Cycle B - Year I:  12 April 2015

Second Sunday of Easter
(Liturgical color: White)

John 20:19-31

Believe in your heart!

Sometimes, our human experience tells us that life's most beautiful things are not seen by the eyes, but felt by the heart.

Let us use these wise words to connect us to the Gospel message for the second Sunday of Easter.

On Easter Sunday the universal Church proclaimed that the Lord is risen indeed! But He has yet to appear to the disciples, who kept themselves locked up in a room for fear of the Jews.

By this time the disciples have already heard from the testimonies of Simon Peter, John and Mary of Magdala that Jesus is alive. But they were all the more afraid to face Him because they realized that they were cowardly during the passion and death of their Master.

Yet when the risen Lord appeared to the disciples, He greets them, "Peace be with you." Thus, the Lord's first words to the disciples are a declaration of forgiveness, peace, and mercy, even before the disciples could even ask for forgiveness for their unfaithfulness and cowardice.

One of the original twelve disciples, Thomas was his name, was not with them when the risen Lord first appeared. The rest of the disciples shared their experience with the risen Christ, but Thomas refused to believe and said instead, "Unless I see the mark 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." (Jn 20:25)

Now a week later the risen Lord appeared again, and this time, Thomas was with them. Jesus allowed 

Thomas to put his finger in Jesus' wounds, and he saw and believed. Jesus said to Thomas: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (Jn 20:29)

What is the message of the Gospel narrative for us today?

We too are often fearful to face the risen Lord. Perhaps, it is because we spend so much time focusing on our sins and failures, and not enough on God's mercy and compassion. Or, sometimes we feel like the doubting Thomas in today's Gospel --our faith is not strong enough to withstand suffering, trials and evils in our world. That is why, like Thomas, we demand clear signs of Jesus' victory over death and sin.

But the Good News this Sunday is that God's mercy precedes our sins, precisely because of the saving work of Jesus. This means that we are forgiven long before we even think of committing sins. God only waits for us to claim the mercy already prepared for us through the saving work of Jesus.

In the Holy Eucharist at Mass, let us pray that like Thomas, may the risen Christ open our eyes to the power of the Resurrection and transform our doubts and fear into confident faith and boundless joy.

This second Sunday of Easter, the Church also celebrates the Divine Mercy Sunday, promoted by Sister Faustina Kowalska. Let us claim our own share of God's divine mercy, which the heart of the risen Jesus has in abundance for all of us. In other words, let us believe with our hearts that indeed Jesus Christ is risen and lives forever. Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Ad Jesus per Mariam!