God's Most Tender Mercy - Divine Mercy Sunday - 2nd Sunday Easter

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040724.cfm

Praise be Jesus Christ - Forever and ever. Amen.

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. One of my favorite passages from St. Faustina’s Diary is: “Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy.”

Alleluia, Christ has risen. Truly, He has risen indeed, Alleluia. Father shared that greeting with us at Easter; but, I wonder if these were the thoughts or the words of the disciples on that first day of the week when they gathered behind those closed doors?

Mathew tells us after the resurection, some of the disciples had doubts. Today we hear they had doubts.

On that first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalen ran to tell the disciples that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. Hearing this, Peter and the Disciple Jesus Loved ran to the tomb and found it empty. They saw and believed he was not in the tomb but they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead.

The rest of the disciples felt Mary Magdalen’s words were nonsense. Because of their hard hearts, the gospel of Mark said the disciples did not believe her. In Luke, the disciples claimed it to be an idle tale.

The disciples may have felt the same way when Peter and John showed up and tried to explain what they did not yet understand.

Maybe they had forgotten that Jesus had taught them all they needed was faith the size of a mustard seed. They seemed to be short of that much faith. They were not good at being followers of Jesus. Maybe a lot of us are like that. 

It is the first day of the week. That would have been the day Mary, Peter, and John ran and discovered the empty tomb. The disciples were locked behind closed doors, hiding. Jesus came and stood in their midst. He gave them peace and showed him his hands and his side.

He breathed upon them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit”

https://www.wga.hu/html/c/caravagg/06/34thomas.htm

Thomas was not there. When he did show up, the disciples shared what had happened. Thomas thought it was nonsense. Thomas would not believe it until he saw it with his own eyes and touched the wounds with his own hands.

Eight days later, instead of being out in the world sharing the good news as Jesus had instructed them, the disciples were hiding behind closed locked doors. Thomas was with them.  Jesus appeared among them and gave them peace. 

Jesus turned to Thomas and told him to put his hand in his side and fingers in the nail marks. Telling him “Do not disbelieve but believe.”

Thomas believed. He no longer doubted and proclaimed “My Lord and my God.”

For the disciples to bear witness they needed more than just words. They needed to experience the real risen Jesus. Thomas wanted to feel the scars and wounds of the real risen Jesus.  He needed to feel the scars and wounds of the passion. For Thomas, those wounds corroborated and confirmed Jesus’ reality. 

For the disciples to proclaim the Gospel they needed more than just words. They felt the breath of Jesus upon their face when He breathed upon them. Receive the Holy Spirit. They needed the gift of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit thrust their hands into the side of Christ. Their hearts reached out to God. They believed. HIs love is everlasting and his mercy endures forever.

I am terrible at being a good Christian, I struggle against sin. If I had been in that room locked behind those closed doors, would I have believed Mary Magdalen or Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved?

I am  terrible at being a good  Christian. We all are terrible Christians in some way. Scarred by sin. Wounded by traumas experienced over lifetimes. Our souls are pierced by the mistakes and misdeeds we have experienced.Our woundedness corroborates and confirms our reality.

I am terrible at being a good Christian because often I am embarrassed and ashamed to bring my wounds and scars to Jesus. Maybe, it is a lack of faith. Maybe, it is pride; maybe, doubts. Maybe, it is something deep inside we cannot voice. 

Because of all these things, I am terrible at being a good Christian, but I am loved. Friends, we are all loved. We exist because of God’s most tender mercy. We are all blessed in God’s Divine Mercy. 

God’s mercy is beyond what you or I will ever be able to comprehend. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. 

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen. Praise be Jesus Christ - Forever and ever. Amen.