Today’s Gospel begins: “In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week…” telling us that we are still in the day of Christ’s resurrection - the day which changed humanity and history for ever. Today is the last day of the “Easter Octave” – 8 days in which we are held in this one awesome day, which for ever afterwards would become the “first day” of the week for Christians – Sunday, the day of the resurrection. Last Sunday we heard about the dawn of this first Easter day, when Mary of Magdala discovered the empty tomb and ran to tell the disciples. Today we reach the evening of that same day when the risen Christ appears to the disciples still hiding in fear behind locked doors in the Upper Room where just a few days earlier they had celebrated the Last Supper. Imagine all the different emotions the disciples must have experienced when Jesus appears among them – guilt, fear, amazement, relief, joy…

Guilt? Yes, because these closest friends of Jesus had betrayed and even denied knowing him in his hour of need. Now Jesus shows them the wounds in his hands, feet and side, which are signs of how we have all in different ways betrayed him. But the first word he speaks to them, and to us, is “Shalom” – “Peace be with you!” So he doesn’t respond to their/our unfaithfulness with anger or resentment (as we probably would have done!) but with mercy. With this one word, “Peace”, he heals their spiritual and emotional wounds and shows that his love is greater than any of our sins. It is this great mercy of God which we celebrate on this Divine Mercy Sunday. This relatively new devotion is one of St John Paul II’s many gifts to the Church. Join us this afternoon at 3pm for the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Gaze at this beautiful image of the risen Christ, perhaps as he appeared to the disciples on the evening of the Resurrection. Let Christ enter the locked room of your heart and let his mercy transform your own life. Jesus, I trust in You!

With blessings & prayers from Fr Richard, Fr Ephrem & all the parish team
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