Encountering Jesus, Week 2 (April 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Encountering Jesus Brings Peace in Fear

Even in life’s darkest moments—war, displacement, or loss—Jesus enters locked doors of fear with His presence. His resurrection peace is not the absence of suffering but the assurance of His nearness. Like the disciples huddled in fear, we may feel trapped by circumstances, yet Christ’s words, “Peace be with you,” transcend human understanding. This peace anchors hearts amid storms, inviting trust in His unseen faithfulness. True peace begins when we recognize His presence in our wounds. [34:30]

“Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-21, ESV)

Reflection: What “locked door” in your life—a fear, grief, or uncertainty—is Jesus inviting Himself into today? How might His presence redefine your understanding of peace in this situation?

Day 2: Doubt and Faith Meet in Divine Mercy

Doubt is not a barrier to faith but an invitation to encounter Christ’s mercy. Thomas’s honest struggle mirrors our own: we crave tangible proof of God’s goodness amid pain. Jesus responds not with condemnation but with compassion, offering His wounds as evidence of love that conquers death. Divine Mercy Sunday reminds us that Christ’s scars are bridges, not walls—a call to surrender our doubts to His patient grace. [38:43]

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you wrestle with doubt or unanswered questions about God’s plan? How might Jesus be inviting you to touch His faithfulness in that struggle?

Day 3: Community and Sacraments Sustain Hope

The early church thrived not by perfection but by devotion to teaching, fellowship, the Eucharist, and prayer. These pillars are not rituals but lifelines—places where Christ’s resurrection life becomes tangible. Just as the disciples found strength together, we are called to root ourselves in communal worship and sacramental grace. Here, fragmented hearts are knit into a body that bears witness to hope. [36:47]

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. […] All who believed were together and had all things in common. (Acts 2:42, 44, ESV)

Reflection: Which of these four pillars (teaching, fellowship, Eucharist, prayer) do you need to prioritize to deepen your encounter with Christ? What practical step could you take this week?

Day 4: Mercy Received Demands Mercy Given

Christ’s breath of the Holy Spirit empowers the Church to forgive as He forgives. Mercy is not a passive sentiment but a radical choice to release resentment and rebuild brokenness. Just as the priest spoke peace over a refugee’s uncertain future, we are called to be conduits of grace. Forgiveness, both received and extended, unlocks the prison of bitterness and restores dignity. [41:55]

[Jesus] said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a relationship in your life where God is prompting you to extend mercy—even in a small way? What would it look like to take one step toward reconciliation or release?

Day 5: Resurrection Hope Transforms Suffering

A “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3) is not denial of pain but the conviction that Christ’s resurrection rewrites our story. Like the pastor’s 23-year journey to priesthood, God’s timing often involves waiting and refining. Our trials become testimonies when we cling to the promise that nothing—loss, exile, or death—can nullify the eternal life secured by His wounds. [37:48]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)

Reflection: What current hardship or waiting season might God be using to deepen your reliance on His “living hope”? How can you actively trust His faithfulness in this season?

Sermon Summary

The liturgy opens with an Easter greeting and a penitential plea that frames the celebration as a remembrance of Paschal mercy. Scripture readings center on the resurrection’s effect: John’s Gospel records the risen Christ entering locked rooms, offering peace, revealing his wounds, and breathing the Holy Spirit upon the community to forgive sins. The account of Thomas moves from honest doubt to a definitive confession — “My Lord and my God” — and shapes a pastoral theology that honors questions while inviting deeper faith. The homily traces a life shaped by that same encounter: a childhood of familial joy disrupted by war and forced migration, a moment of quiet assurance in a refugee camp, and a long vocational journey that unfolded over decades. That testimony models how personal encounter with the risen Christ sustains hope amid loss and waiting.

Acts provides ecclesial contours for such encounters: apostolic teaching, the breaking of bread (Eucharist) as the center of communal life, prayer, and mutual fellowship. These four practices become channels through which presence and peace materialize, not as removal of suffering but as empowerment within it. The second reading reframes the Christian future as a living, imperishable hope stored in heaven; this hope outlives earthly disintegration, offering endurance when homes and security vanish.

Mercy emerges as a double movement: received in the wounds of Christ and returned through the ministry of reconciliation. The Gospel’s commissioning — “whose sins you forgive are forgiven” — links divine mercy to communal restoration and personal peace. Wounds function theologically as loci of healing: Christ’s scars do not condemn doubt but heal it and invite trust. The Eucharistic prayer weaves these themes into sacramental memory, offering the paschal mystery as both sacrifice and source of unity.

Practical application moves from interior to communal: peace must begin in each heart, then spread to homes, communities, and nations. Forgiveness replaces judgment; mercy builds bridges where anger builds walls. The liturgy concludes by sending the faithful forth with a blessing and a mission: to carry reconciliation and the living hope of the resurrection into a world fractured by division, trusting that encounter with the risen Christ transforms suffering into vocation and doubt into faith.

Key Takeaways

1. Peace meets fear with presence Jesus repeatedly enters locked spaces and speaks peace into fear, showing that divine presence addresses anxiety before it resolves circumstances. This peace does not first remove trial; it reorients the heart to trust amid uncertainty and empowers next steps toward reconciliation. Practically, peace functions as an interior resource that enables compassionate choices when conflict or loss feel overwhelming. Cultivate attentive receptivity to this presence in moments of closure or isolation. [39:45]
2. Wounds become the source of healing The display of Christ’s wounds invites inspection not to satisfy curiosity but to offer healing, turning physical marks into conduits of mercy. When wounds meet wounds — human suffering met by divine scars — doubt finds space to be transformed into faith. This theology dignifies honest questioning while refusing to let it harden into despair; healing begins where pain is acknowledged and held. Allow wounds to become openings for grace, not walls that separate. [40:02]
3. Encounter through Eucharist and community The early church’s life centered on apostolic teaching, the breaking of bread, prayer, and shared life; those practices create repeated opportunities for encountering the risen Christ. Eucharist functions as both remembrance and real presence that nourishes hope and forms communal identity. Regular participation in these practices disciplines the imagination toward providence, shaping responses to suffering and fostering mutual forgiveness. Recommit to these habits as means of ongoing encounter. [37:08]
4. Hope endures beyond every loss Resurrection promises a living hope that remains imperishable despite the collapse of earthly securities. That hope does not deny grief; it relocates meaning by anchoring identity to a future that death cannot claim. In times of displacement, violence, or waiting, this hope sustains perseverance and redefines success as fidelity to God’s promises rather than immediate comfort. Tend this hope through prayer, remembrance, and communal encouragement. [37:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[18:18] - Easter Greeting & Preparation
[22:07] - Collect: Paschal Prayer
[29:24] - Gospel Reading: Risen Christ Appears
[30:43] - Thomas' Doubt and Belief
[32:09] - "Peace" as Easter Gift
[34:44] - Personal Encounter in Exile
[36:32] - Acts: Four Pillars of Life
[37:48] - Resurrection: Living Hope
[40:02] - Wounds, Mercy, and Healing
[41:43] - Reconciliation Instituted
[42:56] - Peace Begins with Encounter
[52:49] - Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer)
[68:22] - Blessing and Mission

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- John 20:19-29 (ESV)
Jesus appears to the disciples, shows His wounds, and commissions them to forgive sins. Thomas moves from doubt to faith.
- Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)
The early church devotes itself to apostolic teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)
A "living hope" is promised through Christ’s resurrection, imperishable and kept in heaven.

Observation questions

In John 20:26-27, what specific actions does Jesus take to address Thomas’ doubt?
The early church in Acts 2:42 is described as devoting themselves to four practices. What are they?
According to 1 Peter 1:3-5, what does the resurrection of Jesus guarantee for believers?
In the sermon, what personal experience in a refugee camp became a turning point for encountering peace? [34:44]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to show His wounds to the disciples (John 20:20) and later to Thomas (John 20:27)? What do the wounds represent?
Acts 2:42-47 describes the early church’s communal life. How might these practices have helped them experience Christ’s presence amid persecution or uncertainty?
The sermon says, “Peace does not remove trial; it reorients the heart to trust.” How does this idea connect to Jesus’ repeated greeting of “Peace be with you” in John 20?
How does the “living hope” in 1 Peter 1:3-5 differ from temporary or worldly hopes?

Application questions

Jesus enters locked rooms to bring peace (John 20:19). What “locked doors” (fears, doubts, or struggles) are you holding onto where you need to invite His presence today?
The sermon emphasizes that “wounds become openings for grace.” Is there a past hurt or current struggle you’ve been hesitant to bring to Jesus? How could acknowledging it lead to healing? [40:02]
Acts 2:42 highlights communal practices like prayer and sharing meals. Which of these do you find easiest or hardest to prioritize? What small step could you take to deepen your engagement with a faith community?
The refugee camp story shows how hope sustained someone through years of waiting. When have you had to wait for God’s timing in a difficult season? What practices helped you endure? [35:47]
Jesus commissions the disciples to forgive sins (John 20:23). Is there a relationship in your life where judgment has taken the place of mercy? What would it look like to choose forgiveness this week?
The sermon says, “Mercy builds bridges where anger builds walls.” Where in your community (work, family, church) could you actively extend mercy instead of criticism?

Sermon Clips

41s

“In 1995, I was 15 years old, living in a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic Of Congo in the midst of fear, uncertainty, hunger, and loss. On Easter Sunday, I experienced something I will never forget, not in a dramatic vision but in a deep, quiet assurance, I am with you. One day while in a refugee camp after mass, I approached a priest and I told him, father, I want to become a priest.”

44s

“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, turn to someone next to you and say peace be with you. This is not just a greeting. It is the it is the Easter gift. It is the voice of the risen Christ speaking die directly into our lives. Today, we are invited to reflect on what it means to encounter Jesus and how that encounter brings peace even in the midst of fear, doubt, and suffering.”

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Encountering Jesus, Week 2 (April 12, 2026 - 2nd Sunday of Easter)