2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) - Cycle C
1st Reading: Acts 5:12-16
The Growth of the Church
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12] Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands
of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. [13] None of
the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. [14] And more
than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women,
[15] so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds
and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of
them. [16] The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing
the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
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Commentary:
12-16. In this third summary (cf. 2:42-47 and 4:32-37) of the lifestyle of the first
community, St Luke refers particularly to the Apostles' power to work miracles.
These miracles confirm to the people that the Kingdom of God has in fact come
among them. Grace abounds and it shows its presence by spiritual conversions
and physical cures. These "signs and wonders" are not done to amaze people
or provoke curiosity but to awaken faith.
Miracles always accompany God's Revelation to men; they are part of that Reve-
lation. They are not simply a bending of the laws of nature: they are a kind of ad-
vance sign of the glorious transformation which the world will undergo at the end
of time. Thus, just as a sinner, when he repents, obeys God without ceasing to
be free, so matter can be changed if its Creator so ordains, undermining or de-
stroying its own laws.
Miracles are a form of accreditation God gives to the Gospel message: they are
actions of God in support of the truth of his messengers' preaching. "If they had
not worked miracles and wonders," Origen says, "Jesus' disciples could not
have moved their hearers to give up their traditional religion for new teachings
and truths, and to embrace, at the risk of their lives, the teachings which were
being proclaimed to them" ("Against Celsus", I,46). And St Ephraern comments:
"The Apostles' miracles made the resurrection and ascension of the Lord credi-
ble" ("Armenian Commentary, ad loc".).
Through miracles God speaks to the minds and hearts of those who witness
them, inviting them to believe but not forcing their freedom or lessening the merit
of their faith. The Apostles follow in the footsteps of our Lord, who "supported and
confirmed his preaching by miracles to arouse the faith of his hearers and give
them assurance, not to coerce them" (Vatican II, "Dignitatis Humanae", 11). If
people have the right dispositions they will generally have no difficulty in recogni-
zing and accepting miracles. Common sense and religions instinct tell them that
miracles are possible, because all things are subject to God; however, prejudice
and resistance to conversion and its implications can blind a person and make
him deny something which is quite obvious to a man of good will.
"Since the Apostles were all together, the people brought them their sick on beds
and pallets. From every quarter fresh tribute of wonder accrued to them -- from
them that believed, from them that were healed, such was the Apostles' boldness
of speech and the virtuous behavior of the believers. Although the Apostles mo-
destly ascribe these things to Christ, in whose name they acted, their own life
and noble conduct also helped to produce this effect" ("Hom. on Acts", 12).
2nd Reading: Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
Reason for Writing
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[9] I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the king-
dom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of'
the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. [10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet [11a] saying, "Write what
you see in a book."
[12] Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw
seven golden lampstands, [13] and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son
of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast.
[17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand
upon me. saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, [18] and the living one; I
died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
[19] Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter."
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Commentary:
9-20. After greeting the churches (vv. 4-8) the author explains his reason for wri-
ting: he has been commanded to do so by his glorious Lord, in a vision of the
risen Christ concerning his Church.
In Sacred Scripture God's messages are frequently communicated to prophets in
the form of a vision (cf. Is 6; Ezek 1:4-3:15; etc.; Zech 1:7-2:9; etc.). Accounts
of divine visions are particularly found in "books of revelation" or apocalypses,
such as Daniel 8-12, and also in other Jewish and Christian writings of the time
immediately before and after Christ's life on earth: although not included in the
canon of the Bible, these writings were designed to keep up Christians' morale
in times of persecution. In a genuinely prophetic vision God elevates the prophet's
mind to enable him to understand what God desires to tell him (cf. "Summa Theo-
logiae," II-II, q. 173, a. 3). In the Apocalypse, when St John reports his vision he
is making known the message given him by the risen Christ: Christ is continuing
to speak to his Church in a number of ways, including the exhortations and tea-
chings contained in this book.
9-11. Like other prophets and apostles (cf. Ezek 3:12; Acts 10:10; 22:17; 2 Cor
12:2-3), John feels himself caught up by a divine force; in an ecstasy he hears
the voice of our Lord; its power and strength he describes as a trumpet.
Some scholars think that the seven churches listed here were chosen because
of their particular situation at the time. They stand for the entire Church universal,
and therefore what is said in the seven letters is addressed to all Christians who,
in one way or another, find themselves in situations similar to that of these
churches of proconsular Asia.
The Apostles' vigilant care of the Church is discernible in many of the letters they
addressed to their communities. Like St Paul (cf. 2 Cor 11:28; 1 Thess 2:2), the
other Apostles felt anxiety for all the churches. St Peter, for example, wrote to el-
ders telling them to be good shepherds of the flock God gave into their care, ten-
ding it "not by constraint but willingly, as God would have you, not for shameful
gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being exam-
ples to the flock" (1 Pet 5:2-3).
This pastoral solicitude leads St John to show solidarity with the joy and afflic-
tion of Christians of his day. His consoling words come from someone who well
knows (because he has learned it from Jesus and later from his own experience)
that fidelity to the Gospel calls for self-denial and even martyrdom. Communion
and solidarity are wonderful features of the mystical body of Christ: they stem
from the fact that all Christians are united to each other and to Jesus Christ, the
head of that body which is the Church (cf. Col 1:18; Eph 4:16; etc.). The visiona-
ry of Patmos clearly has tremendous love for Christ and for the Church. We
should remember that "charity more than any other virtue unites us closely with
Christ, and it is the heavenly ardor of this love which has caused so many sons
and daughters of the Church to rejoice in suffering contumely for his sake, joy-
fully to meet and overcome the severest trials, and even to shed their blood and
die for him" (Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis", 33).
From the very start of his public ministry our Lord foretold how much his followers
would have to suffer for his sake. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, he
said, "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds
of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Mt
5:11-12).
"The Lord's day": the "dies Dominica", Sunday, the day which the Church, ever
since the apostolic age, keeps as its weekly holy day in place of the Jewish
sabbath, because it is the day on which Jesus rose from the dead: "on this day
Christ's faithful are bound to come together into one place. They should listen to
the word of God and take part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the passion,
resurrection, and glory of the Lord Jesus, and giving thanks to God by whom they
have been begotten 'anew through the resurrection of Christ from the dead, unto
a living hope' (1 Pet 1:3)" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 106). This day
should be sanctified by attending Mass and also by giving time to other devo-
tions, rest, and activities which help build up friendship with others, especially
in the family circle.
12-16. The lampstands in this first vision symbolize the churches at prayer; they
remind us of the seven-branched candlestick (the "menorah") which used to burn
in the temple of Jerusalem and which is described in detail in Exodus 25:31-20.
In the midst of the candlestick, as if guarding and governing the churches, a
mysterious figure appears, in the form of a man. The expression "son of man"
originates in Daniel 7:14 where, as here, it refers to someone depicted as Judge
at the end of time. The various symbols used indicate his importance. His "long
robe" shows his priesthood (cf. Ex 28:4; Zech 3:4); the golden girdle, his king-
ship (cf. 1 Mac 10:89); his white hair, his eternity (cf. Dan 7:9); his eyes "like
a flame of fire" symbolize his divine wisdom (cf. Rev 2:23), and his bronze feet
his strength and stability.
The seven stars stand for the angels of the seven churches (cf. v. 20), and our
Lord's holding them in his hand is a sign of his power and providence. Finally,
the splendor of his face recalls the Old Testament theophanies or apparitions,
and the sound coming from his mouth shows the power of his word (cf. Heb 4:
12).
It is interesting to note that our Lord used the title "son of man" to refer to him-
self (cf., e.g., Mt 9:6; Mk 10:45; Lk 6:22); it is always used in St John's Gospel
to indicate Christ's divinity and transcendence (cf., e.g., Jn 1:51; 3:14; 9:35; 12:
23).
"Burnished bronze": Latin versions transliterate the original as "orichalc", a shi-
ning alloy of bronze and gold.
17-19. When the glory of Christ, or the glory of God, is manifested, man becomes
so conscious of his insignificance and unworthiness that he is unable to remain
standing in his presence. This happened to the Israelites at Sinai (cf. Ex 19:16-24)
and to the Apostles on Mount Tabor (cf. Mk 9:2-8 and par.). A person who experi-
ences the divine presence in a vision reacts in the same way (cf. Ezek 1:29f; Dan
8:18; etc.), and in the case of the Apocalypse it happens when Christ is seen in
glory surrounded by his Church. However, the risen Christ's first word to his follo-
wers was one of peace and assurance (cf., e.g., Mt 28:5, 10), and here he places
his right hand on the seer's head in a gesture of protection.
The risen Christ is depicted as reassuring the Christian, who sees him as having
absolute dominion over all things (he is the first and the last) though he shared
man's mortal nature. By his death and resurrection Christ has overcome death; he
has dominion over death and over the mysterious world beyond the grave -- Hades,
the place of the dead (cf. Mm 16:33). "Christ is alive. This is the great truth which
fills our faith with meaning. Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen. He has tri-
umphed over death; he has overcome sorrow, anguish and the power of darkness"
(St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 102).
The vision St John is given is meant for the benefit of the whole Church, as can be
seen from the fact that he is told to write down what he sees; it is connected with
contemporary events and with the future. The immediate context of the vision is
the salvation of the churches mentioned and the glory of Christ who is caring for
them (chaps. 2-3): the future has to do with the afflictions the Church must under-
go and the full establishment of Christ's kingdom: his second coming will mean
definitive victory over the powers of evil (cf. chaps. 4-22).
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
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[19] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors shut where
the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and
said to them, "Peace be with you." [20] When He had said this, He showed
them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the
Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent Me, even so I send you." [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on
them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
[24] Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when
Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place
my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not
believe."
[26] Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was
with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and
said, "Peace be with you." [27] Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here,
and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be
faithless, but believing." [28] Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!"
[29] Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
[30] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which
are not written in this book; [31] but these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name.
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Commentary:
19-20. Jesus appears to the Apostles on the evening of the day of which He
rose. He presents Himself in their midst without any need for the doors to be
opened, by using the qualities of His glorified body; but in order to dispel any
impression that He is only a spirit He shows them His hands and His side: there
is no longer any doubt about its being Jesus Himself, about His being truly risen
from the dead. He greets them twice using the words of greeting customary
among the Jews, with the same tenderness as He previously used put into this
salutation. These friendly words dispel the fear and shame the Apostles must
have been feeling at behaving so disloyally during His passion: He has created
the normal atmosphere of intimacy, and now He will endow them with transcen-
dental powers.
21. Pope Leo XIII explained how Christ transferred His own mission to the
Apostles: "What did He wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be
founded? This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which
He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He
clearly resolved to do: this He actually did. 'As the Father hath sent Me, even so
I send you' (John 20:21). 'As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent
them into the world' (John 17:18). [...] When about to ascend into Heaven, He
sends His Apostles in virtue of the same power by which He had been sent from
the Father; and He charges them to spread abroad and propagate His teachings
(cf. Matthew 28:18), so that those obeying the Apostles might be saved, and
those disobeying should perish (cf. Mark 16:16). [...] Hence He commands that
the teaching of the Apostles should be religiously accepted and piously kept as
if it were His own: 'He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects
Me' (Luke 10:16). Wherefore the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ as He is
the ambassador of the Father" ([Pope] Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum"). In this
mission the bishops are the successors of the Apostles: "Christ sent the Apos-
tles as He Himself had been sent by the Father, and then through the Apostles
made their successors, the bishops, sharers in His consecration and mission.
The function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree
to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be
co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mis-
sion that had been entrusted to it by Christ" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum
Ordinis", 2).
22-23. The Church has always understood--and has in fact defined--that Jesus
Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which
is exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. "The Lord then especially instituted
the Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed
upon His disciples and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit...' The consensus of all
the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words
so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and
their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism"
(Council of Trent, "De Paenitentia", Chapter 1).
The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime expression of God's love and
mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son
(cf. Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open,
waiting for us to repent--and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity
of being His sons.
The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse
to this Sacrament: "For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue
we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by
the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in
a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted,
spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the
will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased
by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself" ([Pope] Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis").
24-28. Thomas' doubting moves our Lord to give him special proof that His risen
body is quite real. By so doing He bolsters the faith of those who would later on
find faith in Him. "Surely you do not think",
[Pope] St. Gregory the Great comments, "that is was a pure accident that the
chosen disciple was missing; who on his return was told about the appearance
and on hearing about it doubted; doubting, so that he might touch and believe by
touching? It was not an accident; God arranged that it should happen. His cle-
mency acted in this wonderful way so that through the doubting disciple touching
the wounds in His Master's body, our own wounds of incredulity might be healed.
[...] And so the disciple, doubting and touching, was changed into a witness of
the truth of the Resurrection" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 7).
Thomas' reply is not simply an exclamation: it is an assertion, an admirable act
of faith in the divinity of Christ: "My Lord and my God!" These words are an eja-
culatory prayer often used by Christians, especially as an act of faith in the real
presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist.
29. [Pope] St. Gregory the Great explains these words of our Lord as follows:
"By St. Paul saying 'faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things unseen' (Hebrews 11:1), it becomes clear that faith has to do with things
which are not seen, for those which are seen are no longer the object of faith,
but rather of experience. Well then, why is Thomas told, when he saw and
touched, 'Because you have seen, you have believed?' Because he saw one
thing, and believed another. It is certain that mortal man cannot see divinity;
therefore, he saw the man and recognized Him as God, saying, 'My Lord and
my God.' In conclusion: seeing, he believed, because contemplating that real
man he exclaimed that He was God, whom he could not see" ("In Evangelia
Homiliae", 27, 8).
Like everyone else Thomas needed the grace of God to believe, but in addition
to this grace he was given an exceptional proof; his faith would have had more
merit had he accepted the testimony of the other Apostles. Revealed truths
are normally transmitted by word, by the testimony of other people who, sent
by Christ and aided by the Holy Spirit, preach the deposit of faith (cf. Mark
16:15-16). "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from
the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The preaching of the Gospel, there-
fore, carries with it sufficient guarantees of credibility, and by accepting that
preaching man "offers the full submission of his intellect and will to God who
reveals, willingly assenting to the revelation given" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum",
5).
"What follows pleases us greatly: 'Blessed are those who have not seen and
yet believe.' For undoubtedly it is we who are meant, who confess with our
soul Him whom we have not seen in the flesh. It refers to us, provided we live
in accordance with the faith, for only he truly believes who practices what the
believes" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 9).
30-31. This is a kind of first epilogue or conclusion to the Gospel of St. John.
The more common opinion is that he added Chapter 21 later, which covers
such important events as the triple confession of St. Peter, confirmation of his
primacy and our Lord's prophecy about the death of the beloved disciple.
These verses sum up the inspired writer's whole purpose in writing his Gospel --
to have men believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ announced by the
prophets in the Old Testament, the Son of God, so that by believing this saving
truth, which is the core of Revelation, they might already begin to partake of
eternal life (cf. John 1:12, 2:23; 3:18; 14:13; 15:16; 16:23-26).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].