit continues the work of sharing mercy with us today.

The process of learning about God and about his mercy is called Evangelization.  In a few weeks time, we will have an opportunity to hear more about people’s encounters with divine mercy during the New Evangelization Summit.  There is more information about the summit in your bulletin today, including a post card that provides all the information you will need and directions about how you can participate.  I want to invite each one of you to consider accepting a personal invitation to attend the Summit on April 27 and 28th so that we can all learn more about the great gift of God’s divine mercy.

His Word Today: From despair to renewed hope

Good morning everyone,

As we draw closer to the end of the Easter Octave, today's gospel passage reveals the humanity of the disciples.  Knowing that those first followers of Jesus were very human makes it easier for us to see ourselves as modern-day disciples because even though we may be aware of the Lord's gifts of joy, hope and generosity that are awakened within us by the Resurrection, there is always room in the human heart for doubt.

Saint John tells us today that six of the disciples were together one day and Peter said to the others: I'm going fishing (Jn 21:3) and they all agreed to go along with him.  Could it be that they wanted some recreation, or was this a sign that these six men who had once known the excitement of a new adventure had actually given in to doubt?  Even for the most committed of disciples, there are always days when we might be tempted to turn away from the task that Jesus entrusts to us: the task of sharing his joy and his love with those we encounter, the task of telling them about the excitement we have experienced as we have gotten to know him.  This happens when we give in to the temptation to follow the wisdom of the world rather than seeking the freshness of the gospel.

Even though we may be tempted to turn to worldly sources of satisfaction, the miracle of Easter is real.  Jesus meets us in the midst of our doubt, just as he did with the disciples.  Standing on the shore in the early hours of the day, Jesus asked a question: Children, have you caught anything to eat? (Jn 21:4-5)  In these words, Jesus calls to us too.  His words ring in our hearts: have you found answers to your questions?  Have you been able to satisfy your thirst with the offerings of this world?  If we are truly honest with ourselves, we will answer him with one simple word: No, because as much as the world around us might try to lure us away from our faith, the answers we might find in other places are most often shallow and incapable of responding to our deepest desires.

Thankfully, Jesus is always willing to show us the way.  When the disciples had come up empty-handed, he simply invited them to cast the net again (cf Jn 21:6) but this time listening for his directions, following his advice.  When we allow him to lead, we will always find the answers to our questions.  Let us not be afraid to ask Jesus to help us today.  He alone can direct our thoughts and actions.  He alone can show us where he needs us to throw our nets, and he alone can fill those nets with responses that will fulfill our deepest desires.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: From joy to generosity

Good morning everyone and Happy Easter.

As we continue our way through this first week of the Easter season, the scriptures place us with the disciples in the upper room.  The two disciples who encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus returned to Jerusalem and found their companions.  Can you imagine what that encounter must have been like?  The two who had returned from Emmaus would have been excited to tell the others about their encounter with Jesus: how he had walked with them, spoken with them, all the while unfamiliar to them until they had recognized him in the breaking of the bread (cf Lk 24:35).  Mary Magdalene would most probably have been there too, along with Peter and the other disciple (who is most probably John).  They too would have had joyous news to share.

In the midst of that excitement, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you' (Lk 24:36).  Despite the fact that they would have been startled to see him standing there, it is interesting to note that he did not intend to scare them, but rather to console them.  His greeting was an offering of peace, and peace is a precious gift that can only be offered by God.  Once again the disciples would have been overjoyed, and in case they should have any further doubt about whether he was truly risen, Jesus asked them for something to eat (cf Lk 24:41).  They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it ad ate it in front of them (Lk 24:42-43).

The joy that was Jesus' gift for his disciples bore fruit in generosity.  Jesus asked for something to eat so that he could prove to the disciples that he was not a figment of their imagination, but their immediate willingness to offer him fish was also significant.  Even today, when we encounter true joy, we also want to be generous.  It seems that one response flows from the other, perhaps in hopes of prolonging the pleasant experience that brought about the joy.  Pay attention today to the occasions when you encounter the gift of joy, and how often does this joy arouse within you a desire to be generous?

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Walking beside us

Jesus appearing to two disciples
on the road to Emmaus
William Brassey Hole (1846-1917)

Good morning everyone,
Happy Easter,

At some point on that first day of the week, the day when Jesus' resurrection was discovered by Mary Magdalene, two of Jesus' disciples set off for a village located seven miles away from Jerusalem ... (Lk 24:13).  Along with their companions, these two followers of Jesus had been excited about the lessons they had learned from him and about the promise that his words conveyed.  Perhaps for that reason, they were even more disappointed by the events of his trial, his punishment and his crucifixion.  Within their hearts, they felt as though their hopes and dreams had been dashed.  Early on that morning, before Magdalene came running from the tomb, these two disciples had set off, but instead of being excited about the message that they had to share, they were speaking to one another about the hopes and dreams that had been frustrated (cf Lk 24:14).

As they were speaking together, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them (Lk 24:15).  Although they did not recognize it at first, this encounter was about to awaken them from their gloom and fill them with the joy that is the trademark of the gospel's freshness.  As he did with Magdalene, Jesus approached the two disciples with amazing gentleness, inviting them to explain for themselves the truth that they were experiencing in the depths of their hearts.  Speaking this truth helped them to recognize the validity of their feelings, but also allowed Jesus to enter into their hearts and to replace their sense of defeat with hope.

Even today, Jesus walks at our sides.  He is keenly aware of the joys and the challenges that inhabit our hearts and he is constantly inviting us to tell our own stories: experiences of success as well as day-to-day struggles.  In each case, he encourages us to discover the freshness of his words and of his presence.  Invite him to surprise you today and to remind you of the joy that can enliven our hearts and cause us to run out toward the encounter with our brothers and sisters so that we can tell them about the adventures we encounter on the roads of our faith journeys and the ways in which we have discovered the presence of the risen Lord.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: The fragile soul

Good morning everyone,

He is Risen, Alleluia!  The Octave of Easter - the eight days that begin with Easter Sunday and end with Divine Mercy Sunday - are celebrated as though they were just one day.  The scripture passages we encounter on these days describe moments in the lives of the disciples that took place on that first Easter morning.

Like yesterday's gospel reference, today, we stand once again with Mary Magdalene outside the empty tomb.  In Saint John's account, Magdalene is so consumed by her grief that she doesn't seem to hear the question that the angels ask: Woman, why are you weeping? (Jn 20:13).  Even when the question is repeated (cf Jn 20:15), she seems to be unable to comprehend it.

When we are grieving, our minds seem to shut off.  It takes repeated attempts - sometimes over many days, weeks, or even longer periods - for our powers of reasoning to recover from the trauma.  At such times, those who are attempting to accompany people who are grieving must always remember that they have been entrusted with a precious task, and that they must always be gentle with the fragile soul that is in need of healing.  Jesus himself shows us how to carry out this delicate task.  When he encountered Magdalene outside the tomb and saw that she was grieving, he simply called her by name.

If we too are unable to recognize the risen Jesus in our midst, perhaps we should begin by listening for his voice.  Even if we have forgotten how to pray, we can begin by listening.  Jesus is constantly but ever so gently calling each of us by name, and when we hear his voice, we awaken to the joy of encountering him in all his risen splendour.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Belief and unbelief

Good morning everyone,

Happy Easter!  Today, we encounter the figure of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who are running from the empty tomb.  With mixed emotions, they are on their way to tell the disciples about what they have discovered, but even before they get to the place where the disciples are hiding, they encounter another experience that is unbelievable: Jesus meets them on the way and greets them (Mt 28:9).

The women were filled both with joy and with fear at the discovery of the empty tomb: the fear was understandable because they really didn't understand what they were seeing.  Perhaps someone was trying to trick them, but at the same time, there was joy - a joy that they didn't want to show for fear that what they hoped had happened hadn't really taken place.

Perhaps we too are a bit cautious in the way we live our faith.  Maybe we want to believe that what Jesus said has come true: that he is risen indeed, but perhaps there is still a part of us that worries about whether there is truth in these words.  Some people in our world would do almost anything to make us believe what they want us to believe.  At times such as these, we must do as others have done before us: place ourselves before the Lord and dare to speak just a few words - Lord I believe; help my unbelief (Mk 9:24).  The risen Christ helped the women to believe.  He can help us too.

Have a great day.

Can it be true?

Have you heard the news?  How often have we heard this phrase ... or some derivative of it?  Sometimes what follows is myth and sometimes it is truth, but in most cases, we shouldn’t believe anything to be true until we can find some proof.  That’s the principle, but it seems to me that in today’s world of fast-paced information exchange, some people accept any rumour as gospel, even before they have verified the sources.

Today, Christians around the world are gathering in places just like this one because we too have heard the news.  Some of us may be here because we have heard the news from someone else, but we have not yet had a chance to verify the sources.  Some of us believe this news to be true because we trust the sources from which we have received it, and others of us have no doubt at all that the news is true because we have heard the truth for ourselves.

Someone might ask: What is this great news, and why all the fuss?  The answer lies in the experience of the women who went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark (Jn 20:1).  These women had spent time sitting with Jesus.  They had heard him say that on the third day he would rise, but among themselves, they had whispered: who among us believes that such words could actually come true?  Even today, as we sit and chat with our family members and friends, how often do we speak about heaven, about the time when we will no longer walk on this earth?  Such subjects are taboo, yet this is precisely what the women were witnessing.

Numbed by fear and disbelief, they ran ... to Simon Peter and the other disciple ... and said to them: ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him’ (Jn 20:2).  These are words of fear and confusion, human words that portray human emotions.  Peter and the other disciple also set out and went toward the tomb ... running (Jn 20:3).  They too could not believe what they were hearing.  It was only when they reached the place and saw for themselves: the linen wrappings lying there ... and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself (Jn 20:5-7) that they believed.

Later on, Peter, Paul and the other disciples would speak openly about that moment when they witnessed the fulfillment of the good news that Jesus had spoken about: that one day he would rise.  We hear a part of their testimony in the other readings today (Acts 10:37-43; Col 3:1-4).  Because they were able to speak about it, we have heard the good news, and this is the reason why we celebrate today, why we greet one another with exultant joy, why our voices ring out: He is risen!  Alleluia!  Happy Easter!