Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday
Reading 1
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves
to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one’s need.
Every day they devoted themselves
to meeting together in the temple area
and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) 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. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
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. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
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. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
1 Pt 1:3-9Reading 2
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Jn 20:19-31Gospel
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.
Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:
Believers spent their time learning from the Disciples, communal life, the Mass, and to communicating with The Loving Programmer.
All were overcome with awe, and through the Disciples, obvious reprogramming was done and called "wonders".
All who believed owned things in common, the title to earthly goods meant so little those who had them would give to others in need.
Every day, they met in an area of the Temple and ate in their homes, grateful to God for providing for them. People liked them, and The Loving Programmer helped others re-program their minds so that they could join with the Christians. More were saved every day.
Give thanks to The Loving Programmer Who is good and provides everlasting love.
Let the Tribes of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever. Let His priests say, "His mercy endures forever. Let those who respect Him and His power say, "His mercy endures forever."
Give thanks to The Loving Programmer Who is good and provides everlasting love.
I was hard-pressed and falling, but The Loving Programmer provided His assistance. He is my strength and courage. He has erased my errors and allowed me to access and download His Program. The just give joyful shouts of victory in their homes.
Give thanks to The Loving Programmer Who is good and provides everlasting love.
Those first given access to the original downloads rejected The Program because they didn’t want to see their old program overwritten. The Programmer set it up this way, and we see that it’s wonderful.
This is the time for the New Program that The Loving Programmer has downloaded. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Give thanks to The Loving Programmer Who is good and provides everlasting love.
Blessed be The Loving Programmer Who lovingly wrote and downloaded Jesus Christ, The Living Program, Who, in His great mercy allows us to access Him, The Source Code, our living hope (of salvation?) through the perfect restoration of The Living Program, Jesus Christ, from a state of having been erased, and we gain permanent access to the eternal perfection kept in Heaven for us, who, by the power of The Loving Programmer are kept safe through downloading His Program and guided to be with Him with blessings to be revealed in the final time.
In this, you may rejoice, but for a little time you may have to suffer trials so that the thoroughness of your download (of The Program) may be tested by pain, temptation, and attempts to erase It from you. If you don’t let it be erased, you will receive praise, glory, and honor at the unveiling of The Program, Jesus Christ. Although you haven’t seen Him (His perfection) you love Him, and believe in Him, you rejoice with a great, glorious, indescribable joy as you attain your faith’s goal, the salvation of your souls.
The Jews had threatened to punish, or kill, those who believed in Jesus. They were afraid, and locked themselves in a room.
Jesus downloaded Himself in their midst, and said, "Peace be with you."
When He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw Him.
Jesus said, again, "Peace be with you. As The Loving Programmer has sent Me, so I send you." When He said that, He breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you (do not forgive) retain are (not forgiven) retained."
Thomas, called Didymus, was one of the Twelve, and wasn’t there when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."
He replied,
"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 won’t believe."
A week later, the disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, though 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 don’t be unbelieving, but believe.
Thomas answered, and said, "My Lord and My God!"
Jesus said, "Have you come to believe because you’ve seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples that aren’t written in this book.
These are written that you (the readers through the following centuries) may come to believe that Jesus is the (promised) Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have (eternal) life in His Name.
