Both His Wounds and His Peace

Bishop Barron reflects on the Gospel reading for the second Sunday of Easter, Mercy Sunday, focusing on the juxtaposition of Jesus' wounds and his gift of peace ("Shalom"). He argues that true Christianity embraces both the acknowledgment of our sin, symbolized by Christ's wounds, and the forgiveness offered through his resurrection. The wounds of Jesus serve as a judgment, highlighting humanity's capacity for sin and self-exculpation. However, Jesus returns with forgiving love, demonstrating that no sin can ultimately separate us from God. This divine forgiveness is then breathed onto the church, empowering it to be a bearer of forgiveness to the world, naming sin while offering shalom. He illustrates this with examples of the Amish community and Erica, the widow of Charlie Kirk, both offering forgiveness in the face of terrible crimes.