2nd Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday
The gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Easter each year tells of the meeting of Jesus with the disciples on Easter Day with a greeting of “Peace be with you” and the imparting of the Holy Spirit as empowerment for their mission as agents of forgiveness.
Eight days later, Jesus again appeared to the disciples, including Thomas, who was absent when Jesus appeared on Easter Sunday and who refused to believe he had indeed risen. This gospel has been read on this Sunday continuously since the early Christian centuries and for good reasons. What might seem like an awkward moment in the record of the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection became one of the most memorable.
John the Evangelist often uses one character as a representative figure. In this case, it is Thomas. Thomas is the spokesperson for all of us who question and wonder. He asks the questions we are often too embarrassed to ask. This gospel speaks to when we have experienced doubt and uncertainty on our faith journey.
Thomas needed that encounter with Jesus. The life-changing experience of the meeting of Thomas with Jesus led to his profound confession of faith in the Risen Lord (“My Lord and my God”) and a renewed commitment in him to discipleship and even martyrdom.
Each celebration of the Eucharist is an opportunity for us to encounter the risen Lord and be renewed and revitalized for our calling as agents of forgiveness and healing. Tradition has it that Thomas went to India to preach the gospel and was martyred there (the exact location is unknown) in 72 AD.
Let Us Pray:
Lord, may Saint Thomas be a guiding light for us on our journey of faith.
