Today the Second Sunday of Easter is also celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Gospel reading is taken from John’s Gospel and it describes two encounters with the risen Christ. In the first scene Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection, two days after His death. The second scene describes Jesus’ dialogue with Thomas who was missing on the first encounter and doubted what they had seen.
The disciples are hiding in fear inside the house with the doors locked. They were afraid of being arrested and punished for being followers of Jesus. Suddenly Jesus is there beside them, “Peace be with you!” is his greeting. Part of the mystery of Jesus’s resurrection is that he appeared in bodily form and not as a spirit. His greeting is the normal Jewish greeting of “Shalom”. But, coming from Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to these frightened disciples it has a special meaning (where Jesus is truly present to us, there is peace).
He shows them his hands and side. He is not a disembodied ghost but the same Jesus who died on the cross- and yet there are differences. Their fear is transformed into joy at seeing Jesus, and he continues speaking to them, repeating his greeting of peace. He then gives them their mission, “I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.” Then he breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy, Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don’t forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven.” These words which Jesus spoke to them are also spoken to us as Christians, their mission is also our own mission.
Thomas the twin was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas said, “First I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!” How many times have we reacted like Thomas by saying “seeing is believing?” Is it easier to believe something when we have seen it with our own eyes? It’s all about trust.
One week later they were all gathered in the same room and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus was suddenly there among them again. After the usual greeting of peace, Jesus invited Thomas not just to look but to touch the wounds in his hands and side. “Do not doubt any longer but believe.” Thomas is totally overcome by the experience and says, “My Lord and my God!” It is a powerful acknowledgement of Jesus’ real identity- God. It is an act of faith, his experience convinced Thomas that he was in the presence of God himself!
The following words which Jesus spoke are meant to encourage us, to those of us who have not had Thomas’ experience: “Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.” We, too, need to be always open to experiences where God’s presence can be recognised. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are among those who are blessed, as we have not seen yet we believe.
Just like St. Faustina declared, “Jesus I trust in you,” through our baptism we are called to trust (believe in) and to hold onto the truth that the risen Christ is alive.
Today we are going to hear about Jesus meeting His disciples after he has risen from the dead. The first time, Thomas is not with them and when they tell him that they have seen Jesus he does not believe them. He wanted proof that it really was Jesus.
- Jesus is risen, he is alive
- Faith is more than just believing
On the evening of the first Sunday after Jesus died on the cross his disciples were together in a locked room. They were afraid that they were going to be arrested and crucified like Jesus because they were his friends. Suddenly Jesus appeared in the room with them. It was hard to believe as the door was locked, so how did he get in? Jesus showed them his wounds in his side and in his hands, so they knew that it was him.
One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas was not with them at the time. Later, when they told him that they had seen Jesus, he did not believe them. Thomas had seen Jesus die on the cross and buried in a tomb, how could Jesus be alive? Thomas said, “Unless I see the wound in his side and put my finger in the holes where the nails were in his hands, I will not believe it.”
One week later, the disciples were together again in the locked room and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared to them again. Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out and touch my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas fell on his knees and said, “My Lord and my God.” Now he believed that Jesus was alive because he had seen it for himself. Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
You and I have never seen Jesus and yet we believe that after three days he rose from the dead and that he is alive. Do we always have to see things to believe in them? Think about the air all around us, we cannot see it but we know that it exists. When the wind blows, we can see it moving things like trees and leaves on the ground. We cannot see the love that our family and friends have for us, but we know it is real because we feel their hugs and hear their kind words. So even though we have never seen Jesus in person we know that he is real from what the Bible tells us. We can feel the love of Jesus in our hearts and can see how people who believe in Jesus show love and kindness towards others. Our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour helps us to believe in him without actually seeing him in person.
You are blessed. We are all blessed, we have not seen or touched Jesus, but we still believe that Jesus is alive!
You can cut out the hands and the plaque, stick the pointing finger towards the hole in the other hand at the end of the arms and colour the plaque “My Lord and My God,” in this way, you really believe that Jesus is alive. Do this whilst listening God’s not dead.
1. In today's Gospel, Jesus came and stood among the disciples who were locked behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. What did Jesus tell to his disciples?
2. On that occasion, Jesus gave a precious gift to his disciples. What did he tell them?
3. Whom among the disciples, was not present when Jesus visited the disciples for the first time after his resurrection?
4. What did the disciple who at first doubted that Jesus had truly risen from the dead, say in the profession of faith he uttered in front of Jesus?
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