(Hendrick Terbrugghen, Doubting Thomas, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1604)
"My Lord and My God"
Sunday Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040316.cfm
I’ve often wondered if the Apostles themselves were
amazed by what happened at the “many
signs and wonders” that were worked by invoking the name of Jesus. Even
more, I would imagine that Peter himself was astounded by the fact that “at least his shadow might fall on one or
another of them” to be cured. We hear of such wonders in our first reading from
the Acts of the Apostles, primarily Peter and Paul, this Divine Mercy Sunday. It
would be logical to assume that human amazement was not trumped by God’s
miraculous work. Truly his mercy was
abundant in the early days of Christianity. But, it remains so today as well.
Our present day community of believers is indeed
generous and kind, faith-filled and committed, compassionate and
welcoming. We do feed the hungry and
care for those who are sick. We do
educate and form Christian consciences.
We do worship the Lord as one and show reverence for our sacramental and
prayer life. Yet, we do all of this as
fragile, doubting, liberal, conservative, traditional, young, old, middle aged,
rich, poor, middle class, highly educated, professional and average. As extroverts, introverts, as teachers,
musicians, health care workers, counselors, therapists, “blue collar” and
“white collar” workers or a combination of both, as male, female, black, white,
brown, yellow, thus bringing both “Jew and Gentile” together. You get the
point. Somehow, though, it all really does work and when you really think about
it, it is astounding that it works so well despite all of our limitations. There is a divine force at work.
Still, we should not be surprised by normal divisions
and differences yet gently challenge and heal the factions or potential “smoke
of Satan” when we see it. If that is so, what does keep us united as One, Holy,
Catholic and Apostolic - our faith in the risen Lord Jesus? Is only believing enough? Should we expect
that the shadow of a holy person will heal? The resurrection stories are not
scientific analysis or an explanation of how there may be extraordinary
exceptions to the measurable laws of nature.
Our Gospel story (Jn 20: 19-31)heard every year on this
2nd Sunday after Easter, is a powerful reminder that faith which
demands proof as it did in the case of Thomas the absent Apostle, must go
beyond merely what our hands have touched. Jesus’ mercy is extended to his
Apostles, hidden in fear for good reason, as he suddenly appears to them in his
risen form. He says, “Peace be with you (Shalom).” He
breathes on them and says “receive the
Holy Spirit.” He entrusts them with the power to forgive sin in his
name. This is not a Jesus resentful of
their abandonment or Peter’s three time denial but the Lord who brings new
life. This is mercy as only God can extend.
Yet, the absence of Thomas begs the question of the
early Church, the early Christian communities no matter how peaceful they may
have at first (more likely on occasion) may have been, and the ultimate
question of our Easter season and our culture of technology and science today:
How is it possible to believe in the risen Lord if you have not seen him? The
story is simply too unnatural (dead do not come back to life) and delusional at
its worst. Yet, their hope in promise kept it alive.
What did the Apostles discuss on the day after Jesus’
death? I would imagine, after the
initial shock wore off, that a variety of opinions were expressed on what to do
now, on who Jesus claimed he was, on the meaning of his promised resurrection,
and certainly how they felt about each other: e.g. Peter and Judas in
particular as the betrayers among them. But we do know they were somewhat
paralyzed by fear and confusion. They
were hidden away.
In the midst of this muddle Jesus returns because their
future as foundational witnesses MUST be based in the tangible encounter with
the risen Lord. So, Thomas’ legendary
doubt was totally understandable and excusable. “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands . . . I will not
believe.” Can you hear Thomas saying
in essence, “I really want to believe this but how can I unless I see as you
did?”
Once again, Jesus returns and shows Thomas what he
needs, the wounds of his suffering and passion.
In a beautiful moment of recognition, while Thomas thought he needed to
see it all, simply the Lord’s appearance before him moves Thomas to proclaim
the truth of our faith: “My Lord and my God.”
Did Thomas actually touch Jesus wounds in his hands and
side? We assume he did but the Gospel
does not indicate that. Jesus invited
him to do so but did he? I personally
feel he was so overwhelmed he may not have because seeing Jesus became enough
proof. Either way, Thomas could not deny
who he saw and heard now before him. And that brings us to today.
The occasion is a lesson in the true meaning of faith –
how the early Christians and consequently all of us since have come to
believe. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed,” Jesus
states. That is faith. So we are either crazy, delusional fools,
seduced by twenty centuries of history and tradition, living on unfounded and
meaningless hope or we are followers of Jesus the risen Lord who comes to us in
his Word and Sacrament every day and in particular every time we gather with
our perfect and less than perfect brothers and sisters to say, “I believe in
one God . . .”
We see him in the faith of each other, we touch him
through generous compassion, we hear him in sacraments of healing and merciful
forgiveness, we taste him in the Holy Eucharist, we are made one with him in
vocations of selfless love and service, we sense him in prayer and worship.
What more proof do we need?
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