Pastor
~ I often feel sorry for the Apostle Thomas, whose story we hear in today’s Gospel. After all, he wasn’t present when the Risen Christ first appeared to the other disciples (the original “FOMO,” as young people say), and he has been saddled with that unfortunate nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” for the last 2,000 years. We have made this one moment of doubt his defining characteristic, and I don’t think any of us would like it if this happened to us. After all, each of us is more than our worst mistake!
Now, on the one hand, Thomas probably should have believed the rest of the disciples when they reported that they had seen the Risen Lord; he should have known to expect the unexpected when it came to Jesus! On the other hand, no one had ever seen anyone raised from the dead, so perhaps we can forgive his skepticism.
Thomas wants physical proof of the Resurrection. Who can blame him? Wouldn’t we like to have Jesus materialize in front of us, in bodily form, telling us exactly what to do, answering our questions, and consoling us? Thomas wanted the same: he wanted to see for himself!
But note that Jesus didn’t show Thomas a glorified, perfectly healed human body. No, he showed Thomas his wounds. His hands and feet pierced by nails. His side wounded by the soldier’s lance. This is not just some theatrical gesture! No, Jesus was showing the necessary credentials so that Thomas would believe! If he had shown a perfect body, Thomas could have easily thought this Jesus was an imposter. No, the one who rose has to be the same one who died! Jesus could have easily come back to us with no scars, no wounds and no marks of his torture or crucifixion. But this is who he now is, someone who has suffered. So Christ comes to Thomas, and to us, in his totality, wounds and all. It’s almost as if Jesus is saying to Thomas, and to us, it’s OK to be wounded!
And that is a message all of us need to hear. Jesus is with us in our woundedness, in our brokenness. We are all wounded in one way or another. We have been wounded by our parents and families. We have been hurt by the Church. We have been wounded by our society and our culture. And we often just want to present the very best part of ourselves, but Jesus says to us that it’s OK that we are wounded. So when you turn to God in prayer, don’t be afraid to show God your wounds. Just like Jesus showed Thomas his.
Right now our world is wounded and scarred by war and violence. Sure, our world has been at war for most of history, but I think we would all agree that it all feels so much more overwhelming at this point in time. From the ongoing war in Ukraine, to the continued instability of the Middle East, and all the places where war is raging that we don’t talk about – like Myanmar, Sudan, and Haiti – and most recently, to the war that Israel and the United States are waging in Iran and throughout the Middle East, our world is wounded and scarred, and we need to hear again the first words of the risen Christ, the words spoken again and again to Thomas and the apostles: “Peace be with you!”
This Octave Day of Easter is also called Divine Mercy Sunday. We celebrate the risen Christ who offers unconditional mercy to his disciples and to the whole world. Jesus is the Source of Mercy, and this day more than ever, we are called to trust in Jesus, in his plan, in his love, in his mercy. That is the simple prayer that Jesus entrusted to St. Faustina, and to the whole Church, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
We all need to trust these days, especially since these times are so dark with war, violence, corruption, fear, and hatred.
We need to trust in God’s plan for our world.
We need to trust that all things work together for good.
We need to trust that life and love and peace and joy will have the final word.
But mostly, we need to trust in Jesus. We trust that Jesus will lead us through these days, giving us everything we need to move forward in faith.
This week, I invite you to make that your prayer: Jesus, I trust in you.
Remember that Jesus is continually holding you, sustaining you, loving you, and say: Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that God’s love goes deeper than your sins and failings and transforms you and say: Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on God, and say: Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that Jesus promised to be with us always and say: Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that God’s plan is better than yours, and say:
Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that our world, our nation, and our community are in God’s hands and say:
Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that Jesus is Lord and God, and say:
Jesus, I trust in You.
Remember that you are God’s beloved son or daughter, and say:
Jesus, I trust in You.
Invite Jesus into your home, into your heart, and say:
Jesus, I trust in you.
Trusting in Jesus and in the power that flows from his wounded, yet glorious body, let us approach the Lord in faith this day.
