The Day of the Lord

Why do we gather every Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist? For the same reason, the early Christians changed their day of worship from the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday. Because Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week. It became “the Lord’s Day,” the day on which we began to celebrate that Christ is risen and alive in the community of his faithful, just as he is present every time we gather to celebrate Mass. Jesus is real and alive among us; he is our companion on the journey of life, and we recognize him in the community of the Church.

However, sometimes we struggle to accept with faith that Jesus is alive among his people today. For, like the apostles, we too would very much like to see the Lord, to be more aware and more convinced that He is here, alive, at our side, prompting us with his Holy Spirit. However, we cannot see him with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of faith. This is what true and profound faith consists of: not being able to see, and yet still believing.

But our faith needs a companion, and that is peace. And so the question arises: when are we at peace in life? I hope it is not when no one bothers us, but when we live in a right relationship with God, with ourselves, and with our neighbors.

It is important not to forget that this peace is not always easy to find. This is why we need to focus on the resurrection, since the key to all true peace is the peace that Jesus offers us, that Jesus gives us with his resurrection. In this Sunday’s Gospel passage alone, Jesus mentions it three times: It is the peace of forgiveness, the peace of his closeness, the peace of our faith. Then everything else will follow. Let us ask the Lord, present in every Eucharist, for that peace that no one and nothing can take away from us.

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday!

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM Pastor,
Mission San Luis Rey Parish