Cycle C - Year I:

7 April 2013 - 2nd Sunday of Easter: 

(Liturgical color: White)

John 20:19-31

To see with the eyes of faith!
 
The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

But even after the disciples saw the empty tomb and heard the report of his resurrection, they were still weak in faith and fearful of being arrested by Jewish authorities.

Today's Gospel tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples, not as a spirit, but in bodily form. Yes, the Resurrected Jesus had a physical presence but the disciples could not recognize Jesus Christ, unless He allows it.

So when Jesus appeared to them he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.

In other words, the Risen Jesus revealed the glory of his resurrection to his disciples gradually and over a period of time.

The apostle Thomas was not with the group when the Risen Lord first appeared. And since he was a natural pessimist, Thomas did not want to believe, "unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe," Thomas said.

Jesus appeared again after a week, and this time Thomas was present. Jesus asked him to touch his wounds and believe.

Sometimes we are like Thomas. We, too, have doubts, like in times of trials and difficulties. We question our Christian faith, the Bible, and even God Himself. Well, nothing sinful about that, I think. It is a natural tendency of expressing our helplessness and despair. All Christians, sometimes during their lives, experience moments of doubts, questions and even skepticism. Our doubts can in fact lead us to deepen our faith.

But there is a difference between someone who doubts and someone who does not believe. Let us  see how.

A doubter may be a person who genuinely searches for God and the godly life. A doubter is a person on journey, a quest, in search to find God and the love of God.

On the other hand, an unbeliever is not searching for God but only the pleasure of this world. Because an unbeliever is searching for situations in life that will bring happiness, and thus not seeking God or the love of God.

So Thomas was first doubting the resurrection of the Lord, but when he touched the wounds in the body of the Risen Lord, he believed.

Do we ever wonder why the resurrected body of our Lord though "transfigured" still shows the five wounds of his crucifixion in his hands, feet and side?

Like the experience of Thomas, the five wounds of our Risen Lord remind us of "Easter" in our lives, that God is risen, is alive and loves us unconditionally. So that every time we live as Easter people, that is to say joyfully through our authentic Christian living we proclaim and become witnesses of the Resurrection of our Lord. Because we know and believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is risen, and we see Him alive in our lives, through the eyes of faith!

A blessed Sunday to all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!