Appearance to the Disciples [April 15, 2012]

The Sunday Gospel [Divine Mercy Sunday - April 15, 2012]

John 20:19-31

19On 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.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  21[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. 23Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

24Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So 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.” 26Now 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.” 27Then 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.” 28Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. 31But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Reflection

“Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” ~ Jesus in v. 29

Let us begin our reflection by asking a simple question. Why does Jesus tell Thomas to put his finger into the wounds in his hands, and to put his hand into his side? Would it not be sufficient for Thomas just to see Jesus? No, I don’t think it would be. Thomas must realize deep in his heart how much Jesus suffered. And the only way to know this was to sensibly feel the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side. It is the only way by which his futile dream of a triumphant Messiah could be corrected.

I think it is not too difficult for us to understand Thomas’s doubt. It is not difficult because we all experience the very same phenomenon many times in our own life. When everything is progressing smoothly we are happy and at peace. However, is it not true that when a problem occurs, we often become anxious, if not discouraged? Why do we feel down? We feel that way because we forget God’s loving presence in our heart.

This is why it is so important for us to continuously focus our attention on Jesus. He had problems just like us, indeed, many more serious problems. But he was always able to overcome them. How? He overcame everything through his love for the Father and his realization that the Father loved him and was always with him. And so we see Jesus continuously turning to the Father for guidance and help. Sometimes he prayed with tears, begging God to listen to his prayers. It is because of this, his close relationship to the Father in prayer, that Jesus was able to overcome everything.

In the later part of the Gospel, when Jesus says, “Peace be with you,“ he is also speaking to us. He is telling us, yes, you will have problems. Don’t expect life to be different. But you can conquer as I did. You can conquer by keeping in your heart the conviction that God knows everything you are experiencing and is always eager to help you. Just ask Him for this.

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarroabel.blogspot.com/).