- On this Divine Mercy Sunday we recall the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “Mercy consists in bringing a thing out of non-being into being.” We see this transpire concretely in the life of the early Church. The believers “devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the 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 “glad and generous hearts”. God in “his great mercy” caused them—and us—“to be born again to a living hope” through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is what the Apostle Thomas is looking for in the Lord’s open side.
Entrance Antiphon
Like newborn infants, you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in him you may grow to salvation, alleluia.
Or: Esdr 2:36-37
Receive the joy of your glory, giving thanks to God, who has called you into the heavenly kingdom, alleluia.
Gloria
Collect
God of everlasting mercy,who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own,
increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
- All who believed were together and had all things in common.
A reading from
the Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47
The believers devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the Apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the Temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they shared their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
The word of the Lord.
Psalm 118 (117)
R (1) Give praise to the Lord, for he is good,
his mercy endures for ever.
Or: Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures for ever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures for ever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His mercy endures for ever.” R
They pushed me, pushed me hard to knock me down,
but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and salvation
in the tents of the righteous. R
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done,
a marvel in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice in it and be glad. R
- In his great mercy he has given us a new birth as his sons by raising Jesus from the dead.
A reading from
the First Letter of Saint Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again 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 God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The word of the Lord.
The Sequence of Easter Sunday may be said or sung.
Alleluia, alleluia. You believed, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Alleluia.
- Eight days later, Jesus came.
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to John 20:19-31
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord”. But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Credo
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, we pray,
the oblations of your people
(and of those you have brought to new birth),
that, renewed by confession of your name and by Baptism,
they may attain unending happiness.
Through Christ our Lord.
Preface I of Easter
(…on this day above all…)
When the Roman Canon is used, the proper forms of the Communicantes(In communion with those) and Hanc igitur (Therefore, Lord, we pray) are said.
Communion Antiphon Cf. Jn 20:27
Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails, and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that our reception of this paschal Sacrament
may have a continuing effect
in our minds and hearts.
Through Christ our Lord.
Solemn Blessing
May God, who by the Resurrection of his Only Begotten Son
was pleased to confer on you
the gift of redemption and of adoption,
give you gladness by his blessing.
R Amen.
May he, by whose redeeming work
you have received the gift of everlasting freedom,
make you heirs to an eternal inheritance.
R Amen.
And may you, who have already risen with Christ
in Baptism through faith,
by living in a right manner on this earth,
be united with him in the homeland of heaven.
R Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, X and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
R Amen.
For the dismissal of the people, there is sung or said: Go forth, the Mass is ended, alleluia, alleluia. Or: Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia. The people respond: Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia.