A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 7, n. 21)
2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B – April 19, 2009
Divine Mercy Sunday
“Victorious In His Divine Mercy”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 4:32-35 // I Jn 5:1-6 // Jn 20:19-31
(N.B. Series 7 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year B from the perspective of the Second Reading. For other reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year B, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 1 & 4.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
The eight days of Easter, according to Saint Augustine, are “days of mercy and pardon”. Moreover, he calls the Sunday of this Octave of Easter “the summary of the days of mercy”. On April 30, 2000, during the canonization of Sr. Faustina Kowalska, the humble “apostle of mercy”, Pope John Paul II announced during his homily that the Second Sunday of Easter would now be celebrated as DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY throughout the universal Church. The Holy Father also explained that the image of the “Divine Mercy” revealed to Sr. Faustina represents the Risen Christ bringing mercy to the world.
The Pope comments on the image of Divine Mercy: “Jesus shows his hands and his side to the Apostles. He points, that is, to the wounds of the Passion, especially the wound in his heart, the source from which flows the great wave of mercy poured out on humanity. Sr. Faustina Kowalska, the blessed whom from now on we will call a saint, saw two rays of light shining from that Heart and illuminating the world. The two rays, Jesus himself explained to her one day, represent blood and water. Blood and water! We immediately think of the testimony given by the Evangelist John, who, when a soldier on Calvary pierced Christ’s side with his spear, sees blood and water flowing from it. Moreover, if the blood recalls the sacrifice of the cross and the gift of the Eucharist, the water, in Johannine symbolism, represents not only Baptism, but also the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
This Sunday’s liturgy enables us to contemplate the beautiful aftermath of the saving event of Christ’s death and resurrection – the response of faith to his merciful love and the creation of a community of believers that is “one heart and mind” (cf. Acts 4:32-35) through the workings of the Holy Spirit, the Easter gift (cf. Jn 20:19-31). The Second Reading of today’s Mass (I Jn 5:1-6) is a call to put our faith in Jesus who came through “water and blood” to fulfill the saving plan of God. At the river Jordan, the Father acknowledged him as his Son-Servant. By his blood bath on the cross, Jesus brought to completion his mission as the Son of God and Messiah. Our faith in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God enables us to experience the dignity of being reborn as children of God, as well as its responsibility. It also challenges us to participate in the life-giving passion of Christ and his astounding Easter victory over sin and death. By the power of the Holy Spirit, every child of God is able to defeat the rebellious world that negates God’s love. The victory that conquers the world is our faith in the glorified Risen Lord. He came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death, breathing upon the Church his Easter gift of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, the Risen Christ brings victory, peace and mercy to a believing world. The Easter mystery of his passion, death and resurrection unleashes the power of divine mercy that flows from his pierced heart. It is thus most fitting that on this Octave Day of Easter, the Holy Father Pope John Paul II has declared it as the Feast of Divine Mercy.
In his revelation to Saint Faustina, the Lord Jesus communicated this message: “My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the font of my mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are opened all the divine floodgates through which graces flow. Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins may be scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come from the very depths of my most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to me will contemplate my love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Font of my mercy.”
The following faith experience of Fred Berretta, a survivor of Flight 1549 – the airliner that went down in the Hudson River on January 15 – is being circulated through the Internet. Fred shares his amazing story by E-mail to Vinny Flynn, a gifted Catholic speaker/writer/musician, and we in turn are being requested to diffuse this inspiring witness to God’s mercy. Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River at about three o’clock, which the Risen Christ told St. Faustina was “the hour of great mercy” and at which the merciful Lord “will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request” to him in virtue of his passion.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Subject: Passenger of Flight 1549
Vinny,
I sincerely hope this E-mail finds its way to you. I was a passenger on flight 1549 and my name is Fred Berretta. You might have caught a glimpse of me or heard of me on CNN or Fox the night of the crash. I interviewed with Lou Dobbe, Wolf Blitzer and Bill O’Reilly and discussed the crash that night.
I had been on a one-day business trip to New York and sat in seat 16A just behind the left engine. My trip was a last minute decision the day before. I finished my meetings early on Thursday and realized I had time to attend the 12 noon Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral. It was unusual for me to have the extra time, but that day I did. After Mass, I stopped by the gift shop just across from the cathedral and purchased your book, “7 Secrets of the Eucharist”. As I waited to board flight 1549 bound for Charlotte, where I live, I began reading your book. I continued reading while we taxied until just after take off.
I think I got through about half of it and then decided to close my eyes and reflect on the incredible insights your book gave me regarding the Eucharist. We were climbing out and just a minute or so into the flight I heard the impact of the bird strikes and then the explosion in the left engine. I cold see it on fire and the cabin began to smell like jet fuel. As a private pilot, once I realized the second engine was also not functioning, things became quite tense.
While I had known about and prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet years before, I had not really focused on it in a quite a long time. Ironically, I had prayed the chaplet the day before at 3 pm. I had forgotten that in my briefcase I had long kept a copy of a booklet of the Divine Mercy chaplet, which had excerpts from St. Faustina’s diary. When I arrived in New York, I had some time at my hotel and decided to clean out my briefcase, something long overdue. I found the Divine Mercy booklet, prayed the chaplet, and read some of the words of Jesus to Faustina.
Before we hit the water, I thought about the words Jesus said, that nothing would be refused if asked for during the hour of mercy. I really thought there was a good chance myself and others would die that day, but I asked God to be merciful to us. I prayed the Lord’s Prayer and a Hail Mary. I then prayed to St. Michael, and we impacted the water. The odds were not with us that day, but God clearly was. I believe it is the only jet airliner to successfully ditch in the water without fatalities in the history of aviation.
I just want you to know that your book gave me comfort as we were going down, and for that I am grateful. I know a lot of people prayed on that plane, and I believe the Miracle on the Hudson was a testament to the mercy of God, and a sign of hope.
Take care and may God continue to bless your ministry and all you do to spread the message of Divine Mercy and the wonders of Holy Communion.
Best regards,
Fred Berretta
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
1. Do we respond fully to Jesus Christ’s Easter gift of the Holy Spirit?
2. As a community of believers resulting from the aftermath of the Easter event of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, do we give witness to the Risen Lord and strive to be of “one heart and mind”?
3. Do we believe that in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of his Easter gift of the Holy Spirit, we are reborn as God’s children and victorious in his divine mercy?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy)
Leader: Eternal God,
in whom mercy is endless
and the treasury of compassion is inexhaustible,
look kindly upon us
and increase your mercy in us,
that in difficult moments
we might not despair nor become despondent,
but with great confidence
submit ourselves to your holy will,
which is love and mercy itself.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“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?” (I Jn 5:4-5)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray that those who are distressed and despondent on account of illness, poverty, unjust situations, economic depression, etc may experience the abundance and richness of divine mercy. Be an instrument of God’s mercy for the unfortunate and the needy.
B. ACTION PLAN: To help us contemplate and be thankful for the victory wrought by the divine mercy, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year B, vol. 5, # 21).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US