20260412 MISSIONARIES OF COMMUNION
12 April 2026, Divine Mercy Sunday, 2nd Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 2:42-47 |
The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common
The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.
The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.
They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 117(118):2-4,13-15,22-24 |
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let the sons of Aaron say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
‘His love has no end.’
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,
but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Second reading | 1 Peter 1:3-9 |
You did not see Christ, yet you love him
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.
Sequence |
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
yet lives to reign.
Tell us, Mary:
say what thou didst see
upon the way.
The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen
from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn20:29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus said: ‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 20:19-31 |
Eight days later, Jesus came again and stood among them
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’
After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’
Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:
‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.
MISSIONARIES OF COMMUNION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 2:42-47; 1 PETER 1:3-9; JOHN 20:19-31]
Today, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Christ showed His disciples mercy by offering them the profound gift of forgiveness. Following the crucifixion, the disciples hid in the Upper Room, not only out of fear of the authorities but out of a deeper fear of the Lord Himself. They were burdened by guilt, having abandoned Him during His Passion.
Yet, the Lord took the initiative to approach them and calm their fears. “Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you,’ and showed them his hands and his side.” It is significant that He did not begin with a reprimand for their lack of courage or their betrayal. Instead, He revealed His own wounds to the apostles, who were wounded within. In this way, they were united in their pain, and could feel with one another. This was a healing experience. Filled with joy at the sight of the Lord, they heard Him say once more, ‘Peace be with you.’ Indeed, Jesus shows us the mercy of God. Mercy is the supreme act of God who desires to meet us where we are, and invite us into His love.
God’s divine mercy reaches out to all, including those who feel left behind. In the story of Thomas, we find a figure much like ourselves; he was not present when the risen Jesus first appeared. Arriving late, he lacked the faith to believe in the Resurrection without proof. Like Thomas, when we experience suffering and trials in life, our fears and doubts blind us to God’s presence.
Yet, on this feast of Divine Mercy, Thomas reminds us that even if we arrive late to the scene, Jesus is waiting for us. Mercy is given to all, transcending the limits of space and time. When Thomas demanded proof, saying, “Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe. Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.'”
How gracious is God’s mercy, reaching even those who are slow to believe! Once Thomas received this mercy, his faith surged past that of the others. He did not merely acknowledge the Resurrection; he made the ultimate confession of faith: “My Lord and my God!” To this, Jesus said to him, “You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
With their reconciliation with God, the Apostles also became one with each other, forming a true communion. The Gospel accounts show how the disciples regrouped following their encounter with the Risen Lord – just like the Apostles and the disciples from Emmaus. All three scripture readings show how encountering God’s mercy fosters new, deeper relationships with our brothers and sisters. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates how the early Christian community lived out this mercy because of the grace they had received: “The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed. They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone.”
Indeed, because of Christ’s mercy, we are born into a new life. St Peter recounts, “Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens.” With the death and resurrection of Christ, our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled with God and with each other. Christianity is not a mere ideology; it is a fraternal relationship with one another, born out of our shared relationship with God.
It was Divine Mercy that freed the disciples for a life and love and a new mission. Jesus said to the Apostles, “‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'”
Before this encounter, the disciples had shut themselves off from the world. They were an incomplete community – without a mission and a vision. They were closed in on themselves, fearful, lacking purpose, and grieving shattered dreams. When we hide behind closed doors, we cannot announce the Kingdom of God or reach out to those who suffer. But with Jesus’ presence and healing mercy, they were no longer paralysed by fear. They were transformed into a community of hope and love.
The primary mission for missionaries of communion is forgiveness. Like Thomas, when we gaze upon the Lord who bore the injuries on the Cross, we begin to identify with those who are broken, despairing, and forlorn. We are called to offer the peace of our Lord to those who seek a lasting peace, for in Jesus, they find the consoling words of forgiveness and peace.
This mission requires us to touch the wounds of others while remaining conscious of our own. We are called to be ‘wounded healers’. When we acknowledge our own pain, we will remember the Golden Rule the Lord gave to us, “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7:12)
The call to be missionaries of mercy extends beyond reconciliation and forgiveness; it must also address the needs of every man and woman. We are called to be missionaries in communion with those who suffer. Jesus also came to take away our physical illnesses, our material and spiritual poverty. Our faith, therefore, cannot be exclusively vertical or private; it must also be in touch with the sufferings of our brothers and sisters. This was the lived reality of the early Church, where believers voluntarily shared their wealth and food so that no one was in need.
Indeed, the Eucharist and the poor are inseparable. St. John Chrysostom said “Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked. He who said ‘this is my Body’ is the same who said: You saw me hungry and you gave me food”.
At the centre of the Christian Community and our mission, is of course, Jesus. Truly, the Church in the Cenacle was born from the contemplation of the love of the Crucified and Risen Lord. When Thomas asked to put his finger and hand into the wounds of our Lord, he taught us the important lesson: we cannot separate the Resurrection from the Cross.
As followers of Christ, we too will be tested and tried. Yet, it is because we bear in our bodies the marks of the Cross that we can truly live the life of Christ and serve as wounded healers. By contemplating on His wounds, we are reminded of our own fragility, but also the power of God’s grace to raise us to a new life – one that transcends suffering and the opposition of the world.
St Peter affirms this truth when he wrote, “this is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour.”
Like the Christians of St Peter’s time, we have not seen Jesus with our own eyes. Instead, we rely faith and love. As Peter wrote, “You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.” Despite not seeing Him, by loving Him, we will find great joy.
Faith and love are not dependent on seeing the Risen Lord with our eyes; rather, they are complementary, each strengthening the other. To sustain this, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to empower us to continue His work. The sign that we have received the Holy Spirit is the gift of interior peace in our hearts – a peace that manifests when hostility, anger, and the desire for revenge against those who have hurt us are washed away.
The Holy Spirit grants us this serenity even when we face hostility and rejection in our mission as did the Apostles. And we can do this only because the Spirit is the love of God poured into our hearts.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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