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April 23, 2017Easter has just begun! And although all the Easter candy in the stores are gone! We celebrate the Easter season for 50 days! This Second Sunday of Easter and it is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday calls us to seek mercy and forgiveness from our loving God.
This week the resurrection is fresh in our minds and this makes us ponder the awesome love, mercy of our Lord. Even for those of us like Thomas in the Gospel, who may have doubts, the Lord calls us to embrace the power and the mystery of the resurrection. I am sure most of us are familiar with this Gospel story. Through the lens of this story we see a picture of the disciples locked behind doors not knowing were their future lies. And this Gospel is truly about mystery and the love of our Lord. When Jesus appears in the disciples midst he shows them his hands and his side to confirm and reassure them. Imagine how stunned they must have been at the appearance of Jesus! Jesus must have known that they needed this reassurance, how could they not! This is why he showed them His hands and side. Immediately after this the disciples responded with joy at encountering the risen Lord!
It is easier for us today with our knowledge of salvation history to be critical of Thomas. However, after all, aren’t we all a bit like Thomas? Don't we all have our own doubts, fears, and pain. And isn’t it true that none of us walks through life without doubts and trials. However, we like the disciples are reassured by the first words spoken by Jesus after the resurrection: “Peace be with you”. God is always with us regardless of our own doubts and fears.
In the Gospel story we see Thomas responding in a logical way, probably like most of us would have. Even though he knew his fellow disciples were trustworthy, he refused to believe their far out story without the proof of his own senses. He couldn't embrace the mystery. He wanted logic. He also wanted and needed Jesus to be “touchable” and don’t we all! as the Gospel story unfolds, Jesus returns a week later to Thomas and the other disciples to give proof to Thomas, this act shows us how much our Lord loved Thomas and the other disciples.
One aspect that I think goes untold in this story about Thomas, is the response of the other disciples. They allowed him to be in unbelief they understood it! They didn’t throw him out and ban him from their community because of his unbelief. Instead they loved him and stood by him in his unbelief. I am sure we all have people in our lives that have turned away from their faith or are still seeking proof to believe. Teenagers, young adults, and many others often experience this and often cause concern for us. However, we are called to be like the other disciples in this story, to surround doubters and seekers with our love and care. To allow the Lord show himself to them and for our part, to use our own lives as examples. Examples to show them how much the love of Christ means to us and how it enlivens us and changes us.
I must confess that I have had my own doubts and fears as well. As many of you know I have recently changed my career and accepted a position here at St. Joseph's. I have been serving as deacon for about 13 years, however, I did this in conjunction with my full-time job working in electronics and software. However, for some time I have felt a call to work more directly in ministry. You could say I was like Thomas I had my own doubts and fears, and it has taken me awhile to respond. I wasn’t sure God was really calling me, despite my friends and others urgings. I wondered how responding to this call would impact me and my family. I wanted God to speak directly to me, to tell me what I should do. I would like to say I heard a voice and all was clear, but God often doesn’t work that way. Rather, I did my best to discern and after much prayer I responded. However, thinking all the time that I would probably not be accepted for the position regardless, there must be others more qualified. But God had other plans. And although it has only a few weeks I have been greatly blessed in this new role. The staff and the whole parish has been so welcoming to me. All have been tolerant of my inexperience and my propensity of forgetting people names (a weakness on mine). I ask your prayers as I continue to try to do God’s work. Know also that God has plans for all of us, although sometimes it is hard for us to listen and hear we need to embrace the mystery of God.
I have often pondered how best to respond to those who like me seek and doubt. I like the approach that St. Francis took. He is often quoted as advising that we can preach much more by our lives and actions than we can with words. Jesus calls us to move out of our comfort zone and clearly tells us that we need to reach beyond ourselves and bear witness to Christ by our very lives. When we let it, our faith can lead us to unexpected places and calls us to always demonstrate mercy and love.
On this Divine Mercy Sunday we are called to consider what it means to give and receive Mercy! Like the disciples we all want a God that is touchable! Perhaps, one of the greatest gifts we are given as the people of God, is one another. Let us truly consider that although we often take it for granted, we are all God’s people and we are given to each other. God is in each and everyone of us! We touch God when we reach out to those most in need! We are a people of God, gifted to one another! When we look for a “touchable” God perhaps we need to look for the God that is within each and everyone of us.
In this Easter season we are called to live out and share the Easter promise. Christ is risen! We are all called as disciples to go out despite our doubts and fears to proclaim our faith in word and action. To emulate Thomas as he proclaims "My Lord and my God"
