His mercy endures forever

Listening to the Spirit

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

R./ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.” R./

I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just: R./

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it. R./

Listening to the Word

John 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.

Reflection

Some days ago, I received a message from the public service advisory saying: "it's ok not to be ok. Normal lang na makaramdam ng lungkot, takot, at pagkabahala ngayong may COVID-19. Humingi ng suporta sa pamilya, kaibigan o counselor (it's normal to feel sad, scared, and anxious now that there is COVID-19. Seek the support of your family, friends or counselor)." This has been my experience after one month of quarantine. I’m sad, anxious, and worried about the situation of the parish in which I’m assigned. The consequences of the quarantine are higher than what I expected; parishioners are worried not only on getting infected by the virus, but on what to eat and provide for their families due to the massive unemployment and the lack of food.

The text message reminded me of the title of my teacher's book on Psalms “it’s ok not to be ok.” The Psalms are prayers or songs expressing feelings of fear, worries, lamentations, joys, triumphs, etc. to God; they are songs, even lamentation Psalms, which are finished with a tone of trust and hope in the Lord. The Psalm for this Sunday (prayer at the top) is a prayer of trust and hope in the Lord, it stresses God’s love and mercy which endures forever. We may feel sad, afraid, and anxious because of our current situation, but these feelings are temporary. However, God’s love and mercy last forever.

I have been busy during this period of quarantine by distributing and coordinating charitable work for our parishioners. Even though of our great efforts and donations from Caritas and the Diocese, the reality is higher than the help the parish can give through charity. The main problem is the dense population and thousands of families affected which goes beyond our reach. This month has been an experience of limitations and failures; however, it is also an experience of hope and trust in the Lord. I cannot solve the problem by myself, but through the Divine Mercy of the Resurrected Christ, we will overcome this crisis.

In the Gospel, Jesus greets his disciples three times by these words: “the peace be with you”. Let these words become our prayer on this Sunday of the Divine Mercy. Even though the hardships experienced these days, we may find peace and comfort in the Lord, “who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (Pet 1:3)