Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

"It is I. Do not be afraid." (John 6:20)

Just what were these seasoned fishermen afraid of? Surely not a storm on the lake! They had seen that before. No, John tells us that the disciples "began to be afraid" when they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water (John 6:19). It wasn’t until they heard Jesus’ voice that their fears faded. It wasn’t until his words reached them that they could look beyond the understandably unnerving image of a man walking on water and catch a glimpse of the Son of God.

Then came his voice, his word. This was Jesus, their teacher and friend! He wasn’t a ghost from the netherworld. He wasn’t an angry god bestriding the seas bringing vengeance and wrath. He was Jesus of Nazareth, and he had come to help them.

In the midst of our inner storms, Jesus calls out: "It is I. Do not be afraid." His word can calm our fears. His word—his voice—can reassure us that he has a perfect plan for our lives and that we can trust him completely.

Make it a point today to listen to Jesus. No matter what is making you worried, anxious, or fearful, quiet your mind. Let the voice of the Lord bring you peace. You’ll be amazed how quickly—and safely—you get to the other side!

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

John 6:1-15

"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" 

(Jn 6:5)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Philip what to do in a challenging situation. Philip quickly estimates the size of the crowd and calculates the cost of feeding them. "Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little bit," he exclaims (Jn 6:7). Jesus listens respectfully, hoping the disciples will see clearly that their own resources are woefully inadequate.

Jesus helps make the disciples become part of the solution by giving them specific tasks to do: Have the people recline for a meal. Bring me the few loaves and fishes you have. After I’ve said the blessing, pass the food around. Then, gather up the leftovers. And so unfolded one of Jesus’ most memorable miracles as one generous boy’s lunch becomes a feast for thousands.

Whenever you bring problems or needs to the Lord, have faith. The moment you say, "It may be impossible for me, but not for God," you are opening the door to endless, divine possibilities. Believe! Trust! Who knows how the Lord will multiply the "bread" in your hands.

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

John 3:31-36

"The one who comes from above is above all... whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him."

Belief is certainty that God has shown himself and has opened up for us the view of truth itself. (Pope Benedict XVI) God has shown himself in the different humanity of Peter and the apostles. Their witness moves us to want to obey the God who is trustworthy. If we are men and women of prayer and lead Gospel lives, we will be protected from the powers of evil promised here and in the life to come.

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

John 3:16-21

... the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil ... whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."

We are among those who "prefer the darkness." But if we "live the truth" we find in our heart, we know that our first preference is for everything about this life. Jesus beckons us to "come toward the light." Then when the prison guards open the doors of the jail of our making, it will be like the empty tomb - they will find no one inside.

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Saint Philip

Saint James

Today, Tuesday of the second week of Easter, is the feast of Saint Philip and Saint James.

Philip was born in Bethsaida. He was a disciple of John the Baptist. He became a follower of Christ. James, a cousin of the Lord and the son of Alphaeus, ruled over the Church in Jerusalem. He wrote an epistle and converted many of the Jewish people to the faith. He led an austere life and suffered martyrdom in the year 62.

Monday of the Second Week of Easter

Tucked in the beginning of this Second Week of Easter is the feast of Saint Anthansius. He was born in 295. He accompanied Bishop Alexander to the Council of Nicea and succeeded him as Bishop of Alexandria. He fought courageously against the Arian heresy. For this he suffered many hardships and was exiled several times. His writings are outstanding in their explanation and defense of the true teachings of the faith. He died in 373.

Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday

On this Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday 2011, the light of Blessed John Paul II continues to burn in the world; for the former Pope was one who, always with charity and love, repeatedly articulated the message of Christ's mercy in great and penetrating depth. Through his love for Jesus and through his love for Mary whose "fiat" brought Mercy into the world, he will be forever remembered as a humble and living image of what humanity unceasingly seeks: the regenerative and healing mercy of Christ Jesus.

The Beatification of Venerable Pope John Paul II began at 10:00 a.m. It was truly a sacred moment for which the world has long yearned. During the Rite of Beatification, Pope Benedict XVI raised to the Altar his beloved friend and predecessor, a truly extraordinary Pope whom the entire world knew and loved, and whose memory will remain infused within us all with deep tenderness and veneration for all ages to come.

The Mass was preceded by a gathering of the faithful to recite the Devotion of Divine Mercy, a prayer in which we offer to the Father the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of his dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world. In reciting this profound prayer, we are spiritually united with the Paschal Mystery of our Savior who so unreservedly gave of himself for our sake.

Today, let us recall the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas: "mercy consists in bringing a thing of non-being into being." This transpired in the life of the early Church. The believers "devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to prayers." They were filled with awe; they were witnesses of wondrous signs; they lived for the good of the other; they were selfless and generous; they overflowed with "exultation and sincerity of heart." God "in his great mercy" gave them - and us - "a new birth of to a living hope" through the resurrection of Christ.