April 28: His Love Never Ends / Su Amor Nunca Se Acaba

There is a phrase that was used in Teen Ministry (thanks to LifeTeen) for many years: “The Mass never ends, it must be lived. So, let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”

In Sunday’s Gospel (John 20, 19-31), we found the first disciples dispirited and terrified after the death of Jesus. They had to confront their failure to be faithful to Jesus in the hour of His Passion and death. They were in a huddle, having locked themselves away in an upper room. Suddenly, Jesus stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you” and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. The Risen Lord was reconciling His flawed disciples to Himself. And they came to recognize themselves as forgiven ... and their hearts were filled with joy. Furthermore, having experienced the gift of the Lord’s forgiveness, they were sent out in the power of the Spirit to offer to others the gift of forgiveness which they had received.

That gift and “mission of forgiveness” is given to all of us who have been Baptized into the Risen Christ. Having been reconciled to the Lord, we are all sent out as “ministers of reconciliation.” The Sacrament of Reconciliation is, of course, a privileged moment of reconciliation, when we receive anew the Lord’s forgiveness and extend that forgiveness to those who have wronged us. However, there are other, more frequent, moments of reconciliation: the daily forgiveness of our brothers and sisters; the speaking of the words, “I am sorry,” and the gracious acceptance of another’s offer of apology. In all of these moments, Jesus is standing in our midst and telling us that, much like the Mass, His love never ends, it too must be lived.

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Sabiduría para guiarnos entre semana: Cristo Resucitó de entre los muertos el domingo, el primer día de la semana. El domingo vino así a ser “el Día del Señor,” el día en que los discípulos comenzaron a celebrar que Cristo estaba Vivo y Resucitado en la comunidad de sus fieles, como está presente entre nosotros, de manera única cuando estamos congregados alrededor de su Mesa. Él es real y está vivo entre nosotros, es nuestro compañero en el camino de la vida y le reconocemos en la comunidad de la Iglesia. Que el Señor Jesús nos otorgue una fe perspicaz para percibir y experimentar su presencia.