Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35
Psalm 118
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31
Who lives? - Jesus!
And to his name – Glory!
And to his church? – Victory!
And to Maria? – Honor!
Why? – Because she said yes!
Beloved, the victory that conquers the world is our faith. And the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, is victorious over the world!
The community of believers is the product of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Catholic church is the result of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
Divine Mercy is the fruit of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Baptism is the gift of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Each of you who are baptized, are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ! Each of you who are baptized are baptized a priest and your life can be a testimony of praise and thanksgiving; a testimony of victory over the sin sick systems of the World.
Like Maria and Joe, you say ‘yes’ to God!
In the year 2024 that yes to God may be a no to the deceptions of the democratic and republican party!
That yes to God, may be a no to patriotic idolatry!
That yes to God, may be a no to predatory capitalism and sociopath corporations and politicians!
That yes to God may be a no to the “religion of sports” and iPhone addiction.
That yes to God may be a no to a Consumerist Catholicism.
That yes to God may be a no to man-made death in the womb, on our streets, in our prisons and in our hearts.
Mary’s baby boy was lynched from a man-made tree because of her ‘yes’ to God. Shouting crucify him! Crucify him! Give us Barabbas, Crucify Jesus!
But great is the mercy, and amazing the grace of God! The Bible says: whoever believes in her heart, and confesses with her lips, that Jesus is the Son of God conquers the World.
You who have come through a baptism of water, blood and fire, are victorious over the sin sick systems of the World! You are a resurrection virus waiting in the World’s operating system.
Fifty-six years ago, last week, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was baptized by fire in the blood of the martyrs at the Lorraine motel. His life and blood give, testimony to the victory of faith and the mercy of God that flows from the knife sliced side of Christ victorious!
Breathe the Holy Spirit!
We are a priestly people. Each of you are baptized a priest and the meaning of your life is an offering of praise and thanksgiving to God. The night before his betrayal and denial by friends and family; the night before his arrest and fake trial, the night when he was handed over to bullies, priests, police, lawyers and business men, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and pronounced a blessing.
By this action, under these conditions today, some of us will recognize Jesus crucified and resurrected. Your recognition is how we conquer the sin sick systems of the World and within ourselves.
Jesus lives, and in his name you have life; and by that life, we are victorious because you say yes to God!
Honor and glory, praise and thanksgiving! This is our priestly service of God’s divine mercy.
The community of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is of one heart and mind:
Do you believe in God….
By this belief we have life in the name -Yeshua!