I think many of us make a judgment about Thomas the
Apostle based upon what we hear in today’s Gospel. And, in general, that assessment tends to
look down on him. Thomas wasn't present when Jesus appeared to his disciples
in the locked room, so he makes a famous statement to the other apostles when
he hears their testimony: “"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his
hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe." Thomas does indeed touch Jesus' hands and side when he
appears again to the disciples a week later.
Through this “hands-on” encounter with Jesus, Thomas is able to believe
in Jesus and the resurrection. Yet, this
incident that displays Thomas’ skepticism earns him the title “Doubting Thomas”
amongst believers. Yet, that title does not tell the whole story about
him. Thomas became a missionary, bringing the Gospel to the people of India and dying as a martyr for the faith. Thomas had doubts, just as probably almost every Christian
does to one degree or another at some point in his life. But shouldn’t we remember Thomas as a
believer rather than a doubter? Thomas doubted, to be sure, but those doubts and questions led to
him to touch the very wounds of Jesus.
Touching those wounds led him to belief.
And this definitely was not by chance. In the story of Thomas, we see God’s mercy and grace
at work. Thomas moved out of his doubt and became a true
witness for the faith in those simple words: “My Lord and my God!”
What a great Gospel for us to hear today on Divine
Mercy Sunday. Pope John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter
of each year to be Divine Mercy Sunday back when he celebrated the Jubilee
Year of 2000 at the mass in which Sister
Faustina Kowalska was canonized. Sister Faustina, a nun in Krakow, Poland, had a vision
of the Divine Mercy of Jesus in 1931, accompanied by these words: "I
desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and
especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are
open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the
fount of my mercy". Due to the declaration of Divine Mercy Sunday to be celebrated each year,
devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus and praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet has
become very popular among the Catholic faithful. Yet, today’s celebration goes beyond the Divine Mercy
chaplet. The message that all of us
should take away from today is that out of his love and mercy for all of
humanity, Jesus wants to bring everyone into the community of believers. God’s door is open to everyone – that is the
message that the Church and our pope are giving to the world. God's love and mercy is there for those who
have not cultivated a relationship with God in their lives, for those who are
hurt and overburdened by the harsh reality of their lives, for those who have
had their feelings hurt by past experiences with the Church, and for those who longer fully engaged in their faith. If we approach God’s throne of mercy in our humility
and our belief just as Thomas did, we will be changed forever. The two rays that shine from Jesus’ heart in the image
of his Divine Mercy represent blood and water, Jesus’ divinity and
humanity. These rays demonstrate how God’s love and mercy reach
out to us through Christ crucified and risen.
As we celebrate God’s divine mercy for us today, we should
realize that we are called to do our part. We are to strive to be witnesses of God’s love and
mercy throughout the world, to do so with all sincerity of heart. And this ties into Pope Francis wish for us, the
faithful. Just last month, on the fourth
Sunday of Lent, the Pope declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy, starting on the
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of December 8 of this year and
continuing to the celebration of Christ the King on November 20, 2016. The Pope wants the celebration of this Holy Jubilee
hear to make clear to the world the Church’s witness to God’s mercy. I trust that this Holy Year of Mercy will be a great
gift to our Church. And may we all feel God’s mercy in our hearts today as we
celebrate this joyful Easter season with hope and joy.
