SEGUNDO DOMINGO DE PASCUA 2025

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, continuamos celebrando la Pascua del Señor, que significa que Jesús está VERDADERAMENTE VIVO, y es Fuente de Salvación y Esperanza para el mundo. Las lecturas de este domingo nos muestran una nueva comunidad que nace como continuación de la Resurrección del Señor y de Su Verdadera Presencia en medio de sus discípulo, una comunidad que sana a los enfermos, reaviva la fe y es enviada predicar y perdonar los pecados.. Esta semana murió el papa Francisco paso de este mundo a la casa del Padre; continuemos rezando por el y pidiéndole a Dios que sea misericordioso con él y nos ayude a recordar y mantener vivas sus enseñanzas. Comparto con ustedes algunas preguntas para la reflexión:

¿Te confiesas al menos una vez al año? ¿Perdonas a los que os ofenden? ¿Eres mensajero del Evangelio de Jesús? ¿Eres un canal de la paz de Jesús? ¿Muestras misericordia a las personas necesitadas?

Permítanme compartir con ustedes algunas ideas sobre las Lecturas este Segundo Domingo de Pascua, también conocido como Domingo de la Divina Misericordia.

1. La primera comunidad no sólo predicaba el Evangelio, sino que también curaba las enfermedades de muchas personas que creían en la Resurrección de Jesucristo.

2. Jesús trae la Paz. Jesús atraviesa los muros y cualquier otra barrera que tengamos en nuestras vidas y se presenta en medio de nosotros y nos dice: «La Paz esté con ustedes». Esa es una declaración que repite el Sacerdote, (Persona Christi) en cada Misa. Es bueno recordar que los discípulos estaban encerrados en el Cenáculo de la Última Cena, por miedo a los judíos, y llenos de tristeza por la muerte de Jesús. Es en esa realidad cuando Jesús se presenta y les trae su verdadera paz, no la paz del mundo, sino la paz que viene del conocimiento y la fe de que Jesús está verdaderamente con nosotros.

3. Jesús los envía al mundo. El Señor dice a sus discípulos que vayan por el mundo a predicar su Palabra y su perdón a todos los pueblos. El Señor envía a sus discípulos como mensajeros de su Misericordia y Amor. Una forma de hacerlo es a través de los Sacramentos de la Iglesia, que nos traen el Perdón y la Reconciliación de Dios. Hermanos y hermanas, todos somos Misioneros de la Divina Misericordia de Jesucristo, y todos estamos invitados a ir y proclamar que Jesús está Verdaderamente Vivo siendo un instrumentos de su paz y su perdón.

4. De la incredulidad a la fe, Tomás, por no estar con la comunidad, se perdió el primer encuentro con el Señor, pero al cabo de unos días, el Señor Jesús volvió expresamente por él, para estar con él, aclarar sus dudas y conducirle a la fe. Tomás, que se negaba a creer en la resurrección de Jesús por falta de pruebas físicas, acaba rindiéndose a los pies del Señor y exclamando: «¡Señor mío y Dios mío!». Su incredulidad lleva a Jesús a proclamar «bienaventurados» los que crean en Él en todo el mundo sin haberle visto. Esa promesa se aplica a todos los que hemos llegado a nuestra fe a través de las proclamaciones de los apóstoles como testigos oculares. Proclamemos hoy con el apóstol Tomás: «¡ SEÑOR MIO Y DIOS MIO!».

5. Heridas que se curan. Jesús vino a Tomás para sanar su incredulidad; las cicatrices de sus propias heridas las convierte en el remedio para sanar a Tomás. Aquí hay una gran enseñanza mis queridos hermanos y hermanas. Las cicatrices que dejan nuestras heridas están curadas, pueden ser convertidas en medios a través de los cuales podemos acompañar a los demás y ayudarles en su proceso de sanación de la misma manera como lo hizo Jesús con Tomás, su discípulo.

Hermanos y hermanas, al celebrar el Domingo de la Divina Misericordia del Señor, tengamos presente que Jesús tiene sus brazos siempre abiertos para acogernos, perdonarnos y mostrarnos cuánto amor nos tiene a cada uno de nosotros, que estemos abiertos a recibir de él su misericordia y sobretodo a compartirla con los demás. Pidámosle que nos dé la oportunidad de ser mensajeros de su Misericordia en este mundo. Amén.

P. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, we continue celebrating the Lord's Passover, which means that Jesus is TRULY ALIVE and is the Source of Salvation and Hope for the world. This Sunday's readings show us a new community that is born as a continuation of the Lord's Resurrection and His True Presence among His disciples, a community that heals the sick, rekindles faith, and is sent to preach and forgive sins. This week, Pope Francis died and passed from this world to the Father's house. Let us continue praying for him and asking God to be merciful to him and help us remember and keep his teachings alive. I share with you some questions for reflection:

Do you go to confession at least once a year? Do you forgive those who offend you? Are you a messenger of Jesus' Gospel? Are you a channel of Jesus' peace? Do you show mercy to people in need?

Let me share with you some thoughts on the Readings for this Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

1. The first community not only preached the Gospel, but also healed the illnesses of many people who believed in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Jesus brings Peace. Jesus breaks through walls and every other barrier we have in our lives and presents himself among us and says, "Peace be with you." This is a statement the Priest (Persona Christi) repeats at every Mass. It is good to remember that the disciples were locked in the Upper Room at the Last Supper, for fear of the Jews, and filled with sadness over Jesus' death. It is in this reality that Jesus presents himself and brings them his true peace – not the peace of the world, but the peace that comes from the knowledge and faith that Jesus is truly with us.

3. Jesus sends them into the world. The Lord tells his disciples to go out into the world to preach his Word and his forgiveness to all peoples. The Lord sends his disciples as messengers of his mercy and love. One way to do this is through the sacraments of the Church, which bring us God's forgiveness and reconciliation. Brothers and sisters, we are all missionaries of the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, and we are all invited to go and proclaim that Jesus is truly alive, being instruments of his peace and forgiveness.

4. From unbelief to faith: Thomas, because he was not with the community, missed his first encounter with the Lord. But after a few days, the Lord Jesus returned expressly for him, to be with him, clarify his doubts, and lead him to faith. Thomas, who refused to believe in Jesus' resurrection for lack of physical proof, eventually surrendered at the Lord's feet and exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!" His unbelief led Jesus to proclaim "blessed" those throughout the world who believe in him without having seen him. This promise applies to all of us who have come to our faith through the proclamations of the apostles as eyewitnesses. Let us proclaim today with the apostle Thomas: "MY LORD AND MY GOD!"

5. Wounds that heal. Jesus came to Thomas to heal his unbelief; he turns the scars of his own wounds into the remedy for healing Thomas. Here lies a great teaching, my dear brothers and sisters. The scars left by our wounds are healed; they can be transformed into means through which we can accompany others and help them in their healing process, just as Jesus did with Thomas, his disciple.

Brothers and sisters, as we celebrate the Sunday of the Lord's Divine Mercy, let us remember that Jesus always has his arms open to welcome us, forgive us, and show us how much love he has for each of us. May we be open to receiving his mercy and, above all, to sharing it with others. Let us ask him to give us the opportunity to be messengers of his mercy in this world. Amen.

Fr. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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The Risen Lord Strengthens Us in Our Weakness…

Today, the last day of the Octave of Easter, the Gospel recounts the first and second apparition of the Risen One to the disciples. Jesus comes at Passover, while the Apostles are shut in the Upper Room, out of fear, but since Thomas, one of the Twelve, is not present, Jesus returns eight days later (cf. Jn 20:19-29). Let’s focus on the two main characters, Thomas and Jesus, looking first at the disciple, and then at the Master. There is a good dialogue between these two.

The Apostle Thomas, first of all. He represents all of us, who were not present in the Upper Room when the Lord appeared, and did not have other physical signs or apparitions from him. We too struggle at times like that disciple: how can we believe that Jesus is risen, that he accompanies us and is the Lord of our life without having seen him, without having touched him? How can one believe in this? Why does the Lord not give us some clearer sign of his presence and love? Some sign that I can see better… Here, we too are like Thomas, with the same doubts, the same reasoning.

But we do not need to be ashamed of this. By telling us the story of Thomas, in fact, the Gospel tells us that the Lord is not looking for perfect Christians. The Lord is not looking for perfect Christians. I tell you: I am afraid when I see a Christian, some associations of Christians who believe themselves to be perfect. The Lord is not looking for perfect Christians; the Lord is not looking for Christians who never doubt and always flaunt a steadfast faith. When a Christian is like that, something isn’t right.

No, the adventure of faith, as for Thomas, consists of lights and shadows. Otherwise, what kind of faith would that be? It knows times of comfort, zeal and enthusiasm, but also of weariness, confusion, doubt and darkness. The Gospel shows us Thomas’ “crisis” to tell us that we should not fear the crises of life and faith. Crises are not sins, they are part of the journey, we should not fear them. Many times, they make us humble because they strip us of the idea that we are fine, that we are better than

others. Crises help us to recognize that we are needy: they rekindle the need for God and thus enable us to return to the Lord, to touch his wounds, to experience his love anew as if it were the first time. Dear brothers and sisters, is better to have an imperfect but humble faith that always returns to Jesus, than a strong but presumptuous faith that makes us proud and arrogant. Woe to them!

Brothers and sisters, especially when we experience moments of weariness and crisis, the Risen Jesus wishes to return to stay with us. He only waits for us to seek him, to call on him, or even, like Thomas, to protest, bringing him our needs and our unbelief. He always comes back. Why? Because he is patient and merciful.

May Our Lady, Mother of Mercy – I like to think of her as the Mother of Mercy on the Monday after Mercy Sunday – accompany us on the journey of faith and love. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 24 IV 22]

Rev. Rajesh Peter

Second Sunday of Easter 2025

“Peace with you.”  What a beautiful greeting.  “Peace be with you…”

My friends, as we celebrate the life and ministry of our beloved Pope Francis, his message was always about peace.  When our Bishop Rojas asked him what he is most afraid of, Pope Francis said:  “Division.”  Our Holy Father was indeed about Peace.

In our Gospel today, I can only imagine the disciples’ range of emotions as they locked themselves in that room:

• Fear – afraid that they would be next to be arrested and killed.

• Guilt – because they ran away when Jesus was arrested.  Peter probably felt even more guilty because he denied even knowing Jesus.

• And then – that morning – Mary Magdalene announced that she had seen the Lord.  What would they say if Jesus should approach them ?

• Can you imagine the anxiety – the confusion – the grief – they were suffering?

And, now – all of a sudden – in that locked room – stood the Risen Jesus… – with those wonderful words:  “Peace be with you…” 

He said it again:    “Peace be with you…”        Wow……

When the disciples experienced the Resurrected Presence of Jesus – they were more than forgiven – they were healed.

They were not scolded; they were not on the ‘outs’ with Jesus.  Quite the contrary – they were healed – and Jesus reassured them that they were still part of his ministry team:

“As the Father has sent me – so I send you.” 

When Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” – they were commissioned (or sent) to be God’s ministers of mercy:  “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven….” 

With that in mind – Jesus sending his disciples was no small thing:

• “As you have been shown mercy and forgiveness – Go – show mercy and forgiveness to others.”

• And, we – disciples of Jesus – are also sent – to do the same.  To forgive those who have sinned against us – and give them peace...

My friends – throughout his ministry – Jesus preached a message of  mercy:  “Forgive seventy times seven times.”  He preached mercy in his parables – like the Parable of the Prodigal Son and Loving Father. 

Jesus also lived a life of mercy – like the mercy shown to the woman caught in adultery and was about to be stoned to death.

• And – mercy is what we celebrate today on this Second Sunday of Easter – also known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

• We celebrate God’s mercy and healing in that locked room 2,000 years ago.

• And, we celebrate that same mercy and healing in this Church this morning.

The Resurrection of Jesus is more than an historical event 2,000 years ago.  The Risen Jesus is alive and present right here.

• Jesus is present in everyone here. 

• He’s present in the Word of God – especially in the Gospel. 

• Jesus is present in the Eucharist. 

• And – he is present in our Priest Presider today with those familiar words prior to Communion:  “The PEACE of the Lord be with you always...”

My friends, when we experience the Risen Jesus in our life – we are healed by our Lord.  We are changed forever.  We no longer see through the eyes of the world – but through the eyes of Jesus.  Nothing is the same.  Peace be with you…