April 19, 2009
Divine Mercy
In Easter Sunday’s gospel we were missing one key person: Jesus himself! The women who went to the tomb were told to tell the apostles to meet him in Galilee -- a three day’s walk from Jerusalem. One can only imagine the apprehension, doubt, shame, and anticipation that filled that journey.
Today we discover what happens when Jesus appears to his apostles. Not condemnation, not a long lecture, not a guilt trip. Only one thing: divine mercy. “Peace!” is his first word.
Yet his gift of peace and mercy was not meant for the apostles only. “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,” he tells them. And so he unleashes a great wave of mercy that’s meant to wash the world with forgiveness, hope, and peace.
There are three things we can do today on “Divine Mercy Sunday”: (1) Ask for God’s Mercy. Let us ask God to pour mercy out upon us and upon the whole world. (2) Be merciful. Jesus wants us to receive his mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as he does to us. (3) Completely trust in Jesus. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.
Of course a major figure in today’s gospel is “doubting Thomas.” I always feel badly for Thomas because all we seem to know about him is that he doubted (as if WE’VE never doubted??). I’m sure Jesus saw some other very special qualities in him when he chose him to be an apostle. Alas, these qualities are not recorded in the scriptures. But what if he was also “reliable Thomas,” or “welcoming Thomas,” or “generous Thomas”? Unfortunately he’s remembered for his doubt.
I suppose there’s a temptation to think of other people in terms of their most negative qualities. Divine Mercy would invite us to pray about others and reflect on their best qualities and to give thanks to God for the good things. That kind of prayer will help us in the long run to be more patient with the flaws of others and to show more mercy in our attitudes when others disappoint us or frustrate us.
