Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday
(Acts 2:42–47; 1 Peter 1:3–9; John 20:1–9)
The Gospel calls Thomas “the Twin.” No one knows why, or
whose counterpart he might have been. Perhaps he is our twin, insofar as, like
him, we too have harbored doubts in faith. For that reason, we would like to
address him with the following questions.
Thomas, why do you not believe your companions when they
tell you that Jesus has risen? Did he not hint at His passion, death, and
resurrection several times in your presence? When he spoke of the Good
Shepherd, did he not say that he would lay down his life for his sheep (John
10:11)? Did he not also say that he had the power not only to lay down His life
but to take it up again (10:18)? And did he not tell you and others that he
would be lifted up from the earth to draw all people to himself (12:32)?
Above all, do you not remember what happened at the tomb of
Lazarus? When Jesus asked that the stone covering the tomb be removed and
Martha worried about the stench because Lazarus had been dead four days, did
you not see the dead man come out walking?
Why do you want to be like the Sadducees, who tried to trap
Jesus with the ridiculous story of the woman who had seven husbands because
they did not believe in the resurrection? Does it not disturb you to sound like
many people of the twenty-first century who doubt everything and, in doing so,
gradually lose the values necessary to sustain a stable and meaningful life?
Remember the story of Abraham, who left his land, his
people, and his father’s house out of faith in God’s word. Was God not faithful
to His promise to this patriarch? Recall also Jeremiah and the other prophets,
who suffered disgrace and punishment for proclaiming God’s word as true and
inviolable. Do you think they preached in vain?
Also, look to the future. See how the disciples live in
perfect harmony, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. Is this not the
fruit of the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit? Notice
also what happens years later, when Peter urges Christians to remain steadfast
in hope even in the midst of suffering. Does this not convince you of the
centrality of faith in the resurrection?
Yes, it is true that faith requires sacrifice, especially
when we live among people who do not seek God’s justice but material
satisfaction. We feel like strangers, as though something essential were
missing, until we discover the true source of fulfillment. It does not come
from passing sensations, but from the awareness of living according to God’s
will.
No, Thomas, doubt no more. Accept the presence of Jesus who
stands before you. He is not present only in the human body with which he
walked on earth. He is also present in the poor who live according to the
commandments of love. He is present in the sacraments that offer us His
forgiveness, strength, and grace. And he is present in the ordained and women religious
who represent the Church. They are not always perfect, but they teach us the
ways and commandments of the Lord.
More than that, stop insisting on seeing the mark of the
nails in His hands and putting your finger into His side. Be a model for all of
us when our faith weakens. Help us to say with you, with full confidence before
the Lord Jesus: “My Lord and my God!”