| Saturday, April 11th, 2014, 7:00 AM |
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Maranatha, Maranatha,
Come, Oh Lord.
And set us free!
"
In Deo Speramus
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(In God We Hope) |
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Second Sunday of Easter
Sunday of Divine Mercy
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The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
Caravaggio (1601-1602)
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| 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."
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We are sent!
We seek God's peace
as we ask for strength to proclaim the
Good News to our neighbors and friends
in the spirit of our
Synod implementation process.
We pray to the Lord.
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| First Reading Acts 4:32-35 The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. The treatment of possessions by the community in this reading is the early Church's response to Christ's life, death and resurrection. How does your treatment of possessions compare with theirs?
2. Who are the needy in your immediate life? Can you take care of at least some of their needs? What, if anything, can you do about the needs of people in your extended world? If you joined forces with another person or group could you do something to alleviate some needs of these people?
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| Second Reading 1 Jn 5:1-6 Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. Are you a Christian because of what you have done or what Christ has done? Which is more important, belief in Jesus or performance of good deeds? If you believe deeply and personally in Jesus will good deeds spring from that belief and love?
2. " ... We know that we love the children of God when we love God. ... " Love of God presumes love for others. If these two loves are so connected and if one always results in the other, does it matter which comes first?
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| Alleluia Jn 20:29 Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas,
because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!
Alleluia, alleluia.
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| Gospel Jn 20:19-31 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. The Gospel of the Lord |
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Discussion Questions:
1.
Making peace between God and the world was Jesus' Easter gift to us. Do we have a part in helping spread that peace? Discuss Pope Francis' statement regarding peace.
Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! May the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation.
Easter Sunday Mass, Vatican, March 31, 2013
2. What is the significance of Jesus' breath when he gave the disciples the Holy Spirit? Do you receive the same Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation? Does the Holy Spirit act differently in you than in them? Jesus empowered his disciples with his Spirit so they could pass the gift of peace on to others. Is peace related to forgiveness of sins? How?
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Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
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| He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The Lord God formed us out of clay
and blew into our nostrils
the breath of
life. My Lord and my God! Jesus came and stood in their midst.
He breathed on them.
He gave them
his own
Spirit. My Lord and my God! Christ Jesus, we know that
you breathe on us.
Fill us with your
very own
life. We pray
with Thomas: My Lord and my God! |
| "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we'll have peace." By: Jimi Hendrix "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." Abraham Lincoln If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.
1 John 4:12
Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus God became human so that humans might become God (Catholicism, Page 2 by Fr. Robert Barron) "The Glory of God is a human being fully alive." Meyers, Robin R. (2009-02-19). Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Kindle Location 639). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
God "dwells in us."
God's love is not meant for us alone;
we must give it away.
Do small things today and for many tomorrows,
with a generous heart.
Give God Away Today!
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Help us then, Lord,
to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell.
You promise us much for this life
and for our eternal presence with You;
may we live into that promise
each day.
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An interesting thought:
The birth of St. John is celebrated on June 24th, in the moment of the summer solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to reduce. On the other hand, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, during the winter solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to grow, to get longer.
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