The Gospels for the first half of the Easter Season of 50 days focus on the Resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples. The apostles did not come to an immediate Easter faith in the Risen Lord; rather it was gradual. In fact, they were ready to go back fishing -- get their old jobs back. But once their hearts were touched as the disciples of Jesus, they were fearless proclaimers of the Word of God. What about us? How much of our lives are shaped and determined by our faith in the Risen Lord? From today’s Gospel the apostles were on a failed fishing expedition. That night they had caught nothing. The fish just weren’t biting. This was an exercise in patience and asking themselves what is going on. What would it take for you to snap out of your funk and to see your future is full of hope? For the apostles, Jesus said: “Cast your net over to the right side of the boat and you will find something.” When we can trust in God’s guidance for our lives, we will experience the abundance of God’s grace as the apostles did in the great catch of fish. Rather than giving us on a relationship or a project, we ask for the grace of persistence and to trust that God goes with us. Love is the foundation of good parenting. Love is the foundation of a true shepherd. Love is God’s greatest gift to us. This great gift of God is to be shared. Jesus helps us to know the heart of God. In today’s Gospel, Peter is every person. He who had vehemently denied his discipleship, as well as his association with Jesus, was now given his opportunity to renew his love for Jesus. Message: God never gave up on Peter. The Lord never gives us on us. When we come before the Lord, after we proudly list all of our achievements and accomplishments, the Lord is still going to ask us: “Do you love me?” What the Lord has in mind when he asks us this question is how have you shown your love to that person or to those people whom it is most difficult for you to love?
On the evening of the day when Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to the disciples and said to them “Peace be with you!” With that simple phrase, our Risen Lord freed his beloved disciples from the fear that paralyzed them and forgave them for their lack of faith. The disciples looked on the one who was pierced and believed! But where was Thomas? Our sacred scripture teaches that a good shepherd will leave his entire flock in order to find and bring home a lost sheep. Jesus as the Good Shepherd is no exception. He knows his flock and his flock knows him. He returned to the Upper Room on the 8 th day following Easter Sunday, with the single purpose of addressing the spiritual needs of one individual – that being Thomas. Once Thomas encountered the Lord, he knew without a shadow of a doubt the true identity of Jesus – and, out of deep reverence, he exclaimed, “MY Lord and My God.” Jesus' most fervent prayer is that we leave all of our concerns at the foot of the cross. There they will cease to exist, because he has already taken them with him as he passed through the cross to the resurrection. By his wounds we were healed and by his Divine Mercy we no longer need to live in fear behind locked doors. We know the shepherd and he knows his flock. I’d like to conclude by sharing a dream that I had when I was a young child. A dream which, to this day, profoundly affects the way I live my life. In the dream, I was a 6-year old playing outside my home. As I was playing, I walked away from my home and wandered around the corner. Suddenly I was overcome by the fear of being lost, even though I could clearly see my home from where I was standing. I was weeping and scared and wondered how I would find my way back home. As I stood there, looking down at the ground, I realized that I was standing next to someone who was wearing sandals and a white robe. And like Thomas, I immediately knew that it was the Lord. I was relieved when Jesus didn’t scold me or punish me for wandering away and I was overjoyed when Jesus extended his right hand and walked me home. That is what I believe our scripture passages are all about. Regardless of what we have done or failed to do, Jesus will always be by our side, walking each of us home. And as we journey together we will discover that our voices we will become one with Thomas’ as we proclaim, “My Lord and my God.”