20-second Summary
The Second Sunday of Easter is also called Divine Mercy Sunday. We reflect on and ask for Jesus’ Divine Mercy which poured forth from Him as He died on the Cross, symbolized in the blood and water that came out of His side when it was pierced with a spear. His sacrifice made the mercy of God complete. We are able, through the saving work of Jesus Christ, to receive the ultimate in mercy – God’s Divine Life in us.
Catechesis At Home – Second Sunday of Easter – Year A
Divine Mercy Sunday
First Reading
They devoted themselves
to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one’s need.
Every day they devoted themselves
to meeting together in the temple area
and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. 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. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Second Reading
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel Reading
Alleluia
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. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
Divine Mercy Sunday
REFLECTION – What is Mercy?
The Second Sunday of Easter is also called Divine Mercy Sunday. We reflect on and ask for Jesus’ Divine Mercy which poured forth from Him as He died on the Cross, symbolized in the blood and water that came out of His side when it was pierced with a spear. His sacrifice made the mercy of God complete. We are able, through the saving work of Jesus Christ, to receive the ultimate in mercy – God’s Divine Life in us.
The story of the Divine Mercy image and feast, associated prayers and devotions can be found at https://www.thedivinemercy.org/ . One of the more popular devotions is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It is traditionally prayed at 3:00PM daily. You can use Rosary beads to keep track of the prayers. The last two pages of the printable have the Chaplet prayers and a full color copy of the Divine Mercy image.
Let us take some time this week to reflect on and talk about mercy, in particular God’s Divine Mercy. Here are some definitions to get you started.
Mercy: the loving kindness, compassion, or forbearance shown to one who offends (e.g., the mercy of
God to us sinners) (CCC Glossary)
Mercy: The disposition to be kind and forgiving. Founded on compassion, mercy differs from
compassion or the feeling of sympathy in putting this feeling into practice with a readiness to assist. It is
therefore the ready willingness to help anyone in need, especially in need of pardon or reconciliation. (Fr. Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary)
Mercy: (Merriam-Webter)
1a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power also :
lenient or compassionate treatment begged for mercy
b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion: May God have mercy on us.
b : a fortunate circumstance: it was a mercy they found her before she froze
3 : compassionate treatment of those in distress: works of mercy among the poor
We pray for God’s mercy each time we pray the Our Father:
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” These words express our desire and need for not only forgiveness, but help to stay clear of temptation and sin. God’s mercy is a combination of forgiveness and protection. He desires nothing but good for us. When we seek His mercy with a sincere contrition of heart, we can be confident in this Divine Mercy. We are also called to show mercy to others.
We can be merciful to others, but only God can bestow Divine Mercy. Only God can forgive our sins and make our souls pure. This mercy is available to us through the sacraments. First of all in Baptism, all sins are forgiven AND the temporal punishment due to sin is wiped away. In Reconciliation, our sins are forgiven when we confess them to the priest with a contrite heart desiring to turn away from sin and back to God. Our penance that we do is to make up for the broken relationship on our part. In Anointing of the Sick, sins are also forgiven. And finally, in the Holy Eucharist our venial sins are forgiven. Mortal sins require confessing to a priest for forgiveness. Below are more resources for Reconciliation.
DISCUSSION – What is Divine Mercy?
Read The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant from your Bible or by following the link. After reading it aloud to your family, ask the following questions:
1. What did the king do when the servant begged not to be put in jail?
2. After the king forgave the servant his debts, what did the servant do?
3. Why do you think the servant acted unmercifully toward his debtors, when the king acted mercifully toward him?
4. Was the king justified in his punishing the servant after all?
5. Who does the king represent? (God)
6. Who does the servant represent? (us)
7. When have you acted like the king? When have you acted like the servant?
8. How can we be more like the king?
ACTIVITY – Pray for Divine Mercy
Close your discussion of God’s mercy by praying a Chaplet of Divine Mercy together as a family.
DIG DEEPER – Other Divine Mercy resources from Holy Owned and Operated:
Page: Easter Resources
Page: Prayer Basics
Page: Resources (Confession)
TWMWU: Divine Mercy Sunday – Witness and Bear Fruit
TWMWU: Not Just a Servant
TWMWU: God of the Living
TWMWU: We Believe In The Resurrection
Podcast: The Lord’s Prayer – Episode 45
Podcast: Spiritual Works of Mercy – Episode 93
How do you accept Jesus’ Divine Mercy?
by Beth & Kristofer Cowles
HOO™ Co-Founders
Other Help on HOO
Being On The Road To Perfection – Episode 166
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:32 — 22.6MB)
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We are called to be perfect, as we discussed last week.
So, what does being on the road to perfection look like?
If Jesus was “finished” and his ministry was “completed,” as it means when He said, “It is done,” by saying, “It is perfected” just before He died on the Cross, He must have walked a road to perfection.
And so must we.
In this episode we discuss that concept, in terms of what we are doing and how we respond to the call for our life.
It’s a simple concept, and a difficult task, but we have the example of Our Lord which, from the proper perspective, is not an impossible example to follow and exemplify.
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