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Id
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Francisco Sánchez Ramos, M.Id
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Dickson Saviour
2352 SAINT RAYMOND AVE
BRONX, N.Y. 10462
(PARKING AT ZEREGA AND GLEBE)
( 718 828 2380) / b265@archny.org
www.santamariaparish.us/
April 28th 2019–2nd Sunday of Easter 28 de Abril del 2019 – Segundo Domingo de Pascua
121. Marriage is a precious sign, for “when a man and a 121.El matrimonio es un signo precioso, porque « cuando un
woman celebrate the sacrament of marriage, God is, as it hombre y una mujer celebran el sacramento del matrimonio,
were, ‘mirrored’ in them; he impresses in them his own Dios, por decirlo así, se “refleja” en ellos, imprime en ellos los
features and the indelible character of his love. Marriage is propios rasgos y el carácter indeleble de su amor. El matrimonio
the icon of God’s love for us. Indeed, God is also com- es la imagen del amor de Dios por nosotros. También Dios, en
munion: the three Persons of the Father, the Son and the efecto, es comunión: las tres Personas del Padre, Hijo y Espíritu
Holy Spirit live eternally in perfect unity. And this is Santo viven desde siempre y para siempre en unidad perfecta. Y
precisely the mystery of marriage: God makes of the two es precisamente este el misterio del matrimonio: Dios hace de
spouses one single existence”. This has concrete daily los dos esposos una sola existencia ». Esto tiene consecuencias
consequences, because the spouses, “in virtue of the muy concretas y cotidianas, porque los esposos, « en virtud del
sacrament, are invested with a true and proper mission, so sacramento, son investidos de una auténtica misión, para que
that, starting with the simple ordinary things of life they puedan hacer visible, a partir de las cosas sencillas, ordinarias, el
can make visible the love with which Christ loves his amor con el que Cristo ama a su Iglesia, que sigue entregando
Church and continues to give his life for her”. la vida por ella ».
122. We should not however confuse different levels: there 122. Sin embargo, no conviene confundir planos diferentes: no
is no need to lay upon two limited persons the tremendous hay que arrojar sobre dos personas limitadas el tremendo peso
burden of having to reproduce perfectly the union existing de tener que reproducir de manera perfecta la unión que existe
between Christ and his Church, for marriage as a sign entre Cristo y su Iglesia, porque el matrimonio como signo
entails “a dynamic process…, one which advances gradually implica « un proceso dinámico, que avanza gradualmente con la
with the progressive integration of the gifts of God”. progresiva integración de los dones de Dios ».
123. After the love that unites us to God, conjugal love is 123.Después del amor que nos une a Dios, el amor conyugal es
the “greatest form of friendship”.122 It is a union la « máxima amistad ». Es una unión que tiene todas las
possessing all the traits of a good friendship: concern for características de una buena amistad: búsqueda del bien del
the good of the other, reciprocity, intimacy, warmth, otro, reciprocidad, intimidad, ternura, estabilidad, y una
stability and the resemblance born of a shared life. semejanza entre los amigos que se va construyendo con la vida
Marriage joins to all this an indissoluble exclusivity compartida. Pero el matrimonio agrega a todo ello una
expressed in the stable commitment to share and shape to- exclusividad indisoluble, que se expresa en el proyecto estable de
gether the whole of life. Let us be honest and acknowledge compartir y construir juntos toda la existencia. Seamos sinceros
the signs that this is the case. Lovers do not see their y reconozcamos las señales de la realidad: quien está enamorado
relationship as merely temporary. Those who marry do not no se plantea que esa relación pueda ser sólo por un tiempo;
expect their excitement to fade. Those who witness the quien vive intensamente la alegría de casarse no está pensando
celebration of a loving union, however fragile, trust that it en algo pasajero; quienes acompañan la celebración de una
will pass the test of time. Children not only want their unión llena de amor, aunque frágil, esperan que pueda perdurar
parents to love one another, but also to be faithful and en el tiempo; los hijos no sólo quieren que sus padres se amen,
remain together. These and similar signs show that it is in sino también que sean fieles y sigan siempre juntos. Estos y
the very nature of conjugal love to be definitive. The lasting otros signos muestran que en la naturaleza misma del amor
union expressed by the marriage vows is more than a conyugal está la apertura a lo definitivo. La unión que cristaliza
formality or a traditional formula; it is rooted in the natural en la promesa matrimonial para siempre, es más que una
inclinations of the human person. For believers, it is also a formalidad social o una tradición, porque arraiga en las
covenant before God that calls for fidelity: “The Lord was inclinaciones espontáneas de la persona humana. Y, para los
witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your creyentes, es una alianza ante Dios que reclama fidelidad: « El
youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your Señor es testigo entre tú y la esposa de tu juventud, a la que tú
companion and your wife by covenant… Let none be traicionaste, siendo que era tu compañera, la mujer de tu alianza
faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce, says the […] No traiciones a la esposa de tu juventud. Pues yo odio el
Lord” (Mal 2:14-16). repudio » (Ml 2,14.15-16).
REFLECTION
Acts of the Apostles 5,12-16; Book of Revelation 1,9-11a.12-13.17-19; Saint John 20,19-31.
Handling our doubts
1. Why do we have doubts? Probably because a doubt opens up a space for reflection, bringing
into awareness what we unconsciously realize. It makes it possible for us to question ourselves, and
our questioning creates the conditions for discoveries and clarity to emerge. When you doubt, you
are moving towards a change. When you do not have a doubt, you may be comfortable but you are
not growing.
Of course, there are several types of doubts, but we should learn how to see them as allies and not
as enemies. In fact, it has been said that there are two easy ways to slide through life: to believe
everything or to doubt everything, both ways save us from thinking. Bertrand Russell, with his acid
wit, said that the whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of
themselves but wiser people are so full of doubts.
Sometimes we have intellectual questions about the plausibility of God. Other times we go through difficult life experiences that cause us to
question our faith. Sometimes we simply struggle feeling confident with day-to-day decisions.
Any faith worth having must be put to the test. Whether you are a follower of Christ, or a hardcore committed atheist, you would be a fool not
to put your faith to an honest test. If for no other reason than the fact that the more steps you take across a bridge…and the bridge holds… the
more your faith increases.
In today’s Gospel text, not only in St. Thomas but in the other apostles, we see how doubt is associated to fear: The apostles met behind locked
doors for fear of the Jews on the evening of the first day of His resurrection. And remember that the other Apostles, not only Thomas,
doubted what they saw, they could not believe until the Lord showed them His hands and side: Look at my hands and my feet and see who I
am! Touch me and find out for yourselves. Ghosts don't have flesh and bones as you see I have.” After Jesus said this, he showed them his
hands and his feet. The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it (Lk 24: 39-41).
There is a common reason for doubt, and that is emotion. Often, we do not like the implications of a belief, particularly if they go
against our own self-interest, and so we hope for a contradiction to find a way out of the obligation. We fuel our doubts out of selfishness.
Other times, it is peer pressure and the fear of being an outsider that makes us wonder if our beliefs are wrong. But in any case, emotions are
erratic, and not a good reason to doubt our beliefs. If we are honest, we must acknowledge that One of our ego’s favorite paths of resistance is
to fill us with doubt.
What else can feed our doubts? Prolonged challenges, incomplete understanding, popular misconceptions about God’s presumed
obligation to prevent us from experiencing loss and pain, and the harsh reality of denied expectations. As John the Baptist once proclaimed
boldly that Jesus was the One, he now has his declarations turned into anxious questions (Lk 7:18-28). Was Jesus who John really thought that
He was? Did John miss something? If Jesus was the Messiah, why was He not rescuing John from trouble? These moments were expressed in
John’s honest concern that, just perhaps, Jesus was not who John had thought that He was. Countless believers have faced a similar
bewilderment in their own times of pain, heartbreak, loss and isolation. Where is God? Does God hear our prayers? Could I have been wrong
about Him?
2. How can we handle our doubts?
Saints have fear, doubts, and worries. They just do not let these feelings stop them.
Some of you know very well the work of the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879). He connected electricity with magnetism as
different aspects of the same electromagnetic waves, and concluded that light was also this type of wave. Albert Einstein, when asked if he
stood on Newton’s shoulders, replied: No, I stand on Maxwell’s shoulders. That is pretty high praise coming from the man whose name is
practically synonymous with revolutionary genius...
In a letter to a friend in 1852, Maxwell wrote of his thoughtful investigation of Christianity: Now, my great plan, … is to let nothing be
willfully left unexamined.
At his painful death from stomach cancer, his doctor noted: No man ever met death more consciously or more calmly. This is only fitting for a
Christian, who, like the Apostle Paul, could say: I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have
entrusted to Him until that day (2Tim 1: 12) Yes, this giant of science gave Christianity a good deal of thought, and saw it to be quite
reasonable; indeed, the only reasonable way to live. If we have doubts we should follow Maxwell’s lead and leave nothing willfully
unexamined, especially our doubts. Rather, let those doubts push us to seek the truth incessantly, and not rest in convenient answers.
This explains why we say that faith is not just belief. Faith involves stepping forward in trust in the midst of doubts and uncertainties. Doubt is
only removed by action. the New Testament always uses the word “faith” as a verb, never as a noun. It’s always an action word. It always
involved stepping forward. In fact, the Bible says that faith without action is a dead faith (James 2: 17)
Sometimes we ask ourselves why, God has not allowed us to see things with absolute certainty, to follow without any trace of doubt. He
ultimately wants from us to place our trust in is Him. And while knowledge, reason, and experience are a great help across our spiritual path,
ultimately, God does not want us to place our faith in those things, but in Him and his faithfulness. What is most important in
the end is not even the amount of faith that a person has, or does not have. Ultimately what is most important is not your faith but what you
put your faith in. Even if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed even then you can move mountains. Nothing will be impossible for you
(Mt 17:20).
Moreover, the Holy Spirit makes use of our natural doubts to purify us, and we all have some mystical experience in this regard, as it is
reflected in or vacillation and contrariety: Is it worth it this effort God is sugesting me to do? Why is it so important to be faithful to this
“little thing” (Observance, rejecting useless thoughts, doing a little favor...)?...In these cases, if we continue walking with the cross of our
doubts, we are purified of our yearning for self-confidence.
Some of us want all our doubts answered before we will actively trust God. Of course, God wants us to ask and explore difficult questions, but if
we refuse to have faith until we know every answer, then the message we are sending is: I refuse to have faith until faith isn't required anymore.
As you walk by faith and grow in your love for God, He will give you wisdom to understand.
If we try to imitate the honesty of Saint Thomas, we will be able to utter more and more clearly before Jesus the words: My Lord and my God!
We need to constantly stay in touch with the Holy Spirit, tapping into the signs He offers us. It is so easy to be pulled off our pathway by our
own fears and we may feel as though we are going mad... and yet, somewhere amidst our struggles there are little signs. It could be a brief
encounter with someone who is consoled with our presence, appreciates our humble efforts and then we feel a sparkle of encouragement.
These are the sign posts along the way which we need to take notice of. Instead of focusing on the fears and doubts, focus on the feeling that the
sparkle of encouragement brings.
Let us have strength and courage in our heart as we move slowly forwards with trust in God, understanding that the fears and doubts are the
keys to our transformation and not the blocks we may perceive. Let us see the transformation as a sacred object, a grace within our own sacred
temple within.
We, idente missionaries, celebrate today the feast of our Heavenly Father. It is a perfect moment to realize that the most
dangerous doubt is the doubt of God’s mercy, a mercy that convicts us of sin and relieves us of guilt. Christ’s wounds confirm both the
reality of our sins and the triumph of His love and forgiveness. They serve as a medicine for the doubtful. In the words of St. Augustine: For
nails had pierced His hands, a spear had laid open His side: and there the marks of the wounds are preserved for healing the hearts of the
doubting.
Our Heavenly Father shows His mercy to those who live without meaning and hope. With Christ’s death and resurrection, everything is now
made clear. We know that suffering will not end in tragedy or meaninglessness. Just as God used the redemptive suffering of the innocent
Christ, He will use our sufferings and sacrifices for the conversion of the world and for the salvation of all. We know that the Lord is
omnipotent and all things will work out for our good. The hope and joy of Easter is forged in the crucible of self-denial, self-emptying, utter
identification with sinners, even to the point of disgust at the bitterness of that chalice.
As we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday, we are called to be apostles of divine mercy to the world by being mediators and reconcilers. After
showing His mercy to the apostles, He sent them to do likewise: ’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.’
The power to forgive sins includes both the sacrament of baptism and reconciliation. By extension, it refers to the invitation to reconcile all
men and women with each other and with Christ. This is what the First Reading tells us about the first apostles. But for us, we do not need the
power of raising the dead or healing sicknesses with our hands; we receive the grace of being channels of God’s Mercy as we attend those who
suffer physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Do you doubt God has already forgiven those who have offended or disappointed you?
We are today invited not be judgmental and unforgiving for the negligence, faults and weaknesses of our neighbor. This is what living holiness
in common is all about, not just caring for each other but accepting each other’s human frailties and encouraging each other on the road to
holiness of life. Note that the apostles in the Upper Room did not judge Thomas but showed great tolerance for his incredulity. This was
because they had already encountered Jesus’ mercy. Indeed, the early Christians could exercise mercy because they were moved by God’s
mercy…and this is our case as well. Unless we have encountered His divine mercy, we cannot show mercy the way He showed us.
We need the encouragement and forgiveness of our brothers and sisters in the community who could accept us even in our weaknesses. We
cannot work alone, for joy comes from working together for the love and service of God and our neighbors.
Each of us is invited to take the role of Thomas. We were not there when Jesus appeared to the disciples; we must base our faith on the
testimony of the apostles. On our side, we have the opportunity to become a blessing for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness:
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (Jn 20:29).
In a particularly special way, we can experience God’s mercy through the Eucharist. That was what the early disciples did: They devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2: 42). Receiving the Eucharist with
thanksgiving and gratitude brings about a change of heart in our lives, and despite our imperfections and sinfulness we become capable of
exercising mercy and compassion towards each other.
Particularmente, podemos experimentar la misericordia divina a través de la Eucaristía. Eso fue lo que hicieron los primeros discípulos: Y se
dedicaban continuamente a las enseñanzas de los apóstoles, a la comunión, al partimiento del pan y a la oración (He 2: 42). Recibir la
Eucaristía con acción de gracias y gratitud produce un cambio de corazón en nuestras vidas y, a pesar de nuestras imperfecciones y
pecaminosos, se nos capaces de ejercer misericordia y compasión entre nosotros.
Luis Casasús
Superior General de
los Misioneros Identes