Second Sunday of Easter

Fr Dominic’s Homily

Thomas was one of the twelve disciples and wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared. He was the only one absent; on his return he heard what had happened but he refused to believe it.

I think we can all identify with this. Unless we can actually see things happen we don’t believe them. In this world of today we need concrete proof and evidence.

The Easter message is all about Jesus rising from the dead but none of us were there when it happened. We didn’t see it so how can we believe it?

So Jesus appears a second time and this time he offers his side, his hands, and the scars of his wounds for examination by Thomas.

Thomas then realizes the truth and speaks the most complete words of faith in the whole Gospel when he says: “My Lord and my God!”

As we put ourselves in Thomas’s shoes we share his confusion and doubt.

To question is a sign of honesty, it’s a sign of a willingness to learn and to listen in the search for truth. Faith is a virtue but gullibility is not. So Thomas is right to check the other apostles’ story. But he might also be affected by a negative spirit of scepticism or of unbelief.

As Christians we should often reassess our faith. We need to weed out what is obviously wrong or too superstitious, and stick to what is based on a more reliable perception of reality and church teaching.

So questioning is good, and leads to truth, but sometimes it can become negative and obsessive and does not actually want to find an answer. It becomes a kind of blockage and resistance to God. There are none so blind as those who choose not to see.

Life isn’t a just problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived. Remember what Jesus said to Thomas: You have believed because you have seen me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.

What we see with our eyes gives rise to concrete knowledge, not faith. Faith is the proof of something that cannot be seen. Faith in itself has no power of its own but is the channel by which God can work his power through us. If the reception of the channel is clear by means of a strong faith then Jesus can work miracles through us more effectively.

In some ways the disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. Because as he examines the wounds of Jesus and is won over to belief - through listening to this our own faith is strengthened.

Belief in the resurrection Of Jesus Christ is of course what defines us in our faith. It is not simply a concept or an idea but the ultimate supernatural event in God’s plan of salvation.

St Paul reminds us that without the resurrection all our teaching is in vain. The resurrection is the very heart and soul of our faith.

We can’t explain it away as simply a myth or a symbol or a philosophical concept - because then it’s not worth believing! It doesn’t do justice to the biblical message.

The fact that Jesus died and rose from the dead proves that there is far more than this world that we know about. Through the resurrection we can have hope and faith in the love and mercy of God our creator.

Today of course is also Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus spoke to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930’s and asked for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.

Jesus told Sister Faustina that those who go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on this day shall obtain complete forgiveness of all past sins.

He wanted to "throw a lifeline," to souls who are drowning in sin and despair. That lifeline is this Feast, with all the tremendous graces and benefits which Jesus attached to it. As He said to St. Faustina that this Feast day is a special "refuge and shelter" for the "consolation" of souls.

He also told her that in this world we will not find true peace in our hearts and the answer to all our questions until we turn trustfully to the Divine Mercy of God through the risen person of Jesus Christ.

So as we look with hearts of faith on the face of the risen Christ let us make a prayer of trusting abandonment with our hope anchored in Christ as we say to him:

 “Jesus, My Lord and my God, I place all my trust in you!”