Walking with Jesus: Second Sunday of Easter C

For Sunday, April 27, 2025

Acts 5:12-16; Revelation 1:9-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31


We come to the second Sunday after Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, after experiencing the resurrection of Jesus. We are encouraged to be kind and recognize God's power and His love for each of us. All the readings on this day serve to guide new believers and followers of Jesus into deeper meaning and understanding of the religious mysteries and sacraments of the Church. Luke explains this in the readings from the Acts of the Apostles: “… many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles … yet more than ever believers in the Lord great numbers … were added to them. They even gathered the sick out into the streets … and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” [Acts 5:12-16] We are given a glimpse into who we were from the beginning of the Church and an insight into who we should be today. And what do we see?

What can we learn from these first Christians? Luke uses “signs and wonders” to describe the mighty works of God. It is a great reflection when we look at our past lives and see the remarkable presence of God — in tragic times, in celebratory times, in emergency times. We are that important to God who is always leading us closer. We see how the apostles continue doing the work of God — the same work Jesus had been doing in His earthly ministry. It’s interesting to note what we do not see them doing: We don’t find the apostles sitting around discussing their faith in Jesus; we see them living it. Remember that after Jesus’ torture and horrible death on the cross, the apostles and disciples are living in fear, hiding in safe places and avoiding the authorities. They don’t grasp the meaning of what has occurred until the Risen Lord appears as we hear today, saying, “Peace be with you … and He said it again, Peace be with you.” [John 20:19, 23] With these words things begin to change. Courage replaces fear … trust replaces doubt … clarity as to their “mission” replaces confusion … and hope is the impetus behind their goal of sharing Jesus, His life, and His love. Thomas sums it up so succinctly: “My Lord and my God.” [John 20:28] Do I realize that it’s not about me, but it's about God’s mission He has for me to do in my life — the reason I was created? It means that we surrender to Him and turn our lives over to Him and let Him be the one in charge: the Lord of our life.

John’s reading in Revelation depicts a “commissioning” vision he received at an earlier time. He is “caught up in the Spirit” and commissioned by God, as were the prophets. The reason is twofold: It clarifies the nature of his task and it confers divine authority on it. As a Christian, John — like us — is a companion with the others in the suffering and difficulties he endures for the sake of his faith. John experiences being banished to the penal colony at Patmos, a place purposed for political enemies of the Roman empire. John is called to record his experience so that those in similar circumstances can receive hope and courage as witnesses of Jesus’ mission and love. Am I doing the same? I have been called to love each day.

In the Gospel we witness the bestowing of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the Christians who are gathered with them. They are commissioned to go forth and declare, preach, and live that Jesus is Lord of our lives. Now Thomas represents the second generation of Christians, those who are called to believe on the testimony of others. Their faith, as ours, is more demanding than that of those who actually witnessed Jesus. All of us — the earlier witnesses and we ourselves — will be rightly judged, not on how or who we say we are, but on how we live … how we conduct ourselves … how we love. Thomas says, “My Lord and my God.” That’s a good starting point. Let’s show our world that we believe it — and live it.   

So I reflect on:

• Today I look at my life in God. He has always … always ... shown Himself to me as my God of love, mercy and forgiveness. How am I living or not living what He has done for me?
• How do today’s readings reveal God’s ongoing goodness and generosity, love and mercy? How do they speak to me of Easter joy in the Risen Lord?

Sacred Space 2025 states:

“Here Jesus shows great understanding and compassion for our weakness and slowness of hard to believe. It appears that He came, especially for the sake of the doubting Thomas, but of course it was for us too. And this divine mercy Sunday He shows that He is always a God of forgiveness and love.

“This was originally intended to be the final chapter, but the writer states that the whole purpose of this book is to show that Jesus is the Messiah and the son of God. We pray to grow in our faith, and in our understanding of the revelation of God in this gospel.”