On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Today we celebrate and give thanks for God’s divine mercy. There is wonderful image of Christ given to St. Faustina, where the blue and red light come out of Jesus’ side symbolizing the incredible gift of divine mercy that flows from Jesus to us. This is the image was given to St. Faustina along with the message of divine mercy in order that we all could know and understand the awesome gift of God’s love for us and His divine mercy. In Diary, no. 699 Jesus told St. Faustina that “It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” And so, on May 5, 2000, five days after the canonization of St. Faustina, St. John Paul II along with all of the Magisterium decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter would henceforth be known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
The image of divine mercy given to St. Faustina makes reference to Jesus on the cross, in John 19, where the roman soldier thrust a lance into the side of Jesus, in order to confirm that Jesus was dead, and blood and water flowed out. Blood because the lance pierced His heart, and water because it also pierced His Lungs that were full of water from edema. The water is a metaphor pointing to the waters of baptism, and the blood is a reference to the blood of Christ in the holy eucharist. In His sacrifice on the cross He gave us all of the means of salvation. Forgiveness of original sin by baptism. Justification of our relationship with God, by His death on the cross, and finally our ongoing sanctification via the gifts of reconciliation and the eucharist.
The water and blood flowing forth from Jesus is in itself a reference to the great temple in Jerusalem. In the days that Jesus walked this earth, passover had evolved into an incredible spectacle. It was estimated that a million jewish pilgrims would descend on the city to celebrate passover. This meant that approximately 200,000 lambs would be slaughtered, and it would litterally take days to complete all of the sacrifices. The temple priests would have to create assembly lines to take the blood of the sacrificed lambs, and pour that blood on the altar in the temple. The blood would flow down drains below the alter, collect in pools and would ultimately overflow and mix with the water of the brook of Kidron that flowed under the temple, and the combined blood and water would flow out of the side of temple through a small portico. It would become a small waterfall of water and blood pouring out of the temple. It was said to be an incredible site.
These two references (above) are all ultimately a reference to Ezekiel 47. Ezekiel, in his prophecies, saw the great temple in heaven, and the “river of life” that flows throughout the entire kingdom of heaven, from a single source at the center of the temple, God the Father. All life, all goodness, all love, and all mercy come from that single source. Jesus is the new temple in heaven from which the river of life flows. Jesus is the body that connects us here on earth with the enteral source of life in Heaven, through the eucharist.
This gift of life, and the promise of Gods mercy are completely unwaranted, God does not owe us anything, and we have done nothing to deserve it. It is a pure gift, a gift from one that loves us more than the sum total of our sin, and even despite them. He reaches out to us, to save us from the slavery to sin, and meets us where we are, even if we are not looking for Him.
And that brings us to today’s reading and Thomas. Thomas was definitely a doubter. He is the same disciple whom when lazarus died said “Let us also go to die with him.” He exposes in that response a couple things. That he thought that if they returned to Jerusalem, that Jesus would surely be captured and killed by His enemies, and that Lazarus was dead, and there was nothing Jesus could do about it. On another occasion Thomas asked: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Thomas doubts because He treats Jesus as just a man, and does not understand the true meaning of what Jesus is telling him. And today he doubts that Jesus has risen from the dead.
But, Thomas’ doubts are not the important thing here, it is Jesus’ response that matters. Jesus is not indignant and dismissive of Thomas doubts, turning him away. He is instead inviting and loving, making a special trip just for Thomas, so that he too could come to believe. Thomas said he would not believe unless he had enough reason, enough evidence to believe. and so Jesus, came down to his level, and gave him the evidence he needed. Jesus takes Thomas’ hand and puts it into the place from which all Divine Mercy flows, and in that moment Thomas touches the source of all belief, and responds with the perfect prayer “My Lord and my God!” This is the gift of Divine Mercy, and the ultimate reason for it…, to believe. And that is why Jesus’ final statement is so powerful for us today. “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Jesus meets us where we are, maybe not bodily, but he is there, and he is reaching for you, reaching to you so that you too can believe.
Do you see Him? When you do, will you respond? Thomas today shows us what to do, he give us the most perfect and concise expression of faith in the whole of the bible “My Lord and my God!” This is the only rational response to the recognition of Gods pressence in your life, and it is the ultimate yearing of our souls to reach out and connect with Him. This is the call of our souls, and when you finally recognize it, and call out to God, He will be there, pulling you into the source of all life as well. What an amazing and awesome thing, to have a God that loves us that much. Are you ready to make the call? He is waiting for you. Call Him today.
Happy Divine Mercy Sunday.
