Love

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35,44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17

“The believers of Jewish descent, (…) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles” (Acts 10:45). From the Jewish point of view, the world was divided into the Jews – the chosen people of God, Gentiles considered impure by the Jews, and the proselytes – the converts to Judaism who underwent circumcision and kept all the requirements of the Mosaic law. The gift of the Holy Spirit was promised by Christ to the apostles. It makes us children of God through adoption and allows us to call God, “ABBA, Father.” The circumcised believers experienced this gift on the day of Pentecost as the fulfillment of Christ’s promise. Today however, to their astonishment, they witness the day Pentecost among the Gentiles.

“Now I realize how true it is that God treats all people equally” (Acts 10:34). To arrive at such a conclusion, the apostle needed God’s help. The vision he experienced (Acts 10: 10-16) made him realize that he, as a Jew, should not consider people of other nations unclean (Acts 10:28). This realization also influenced the content of the message he delivered in the house of Cornelius. He did not quote the Scriptures as in his first sermon to the people of Judea (Acts 2: 14-36) and did not try to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Instead, he presented Jesus as the “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36) and emphasized above all the miracles Jesus had done, “because God was with him” (Acts 10:38). Finally, he proclaimed Christ’s death and resurrection, and the fact that it is Jesus – thank God it is Jesus and not someone else – who is the judge of the living and the dead, and that in his name we have forgiveness of sins (Acts 10: 42-43) .

The fact that Saint Peter was sent to a Gentile to announce the Gospel of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all the listeners is a sign of God’s love. “God is love” and the deepest manifestation of this love was sending the Son of God into the world (John 3:16). The purpose of Christ’s coming was twofold: (1) to redeem us from sin and death and (2) to make us participate in divine life. The first has been achieved through Jesus’ death (1 John 4:10) and the second through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit and baptism in the name of Jesus was the beginning of a new life for Cornelius and his entire family.

God’s love for us always comes first: “This is love, that we did not love God, but He loved us” (1 John 4:10), “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5: 8). God’s love is also manifested in the election. “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). He chose the apostles as the pillars of the Church and Cornelius as one of the first fruits of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Our love for God and our turning to God is always a response to His love and His calling.

“Beloved, let us love each other, for love comes from God” (1 John 4: 7). Peter’s realization that nobody is impure and unclean (Acts 10:28) and that “God accepts from every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right” (Acts 10:35) transformed him. Motivated by love, the apostle goes to the house of a Gentile and preaches the Gospel. It is the love of Christ that urges us to preach the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:14). Thus, telling others about God’s love for all of us manifested in Jesus who suffered for our salvation, is a sign of true love for our neighbors. Do you, brother and sister, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others?

Bearing more fruit

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

In the first reading, we meet apostle Paul who has a lot of troubles after his conversion. Jesus’ disciples in Jerusalem do not trust him, the Jews from outside of Palestine want to kill him, and then he is sent home where he spends about 10 years before being called again. It is difficult to be Christian. The experience of Saint Paul repeats itself in the lives of many converts. They soon realize that the cross is the gate to the promised joy set before us (see Heb 12: 2).

Without Paul, the Church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria grew in numbers. It was not his missionary field and his time had not yet arrived. Like every neophyte, the apostle needed time to understand the depth of the grace of salvation he experienced. It was a time of ‘pruning’ (John 15:2), so he could bear more fruit. His experience also teaches us the importance of Christian love. When Ananias laid his hands on blinded by the light of Christ persecutor of the Church, he addressed Paul: “brother” (Acts 9:17), and when Saint Paul could not find a place in the community of the Church, Barnabas was the one who received him (Acts 9:27). Ananias acted in obedience to the voice of Christ (Acts 9:10-16) and about Barnabas the Scripture says: “he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:23).

“Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). According to the letter of Saint John God gave us two commandments: (1) to believe in the name of his Son and (2) to love each other. To love as Christ has commanded us, we need purification, which according to Saint Catherine of Siena goes through three phases. At the beginning, our love is selfish. We avoid sin and keep the commandments of God from fear of punishment, whether temporal or eternal. The second level of love directs our thoughts and feelings towards heaven. We keep the commandments of God, because we are attracted by reward. Finally, we reach the highest level of love, that selfless love that has in mind the good of others. The focus is on total dedication to Christ and on the service to others. Ananias and Barnabas exemplify such love. Saint Paul experienced love from those he was persecuting. It must had given him food for thought.

The vine with the branches symbolizes the Church. We are grafted into the vine by faith and baptism. From that moment our growth begins accompanied by God’s acts of purification necessary for us to bear fruit. “He [the Father] takes away every branch that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit “(John 15: 2). The growth of the Church in Judea, Galilee and Samaria is an example of bearing much fruit in Jesus. The Church is described as walking “in the fear of the Lord” and “with the consolation of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). The fear of the Lord teaches us to respect God, keep His commandments and avoid sin. The consolation of the Holy Spirit give us strength to follow Christ in the midst of hardships. May we too today be characterized by the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, and experiencing the consolation of the Holy Spirit, “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who are in any trouble” (2 Corinthians 1: 4 ).

结出更丰硕的果实

复活期第五主日

宗9:26-31；咏22；若一3:18-24；若15:1-8

在读经一中，我们看到皈依以后的保禄宗徒身处困境。在耶路撒冷的门徒们不信任他，巴勒斯坦以外的犹太人想要杀害他，然后他被打发回家，大概有10年之久，后来才再次蒙召。做一个基督徒并非易事。圣保禄的经历在许多信徒的生活中重演着。他们很快意识到，十字架进入摆在我们面前的恩许之喜乐的大门（参阅希12:2）。

没有保禄，整个犹太、加里肋亚和撒玛黎雅的教会发展迅速。因为这些不是他的传教场所，而且他的时间也没有到。保禄宗徒，就像每一位初学者一样，需要时间去认识自己罪过的广度，以及他所经历的救赎恩宠的深度。这是“修剪”时期（若15:2），为的是能让他结出更丰硕的果实。他的经历也教导我们基督徒爱的重要性。当阿纳尼雅为因迫害教会而被基督的光射瞎双眼的保禄覆手时，他称呼保禄为“兄弟”（宗9:17），当圣保禄没有受到教会团体的欢迎时，巴尔纳伯接待了他（宗9:27）。阿纳尼雅遵从基督的命令而行事（宗9:10-16），圣经有关巴尔纳伯说：“他是好人，充满圣神和信德”（宗11:24）。

“我们爱，不可只用言语，也不可只用口舌，而要用行动和事实”（若一3:18）。根据圣若望的书信记载，天主赐给了我们两条诫命：（1）信赖圣子之名，（2）彼此相爱。要按照基督所命令我们的那样去爱，我们首先需要自我净化；而根据圣加大利纳的说法，净化需要三个阶段。起初，我们的爱是自私的。我们避免犯罪，并遵守天主的诫命，为的是免于惩罚，无论这惩罚是暂时的，还是永恒的。第二层次的爱，将我们的思想和感受引向天堂。我们遵守天主的诫命，因为我们被赏报所吸引。最后，我们达至最高层次的爱，那是无私的爱，常替别人的益处着想。此爱的重心在于，全心全意地奉献自己于基督，并为他人服务。阿纳尼亚和巴尔纳伯就是活出这种爱的典范。圣保禄从他曾要迫害的人身上经验了爱。此等经验一定让他默默思索。

带枝条的葡萄树象征教会。我们通过信仰和洗礼被嫁接葡萄树上。从那一刻起，我们的成长中就伴随着天主的净化行动，这对我们结出果实是必需的。 “凡在我身上不结实的枝条，他（父）便剪掉；凡结实的，他就清理，使他结更多的果实”（若15:2）。在犹大、加里肋亚和撒玛黎雅的教会的成长，是在耶稣内结有许多果实的例子。教会被描述为“怀着敬畏上主之情”，并“因着圣神的鼓励”而行动（宗9:31）。对上主的敬畏之情，教导我们尊重天主，遵守他的诫命，并避免犯罪。圣神的慰藉加强我们的力量，助我们在艰难困苦中跟随基督。愿我们今天也能以敬畏天主——智慧的开端为特征，并且经验天主圣神的慰藉，“是他在我们的各种磨难中，常安慰我们，为使我们能以自己由天主所亲受的安慰，去安慰那些在各种困难中的人”（格后1:4）。

善牧主日

复活期第四主日

今日圣道礼仪展示给我们的是，天主的良善。这一主题，在读经一中由一个胎生瘸子得医治而彰显出来；在若望的书信中由我们身为天主儿女之事实中彰显出来；而在福音书中，在基督救赎之死亡中宣告出来：“我是善牧，善牧为羊舍命”（若10:11）。

圣经的每一页都是天主良善的证据。天主在亚当和厄娃犯罪以后给他们衣服穿，祂为诺厄及其家人关闭了方舟的门，祂埋葬了梅瑟。天主将亚巴郎从崇拜偶像的美索不达米亚带出来，将以色列从奴役之地解救出来，从狮子巢穴中救出了达尼尔，还从火炉中救出了三个年轻人。当耶稣来到我们中间时，天主圆满的良善彰显于全世界。病人得到医治，罪人获得赦免，死人得以复活。然而，祂良善的最大证据，是基督为我们的得救而死在十字架上。这种救赎性死亡为我们开启了天堂之门，赐予我们丰富的恩宠，以成为天主的儿女。

我们在今天的一读中伯多禄所提到的治愈奇迹中清楚地看到这一点。那个胎生瘸子不能与其他人一起到圣殿里敬拜天主，因为从仪式的角度看，他是不洁的。因此，他只能在圣殿门口央求施舍。宗徒们，相反于那些施舍给他钱的人，给了他“救恩”。他得治愈后便进入圣殿，与宗徒们一起敬拜天主。伯多禄申明，这一奇迹是基督救赎性的死亡和复活之结果。因为基督为羊舍了命，所以这个“站在你们面前的人好了”（宗4:9-10）。

这个瘸子象征我们每一个人。我们生来就有原罪的伤痕，我们不能进入天主圣殿。宗徒们象征天主的教会，以耶稣的名义宣扬救恩的福音。这一奇迹象征救恩，治愈罪恶的伤痕，并使我们和教会团体一起敬拜天主。我们因着信德和洗礼圣事进入天主的羊栈。原本“生来就是义怒之子”（弗2:3）的我们，借着恩宠成了天主的子女。“请看父赐给我们何等的爱情，使我们得称为天主的子女”（若一3:1）。

“我还有别的羊，还不属于这一栈，我也该把他们引来”（若10:16）。教会是由“属于这一羊栈的”选民以色列，和“其他羊”，即来自其他民族的人组成。自从教会开始以来，福传工作一直沿着两条路线进行：一条朝向以色列人，另一条朝向外邦人（参阅迦2:7）。今天，我们谈论的是，向不认识基督的人首次传福音，以及向不重视基督的民族和文化作新福传。前者的目的是引领人相信基督，后者的目的是再次唤醒那份相信。这也就是带领群羊的牧人如何引领我们到达“活水泉源”（参阅默7:17）。这位牧人就是天主的羔羊，在天上，“站在宝座中央”（默5:6），被钉死在十字架上的纳匝肋人耶稣，是历史的主宰；只有在祂内才有救恩（宗4:12）。

Good Shepherd Sunday

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

The message of today’s liturgy shows us the goodness of God. In the first reading, it is revealed in the healing of a lame man from birth, in the letter of John in the fact that we are children of God, and in the Gospel, the goodness of God is proclaimed in Christ’s salvific death: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep “(John 10:11).

The pages of the Bible testify to God’s goodness. God clothed Adam and Eve after their sin, closed the door of the Ark behind Noah and his family, and buried Moses. God brought Abraham out of idolatrous Mesopotamia, freed Israel from the land of slavery, saved Daniel from the lions’ den, and three young men from the fiery furnace. When Jesus came to us, God’s goodness was revealed to the world in its fullness. The sick were healed, the sinners were forgiven, and the dead were brought to life. However, the greatest testimony of this goodness is the death of Christ on the cross for our salvation. This saving death has opened the heavens for us and given us the grace to become God’s children.

This truth is clearly seen in the miraculous healing referred to by Saint Peter in today’s first reading. The lame man from birth could not come along with others to worship God in the Temple, because he was ritually unclean. Thus, he could only beg at the entrance to the Temple. In contrast to those who offered him money, the apostles offered him salvation. After his healing, the man entered the Temple and worshiped God together with the apostles. Peter states that the miracle was the result of Christ’s saving death and resurrection. Because Christ gave his life for the sheep, this lame man “stands here before you healed” (Acts 4: 9-10).

The lame man symbolizes all of us. We are born with the wound of original sin and we cannot enter the temple of God. The Apostles symbolize the Church of God proclaiming the Gospel of salvation in the name of Jesus. The miracle is a symbol of salvation that heals the wounds of sin and allows us, together with the community of the Church, to worship God. We enter God’s fold by faith and baptism. Being “by nature the children of wrath” (Ephesians 2: 3), we have became God’s children through grace. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3: 1).

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also” (John 10:16). The church is a fold made of sheep from the chosen nation of Israel – “of this sheep pen” – and from other nations – “other sheep”. Since the beginning of the Church, evangelization has been conducted along two lines: one was directed to Israel and the other to the Gentiles (see Gal 2: 7). Today, we are talking about the first evangelization addressed to people who do not know Christ and about the new evangelization to the de-Christianized nations and cultures. The goal of the first one is to lead to faith in Christ, the purpose of the second one is to awaken that faith again. That is how one flock is being brought about with one shepherd leading us to “springs of living water” (Revelation 7:17). This Shepherd is the Lamb of God, “standing at the center of the throne” in heaven (Revelation 5: 6), the crucified and risen Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Lord of history, in whom alone there is salvation (Acts 4:12).

Preaching Repentance in His name

Third Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 3:13-15,17-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48

At the center of today’s liturgy of the word is the proclamation of “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47). This is the comission of the risen Jesus to the Church. That is also the content of Saint Peter’s sermon in the first reading. First, he shows the sin of the people. They “denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to” them (Acts 3:14). Then he calls them to conversion: “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3: 19).

Sin is a terrible tragedy. God created man upright and for good works, but man willingly turned away from uprightness towards wickedness. Sin, like a disease, brought death upon the face of the earth and destroys life within us. “Sin then is, a fearful evil, but not incurable; fearful for him who clings to it, but easy of cure for him who by repentance puts it from him” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem). Therefore, “Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin” (CCC, 982).

Someone will say: ‘I have committed many sins in my life. Can there still be a chance for me to be set free?’ “There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest” (Roman Catechism in CCC, 982). God is rich in mercy, therefore “though your sins may be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Is 1:18). Say like David, “I will confess my transgressions,” and the Lord will forgive your sins (Psalm 32: 5). A great example of this is Bartolo Longo (1841-1926). He was an Italian, raised in a Catholic family who, in his youth, left the Church and became a priest in a satanic cult. However, on October 26, 1980, Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed him blessed. How did it happen? One day, Bartolo met a priest who assured him that God’s mercy is greater than his sins. Blessed Bartolo Longo, after his conversion, became an apostle of the Holy Rosary.

The Holy Scriptures testify to God merciful love for us. What did God do after Adam’s sin? He promised him a Savior (Genesis 3:15). Then, in the days of Moses, God forgave Aaron and the entire people the sin of idolatry (Exodus 32:32), and in the time of Joshua, he took pity on the harlot Rahab, for she recognized the God of Israel (Joshua 2: 9-13). David, the greatest king of Israel, was forgiven the sin of adultery and striking down Uriah with the swords of the Ammonites, because he acknowledged his guilt (2 Sam. 11: 1-12:13). Manasseh, the greatest sinner among the kings of Judah, was also forgiven his terrible sins, when in Babylonian captivity he humbled himself and begged for God’s mercy (2 Chronicles 33: 1-20).

Repentance has great power. Saint Peter, who in today’s sermon calls to repentance, knew it from experience. Did he not deny his Lord three times? And yet the tears of repentance blotted his sin away. Announcing the news of Christ’s resurrection the angel said to the women: “Go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He [the risen Jesus] is going ahead of you into Galilee” (Mk 16:7). How true are the words of apostle John: “My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world “(1 John 2: 1-2). Amen.

以祂的名宣讲悔改

复活期第三主日

今日圣道礼仪的主题是宣讲“悔改，以得罪之赦”（路24:47）。这是复活的耶稣委托给教会的使命。这也是读经一中圣伯多禄的讲道内容。首先，他显示了人的罪恶。他们“否认了那圣而且义的人，竟要求把杀人犯恩赐给”他们（宗3:14）。然后他呼吁他们悔改：“你们悔改，并回心转意吧！好消除你们的罪过”（宗3:19）。

罪，能酿成可怕的悲剧。天主创造了人，要人正直且行善，然而，人却甘愿背离正直，转向邪恶。罪，像一种疾病，将死亡带到世界上，破坏我们内在的生命。“罪是一种可怕的恶，但不是无药可救；为依附于它的人才是可怕的；但为悔改者而言，是易于治愈的”（耶路撒冷的St. Cyril）。因此，“基督为所有的人而死，祂愿意宽恕之门在教会内时常为那些悔改的人敞开”（《天主教教理》，982）。

有人会说：“我一生犯了许多罪。我还能有机会获得自由吗？”“任何人，无论如何罪大恶极，只要真诚悔改，都应满怀信任地，期望得到宽恕。”（《天主教教理》，982）。天主富于仁慈，因此“你们的罪虽似朱红，将变成雪一样的洁白”（依1:18）。像达味那样说：“我要承认我的过犯，”上主必会宽赦你的罪债（咏32:5）。福巴托洛·隆戈（Bartolo Longo 1841-1926）就是一个很好的例子。他是一个意大利人，生长在一个天主教家庭，青年时他离开教会，而成为一个邪教组织的长老。然而，1980年10月26日，圣若望·保禄二世教宗为他列了真福品。怎么会这样呢？有一天，福巴托洛·隆戈遇见了一位神父，这位神父向他保证，天主的仁慈大过他的罪。真福巴托洛·隆戈悔改皈依后，成为神圣玫瑰（经）的宗徒。

圣经证明天主对我们的慈爱。在亚当犯罪后，天主做了什么？祂许诺给他一位救主（创3:15）。然后，在梅瑟时代，天主宽恕了亚郎及全体人民所犯的偶像崇拜罪（出32:32）；在若苏厄时代，天主怜悯了妓女辣哈布，因为她认出了以色列的天主（苏2:9-13）。以色列最伟大的国王达味犯了邪淫罪，并借阿孟人的剑杀死了乌黎雅，然而他得蒙宽恕，因为他承认了自己的罪过（撒下11:1-12:13）。默纳舍是犹大诸王中的大罪人，他在巴比伦被掳时期谦卑自下，乞求天主的怜悯（编下33:1-20），因而他的罪也得蒙赦免。

悔改具有威力。在今日讲道中呼吁悔改的圣伯多禄，就从经验中得知这一点。他不是三次否认了他的主吗？然而，他悔改的泪水涤除了他的罪污。宣告基督复活的天使对妇女们说：“你们去，告诉他的门徒和伯多禄说：他（复活的耶稣）在你们以先往加里肋亚去”（谷16:7）。若望以下的话又是多么真实！他说：“我的孩子们，我给你们写这些事，是为叫你们不犯罪；但是，谁若犯了罪，我们在父那里有正义的耶稣基督作护慰者。祂自己就是赎罪祭，赎我们的罪过，不但赎我们的，而且也赎全世界的罪过”（若一2:1-2）。阿们！

祂的慈爱永远常存

复活期第二主日——救主慈悲主日

我们在《若望福音》的开始听到了对基督的见证：“看，天主的羔羊，除免世罪者”（若1:29）。“世界的罪恶”，指对基督及其救赎工程缺乏信心（参阅若16:8-9）。今天，复活的主赐予门徒们赦免和保留罪的权柄。罪导致死亡，但天主父，因着祂的仁慈，借着在祂圣子耶稣基督内的信德，恩赐我们生命（若20:31）。

“就如父派遣了我，我也同样派遣你们”（若20:21）。复活的基督显现于恐惧战栗的门徒们面前，并用以下的话问候他们：“愿你们平安！”他们的确需要这种平安，超越一切认知的平安（斐4:8）。虽然他们已经听到有关坟墓已空的消息，但他们的心仍因外界的恐惧而迟钝。

耶稣向门徒们吁气，让他们领受圣神的恩赐；借着这份恩赐，他们接受了赦免和保留罪的使命。在地上有赦罪权柄的那一位（谷2:10），如今赋予教会这种权柄。“天主曾借基督使我们与祂自己和好，并将这和好的职务赐给了我们……所以我们代基督请求你们：与天主和好”（格后5:18、20）。

“吁气”一词让我们想起，在《创世纪》中，天主将生命的气息吹入以灰土所形成的人内（创2:7；格前15:45）；它也让人想起，在《厄则克耳先知书》中，由天主而来的气息进入枯干骨骼，从而使他们复活（则37:9）。《智慧书》解释了这种“吁气”的含义：天主造了人，“并且赋给他一个行动的灵魂，向他吹了生命的气息”（智15:11）。今天，复活的基督向门徒们吁气，赐予他们圣神，从他们的心中要流出活水的江河（参阅若7:37-39）。天主向任何相信基督的人都应许了这份恩赐。

“世界的罪恶”，指对基督及其救赎工程缺乏信心，因为在耶稣内的信仰能征服世界。这种信仰表现为对天主诫命的彻底遵从；这种遵从不是出于对惩罚的恐惧，而是完全源于爱。圣神使我们意识到，天主父比我们更认识我们自己，而且祂比我们更爱我们自己。因此，祂赐给我们的诫命，乃是为了我们的益处，“祂的诫命并不沉重”（若一5:3）。

在今日福音中，我们看到将自己关在门窗紧闭的房屋中的门徒们，他们恐惧惊慌。而在读经二中，仍然是这些门徒们，但他们却“以大德能作证主耶稣的复活”（宗4:33）。他们的无畏见证吸引他人归向信仰，教会便如此形成。教会被描绘为一个家庭；在这个家庭中，没有分裂，人人富足，因为天主的子女——信徒们互相支持。这是天主仁慈的胜利。信徒们凭借自己的信德，全心全意地践行爱天主的诫命，并通过对他人的关怀，实践爱近人的诫命。我们的天主委实美善！祂的慈爱永远常存（咏118:1）。

His Merciful Love is Everlasting

Second Sunday of Easter – Sunday of Divine Mercy

Readings: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

At the beginning of the Gospel of John, we hear this testimony about Christ: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The “sin of the world” refers to the lack of faith in Christ and His saving work (see John 16: 8-9). Today, the risen Lord gives His disciples the power to forgive and to retain sins. Sin leads to death, but God the Father, in His mercy, gives us life through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ (John 20:31).

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). The risen Christ appears before the fearful disciples and greets them with the words: “Peace be with you!” It is this peace that they need, a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4: 8). Although they have already heard the news about the empty tomb, their hearts are still paralyzed by the fear of the outside world.

Jesus breathes on the disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit, and with this gift they receive the mission of forgiving and retaining sins. He who had on earth the power of forgiving sins (Mark 2:10) now gives this power to the Church. “God reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. (…) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God! “(2 Cor. 5:18.20).

The word “breathed” brings to mind the book of Genesis, where God blew the breath of life into man formed from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2: 7; 1 Corinthians 15:45), and also the book of the prophet Ezekiel, where the breath from God enters dry bones making them alive (Ezek 37: 9). The meaning of this “breathing” is explained in the book of Wisdom. God molded man, “and infused him with an active soul, and filled him with the breath of life” (Wisdom 15:11). Today, the risen Christ, breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples and rivers of living water flow out of their hearts (see John 7: 37-39). This gift is promised to everyone who believes in Christ.

The “sin of the world” refers to the lack of faith in Jesus and His saving work, but faith in Jesus conquers the world. This faith is expressed in obedience to God’s commandments, which does not spring from fear of punishment, but from love. The Holy Spirit makes us aware that God the Father knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us more than we love ourselves. Therefore, the commandments which He gives to us are for our good, “and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5: 3).

In the Gospel, we meet fearful disciples hiding behind the closed doors. In the second reading, those same disciples “witnessed to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power” (Acts 4:33). Their courageous testimony drew others to faith and so the Church is being formed. The Church is portrayed as a family in which there are no divisions and nobody lacks anything, because the believers – God’s children – support each other. This is the triumph of God’s mercy. By their faith, the believers practice the commandment of loving God with all their minds, hearts, and strength, and through their concern for others, they practice the commandment of loving one’s neighbor. Our Lord is indeed good, and His merciful love is everlasting (Psalm 118: 1).