2026-04-12 Divine Mercy Sunday
2026-04-12 Divine Mercy Sunday
Acts 2:42-47
Acts 2:42-47 summarises the daily life of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem; marked by redistribution of resources. “From each according to his ability; to each according to his need,” - the communal living called 'Koinōnia' meant the community as a whole provided food for the hungry, resources for the impoverished, and burial assistance for the marginalised.
Luke's Gospel and Acts both portray the material excess of the wealthy as a hindrance to spiritual access to the community of Christ. The Rich Man (often called "Dives") awakens in an afterlife of a fiery hellscape because of his neglect of the poor man Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31). We can also see this with Zacchaeus, who gained his wealth from being Rome’s chief collector of the financial penalty that Judeans had to pay for being conquered (Luke 19:1–10). Only after he says that he will pay back what he extorted does Jesus tell him that salvation has come to his house.
Luke's Gospel and Acts both portray the material excess of the wealthy as a hindrance to spiritual access to the community of Christ. The Rich Man (often called "Dives") awakens in an afterlife of a fiery hellscape because of his neglect of the poor man Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31). We can also see this with Zacchaeus, who gained his wealth from being Rome’s chief collector of the financial penalty that Judeans had to pay for being conquered (Luke 19:1–10). Only after he says that he will pay back what he extorted does Jesus tell him that salvation has come to his house.
Psalm 118
Psalm 118 concludes the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118), which is used at Passover, a celebration that recalls and recounts the deliverance from Egypt. It is worth noting that the liturgical use of Psalm 118 occurs both during Palm Sunday (Lent) and Easter is instructive. Psalm 118 is the Psalter for both Palm/Passion Sunday (compare Psalm 118:25-27 with Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9; Luke 23:38; John 12:13) and Easter, to affirm that Jesus’ death and resurrection are life-giving events in continuity with the exodus and restoration from exile. God was, and is, the God who gives life amid the threat and the reality of death.
At the heart of what Psalm 118 teaches is that “God is ‘good,’ that is, life — promoting, and that his ‘love,’ that is, his mercy endures forever
At the heart of what Psalm 118 teaches is that “God is ‘good,’ that is, life — promoting, and that his ‘love,’ that is, his mercy endures forever
1 Peter 1:3-9
All who believe in Jesus and call on his name shall not perish but have true life in this world and the eternal heaven (Romans 10:13; 1 Peter 1:3–4) In the context of suffering, Apostle Peter writes to exhort, encourage, summon, and plead with ancient and contemporary Christians to never lose or neglect their hope in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (1 Peter 1:3–4). In a world where people are dying each day due to wars, natural disasters, various forms of sicknesses, lack of proper healthcare, and with Christian leaders preaching false ideologies, the message of the apostle Peter holds power and assurance that the only hope is in the one who rose from the dead. The one who sits in heaven at the right hand of God, the Father, is the foundation of human hope. Amidst all the suffering, Peter exhorts Christian believers to respond faithfully to God’s actions in Jesus Christ and calls on believers to live morally, ethically, and spiritually in this world. Right living in a hopeless world means modelling oneself as a true disciple of Jesus Christ so that we too can earn the gift of salvation (Hebrews 2:1–4).
John 20:19-31
Jesus appears to the locked-in disciples, who are inside because they are afraid of the Jewish authorities (John 20:19).
Fear can be paralysing; reassurance is an antidote to fear so first, Jesus wishes them Shalom or peace. The Roman peace (pax Romana) was enforced by violence but the peace that Jesus gives them is the kind of peace the world cannot give” (John 14:27) which comes with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peace not only brings calm, but it also brings light where darkness once reigned, it helps to restore order and purpose when there has been chaos and disruption in our lives
Next, Jesus announces to the disciples that he is sending them out to spread the Gospel just as the Father had sent him.
Lastly, Jesus breathes the Spirit onto the disciples. The presence of the Holy Spirit substitutes for the presence of the risen Jesus.
John uses Thomas to accentuate the human tendency to look for proof before believing. We live in a world that is rife with turmoil and there are upheavals globally, nationally, socially, in the church, in our homes and in our lives. The reality for our lives as Christians is that too often, we are confronted by questions of faith and we make promises of future faithfulness to Christ, if only Christ will provide the proof of his presence. The truth is that this peace promised by Christ is not offered by the world since it comes from the knowledge that, in spite of all the hurt and harm the world can and does inflict, God’s compassion and care embodied in Jesus stands again in their midst, the crucifixion notwithstanding.
Fear can be paralysing; reassurance is an antidote to fear so first, Jesus wishes them Shalom or peace. The Roman peace (pax Romana) was enforced by violence but the peace that Jesus gives them is the kind of peace the world cannot give” (John 14:27) which comes with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peace not only brings calm, but it also brings light where darkness once reigned, it helps to restore order and purpose when there has been chaos and disruption in our lives
Next, Jesus announces to the disciples that he is sending them out to spread the Gospel just as the Father had sent him.
Lastly, Jesus breathes the Spirit onto the disciples. The presence of the Holy Spirit substitutes for the presence of the risen Jesus.
John uses Thomas to accentuate the human tendency to look for proof before believing. We live in a world that is rife with turmoil and there are upheavals globally, nationally, socially, in the church, in our homes and in our lives. The reality for our lives as Christians is that too often, we are confronted by questions of faith and we make promises of future faithfulness to Christ, if only Christ will provide the proof of his presence. The truth is that this peace promised by Christ is not offered by the world since it comes from the knowledge that, in spite of all the hurt and harm the world can and does inflict, God’s compassion and care embodied in Jesus stands again in their midst, the crucifixion notwithstanding.
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