FEAST OF CHRIST, KING OF DIVINE MERCY: MY LORD AND MY GOD

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN
AND HAVE BELIEVED."

In his first of a series of appearances to his disciples Jesus filled them with the gifts of his presence and peace, the call to participate in his mission, and the Holy Spirit. With these gifts he not only strengthened their faith, but also increased their joy and empowered them in their struggle against sin.

These gifts were not meant only for the disciples in the Upper Room, but are for all believers. They are for all of us today if we open our hearts in faith to the Risen One and greet him in the words of the converted Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”

Today we celebrate the Feast of Jesus, King of Divine Mercy. This consoling devotion, centered on Christ’s merciful love for sinners, is a must for all of us, for we all need to experience such love. Likewise, we all have the duty to become instruments of his mercy to our neighbor.

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.


Euchalette, 19 April 2009
WORD AND LIFE PUBLICATIONS
MCPO Box 1820, Makati City, Philippines

WE WELCOME JESUS IN OUR LIVES

"HOSANNA, BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!"

When Jesus and his disciples drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately on entering it, you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone should say to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ reply, ‘The Master has need of it and will send it back here at once.’ ”

So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it.

So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!”

"TRULY THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD!"

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

N1 –As soon as morning came, the chief priests, with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Pilate questioned him,
P –“Are you the king of the Jews?”

(N1 –He said to him in reply,)

Jesus –“You say so.”

N2 –The chief priests accused him of many things.

Again Pilate questioned him,
P –“Have you no answer?

See how many things they accuse you of.”

N2 –Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast Pilate used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. The crowd came forward and began to ask Pilate to do for them as he was accustomed.

Pilate answered,
P –“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”

N1 –For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate again said to them in reply,

P –“Then what do you want me to do with the man you call the king of the Jews?”

(N1 –They shouted repeatedly,)

C –“Crucify him!”

(N1 –Pilate said to them,)
P –“Why? What evil has he done?”

N1 –They only shouted the louder,

C –“Crucify him!”

N2 –So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after
he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

N2 –The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. They began to salute him with,

S –“Hail, King of the Jews!”

N2 –and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of
the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.

N1 –They pressed into service a passerby, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. They brought him to the place called Golgotha – which is translated “Place of the Skull.” They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.

N2 –The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,

C –“Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross!”

N1 –Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said,

C –“He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe!”

N2 –Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him. At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,

Jesus –“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”

N2 –which is translated,

Jesus –“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

N2 –Some of the bystanders who heard it said,

C –“Look, he is calling Elijah.”

N1 –One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying,

C –“Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

N1 –Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

(All kneel and pause for a while.)

The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how Jesus breathed his last he said,

S –“Truly this man was the Son of God!"


Euchalette, 05 April 2009
WORD AND LIFE PUBLICATIONS
MCPO Box 1820, Makati City, Philippines