April 27, 2025 – 2nd Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday

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Things to talk about:

• Jesus dies on Good Friday, and now he is alive. Imagine being in the room with the apostles when Jesus appears to them. What was their reaction?
• Why do you think Thomas needed proof that Jesus was alive?
• What are some reasons some people don’t believe in Jesus today? How can we help people to know him and love him?
• What strengthens your faith?

Things to do:

• Divine Mercy Prayers – Join us in the Chapel after all Masses to pray the Divine Chaplet. (After 2 p.m., prayers will be in the Church) See below for the Divine Chaplet prayers.
• In honor of the feast of Divine Mercy, pick one of the Corporal Works of Mercy to do this week. The Corporal Works of Mercy are kind acts by which we help others with material and physical needs. They include the following: feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, bury the dead, give alms to the poor.
• Make a Rosary
  The Rosary is a devotional prayer that has been used for centuries to call on the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The rosary itself can also be used for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
  Rosary-making kits can be purchased at local religious stores or online. You can make one at home with some beads and a pipe cleaner. Put 10 beads on the pipe cleaner in the center. Twist the two ends of the pipe cleaner together where the beads end. Pull those two pieces together tight and slide another bead over them together. Twist again and you have all the beads you need. You can get more creative and add a cross made of beads at the bottom.
  https://www.reallifeathome.com/rosary-craft-for-kids/

Closing Prayer

Here is how you pray the chaplet using a rosary::

• Sign of the Cross
• Our Father
• Hail Mary
• Apostles’ Creed: I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Repeat these next two steps five times:

• On the Our Father bead: Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
• On each of the 10 Hail Mary Beads: For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

After the fifth decade, conclude by reciting three times: 

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Name those who need our prayers. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Catholic Insights

Alleluia! Easter is a joyous celebration. With God all things are truly possible.

There may have been a time when you or someone you know said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Each year on the 2nd Sunday of Easter, John’s Gospel is proclaimed. This alerts us to the significance of the encounters with the resurrected Jesus.

             Part of the mystery of Jesus’ Resurrection is that he appeared to his disciples not as a spirit but in bodily form. We do not know what this bodily form looked like, when Mary Magdala first encountered the risen Jesus, she did not recognize him until he spoke. We do know that in his resurrected body, he was no longer bound by space; he appears to the disciples ins spite of the locked door. We know the disciples could still observe the marks of his crucifixion.

In this Gospel encounter, Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace, the Holy Spirit and commissions them to continue his work. Jesus’ words to his disciples highlight the connection between the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness and reconciliation are gifts to us from Jesus.

 Thomas, the disciple who doubts, represents the reality of the Church that comes after this first community of disciples. All but the first disciples of Jesus must believe without seeing.

This Gospel juxtaposes the doubt of Thomas with the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus. When the disciples faith is weak, Jesus responds with boundless mercy and understanding. “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit… Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Believe!

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Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection