April 19/Sunday of Divine Mercy
“My Lord and My God!” ~ Jn 20.28
None of them believed, at first. The apostles dismissed the women’s reports as “nonsense.” They gave no credence to their fellows who saw Jesus in the countryside. Even the two who walked with Christ on the road to Emmaus did not realize who he was. And then there was Thomas, the final holdout, who insisted on seeing and touching for himself. It is easy for us to scoff at the apostles’ persistent doubt. But they did not have the benefit of centuries of Easter celebrations: no Sunday best, no church brimming with spring flowers, no joyous brass fanfares and Easter hymns, no exuberantly-crowded pews. Instead, there was isolation, fear, and anxiety , as their community was splintered by a great calamity — the death of their leader. In this year of COVID-19, with the usual festivities cancelled because of the great calamity in our midst, many of us can identify with their isolation, fear, and uncertainty about the future. We may feel, as the apostles did, that our Lord has abandoned us. Thomas — skeptical, forthright Thomas, the apostle who had always questioned Christ (“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”) — gives us permission to voice our doubt, too. His encounter with his master is one of the most moving scenes in a gospel full of them — Jesus gently inviting the stubborn one to see, to feel, to touch, and Thomas instantly capitulating to love with the poignant “My Lord and my God!” As we continue to make our way in a world filled with uncertainty, muddling through this calamitous moment, not fully understanding what is happening around us, God gives us the room to question and to doubt. But He also sends the risen Christ among us, offering us a love beyond telling and a peace that passes understanding. May we respond, as Thomas did, by embracing our Lord and our God.
My Lord and my God, In the days to come, may I find the strength I need in your love and your peace. Amen.
To hear “We Walk by Faith,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDnsfCQiNyQ
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm
Here end Easter Tidings. May all of us embrace the days ahead with faith, hope, and love!
