Second Sunday of Easter. (Divine Mercy Sunday) -Year C - Sunday, 27 April 2025 (EPISODE: 527)
Readings for Second Sunday of Easter. (Divine Mercy Sunday)- Year C
FIRST READING: Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24. "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting."
SECOND READING: Revelations 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 20:29). Alleluia, alleluia! You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me; happy those who have not seen me, but still believe.
GOSPEL: John 20:19-31
Image Credit: Paul Evangelion
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Second Sunday of Easter. (Divine Mercy Sunday) Year C - Sunday, 27 April 2025 - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-527/s-Vrf8I57KQC3
(EPISODE: 527)
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Last Monday, Easter Monday, the 21st of April 2025, we received news that our Pope, Pope Francis, had passed away. Our prayers are with him and we commend his soul to God's heavenly care, with gratitude for his ministry and his love and his message of Christ's gospel of mercy and inclusion.
Let's keep the repose of the soul of Pope Francis in our prayers and pray for the Church as it enters this time of discernment, as the Cardinals, inspired by the Holy Spirit, meet to elect a new Pope.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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God's mercy is better and more profound than any human mercy or compassion could even imagine. We cannot downplay how different is Jesus' reunion with his disciples after he rose from the dead from how the expectations of the world might be. After all, Jesus had been betrayed and abandoned by most of his followers and almost all of his disciples.
Only a handful of loyal women stayed with him and the disciple called the one Jesus loved. His chosen disciples mostly scattered in fear. The one Jesus chose to be the rock on whom he would build his church denied him not once but three times.
Now Christ has risen and he returns to meet them. If it was only a human way of thinking, one would naturally expect, if this was a earthly drama only, that there'd be revenge and retribution or at least an extended session of guilt trips and finger pointing. But no, not at all.
And that's the miracle and the message of Christ. No recriminations, no punishments. There's not a hint of judgment in our Lord's return.
He does not even punish Thomas for his doubt. And the doubting apostles demand that he would not believe until he had actually seen proof of the risen Lord. Christ meets Thomas right where he's at and shows Thomas what he needed to be assured of.
He shows him his hands and his side. That is true mercy. That is compassion.
It's also service and love, which Christ showed his whole life ministry. These are God's ways, which are so very different from many of the ways of the world. In the Eastern narratives, the risen Jesus is encountered by different disciples in different situations and in different ways.
Mary Magdalene recognises the risen Jesus only when he calls her by name, Mary. Then she realises and sees who he is. The two disciples travelling along the road towards Emmaus did not realise who this stranger was, who was walking along with them, until they saw him break the bread and then their eyes were opened.
They then realised that their hearts had already been burning with fervour as they walked along the road, but they had not recognised the signs of Christ's presence. But the disciples would get better and better at recognising Christ in the Eucharist and in the word of God and in the and in the burning energy of God's good news. And then again today, some people do not recognise Jesus until they touch the wounds of the suffering one.
May we continue to recognise Christ's presence whenever we touch the woundedness of those around us and offer support and strength. It could be argued that in fact it's not Jesus whom Thomas is doubting, but rather Thomas is expressing doubt in the word of his fellow disciples. So this passage can also be saying, please trust in the proclamation of the disciples that has been handed down throughout the centuries, your fellow believers.
This is the constant message of the church throughout its 2,000 years, that Jesus has truly risen, he is risen indeed. That is foundational. Even if we didn't see it ourselves 2,000 years ago, or touch the very wounds of the risen Christ, we trust and believe in the firm and consistent testimony of the apostles who did see him, who did touch his hand and his side, and took bread from his hands and ate with him, who watched the Lord eat bread and fish himself, not as a spirit, but as true flesh and blood, as a human.
And we believe in the words of the apostles which are written in the scriptures, so that we now share in their message and belief, and also share fully in the life of the risen Lord that Jesus offers to everyone. We need the community. It is not an added extra.
There's no such thing as a solo Christian. Even when we work at times individually.
If possible, it's always great to be together as one community, not merely walking to the beat of our own individual drum, nor making up our own faith and practices as we go, and according to our convenience. Those people who cannot gather at the church because of ill health, or frailty, or inability to get to the church despite their best desires, these people are still with us in spirit.
We pray for them, we keep them in our prayers, we think of them, and are very much united to them wherever they are, and we have communion ministers as best we can to go out and visit them. We're still connected. There's still that importance of community, even when people aren't able, due to their circumstances, to come to church.
But they're very much welcome and they desire to be there. Thomas in the Gospel inspires us. He doubted, but he didn't give up.
He didn't leave. He was still with the disciples the next week. He struggled, but the others did not reject him.
Jesus strengthened him in his struggle and doubts. Thomas is a gift to us in another way. He shows us the apostles were not gullible or foolish.
What they experienced in the risen Jesus was the experience of sensible people, just like you and me, thinking people who don't easily swallow everything they're told, but nevertheless they did truly experience Jesus risen, body and soul, and this is what they've steadfastly passed on to all future generations. This is the testimony of sensible, deep-thinking people who know what they mean and mean what they say, and were willing to live that truth from then on, and even die for that truth. That's how powerful it is.
Today we know that our Lord is certainly worth trusting, and all his promises are true, and we can thank Thomas for Jesus confirming that for all future generations, including us here and now. Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe.
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References:
Homily Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image Credit: Paul Evangelion 2025
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Remember your servant, Pope Francis, whom you have called from this world to yourself. Grant that he who was united with your son in a death like his, may now also be one with him in his resurrection.
God bless.
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Second Sunday of Easter. (Divine Mercy Sunday) Year C -(Sunday, 27 April 2025) (EPISODE: 527 )
2. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May God's Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude abide in you.}} welcome everyone, we gather - Listen to God's Word and contemplate the sacraments. On this Second Sunday of Easter. (Divine Mercy Sunday)
Our Gods love and mercy knows no bounds, and so let us recall our sins so as to worthily celebrate this Holy Sacrifice.
You raise the dead to life in the Spirit. Lord, have mercy You bring pardon and peace to the sinner. Christ, have mercy You bring light to those in darkness. Lord, have mercy
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24. "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 20:29). ). Alleluia, alleluia! You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me; happy those who have not seen me, but still believe.
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PREFACE: Easter 1
Eucharistic Prayer 1
(theme variation: theme 2 )
(post version: v2-long)
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{5. I am very grateful for you joining in, at this special time of prayer and reflection.}
2. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
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Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer.
Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)
Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai
{excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text}
[Production - KER - 2025]
May God bless and keep you.
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