Our first reading tells of the apostles in the early days of the Church. It was a time of togetherness, sincerity, and joyful praise. They met in their homes to worship, pray, and eat together. They shared all that they had, and Love—yes Love with a capital “L”—united them. The Holy Spirit had come upon them just before this at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). It was this Spirit of peace and unity that gave them the gifts of togetherness and fruitfulness: “They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2: 46-47).
Jesus had brought the disciples this Spirit of peace earlier in the Upper Room when He appeared to them after the Resurrection. Twice he said to them, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21). Then, he breathed the Holy Spirit upon them: “and when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit” (John 20:22). The disciples were filled with joy when Jesus showed them His wounds (John 20:20). Why would seeing Jesus’s wounds bring them joy? First, they knew he was really Jesus, there in the flesh. Also, they knew that Jesus had truly become their savior of hope; He had conquered death itself. They saw the wounds that saved and freed them: “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Jesus’s wounds also testified to the mercy of the Father, who “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). What a merciful God we have! St. Peter proclaimed: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth 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” (1 Peter 1:3-4). May we exult in the Holy Trinity of peace, hope, and mercy: One God, three persons, united in Love.
Spirit of peace, come to us! Savior of hope, be with us! Father of mercy, bless us!