If we go back a few days in time, we will find ourselves yet again at the foot of the Cross. This particular day, which we know of as Good Friday, there are a lot of scenes and things that take place, but one of the most powerful is our Lord hanging from the Cross. Yet, notice, there is a particular movement of pouring out during that time. When our Lord is on that Cross, the soldier thrusts a lance into His side, and out poured Blood and water. These two things pouring out show us in a very powerful way our Lord pouring out His very life for us!
Yet, even as He poured out those two elements, and continues to do so even today in the Sacraments of the Eucharist and also Baptism, there is one more thing that this moment shows us that He is pouring out: His Divine Mercy. The reality of what our Lord gives us is so tremendous and monumental that He not only pours out things we can see, but His Divine Mercy- an element all too invisible to the naked eye, and yet all to real to our hearts and our souls. As we celebrate this Second Sunday of Easter, we are not only given the continuation of the consideration we have of Jesus’s Resurrection, but also the way that He pours out His Mercy upon us all as well. Yet, how can we see that at play, even as we cannot gaze upon the Cross and see Him pouring out that lifeblood Himself?
If we go into the first reading, we hear from the continuing story of the Acts of the Apostles. This story, mixed in with the others, tells the occasion and events that were affecting the early Church. In particular, as we hear this story, they speak of the reality of their communal life- how they dedicated themselves to the breaking of bread, to prayers, and to the life of the community. There was this sort of common life amongst them- and they continued to devote themselves to “meeting in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes.” This gives an insight into the early Church, and what their life looked like. It shows what ministry and what their life looked like, especially as they were first evangelizing those around them.
Yet, notice the very last line. It says that every day “the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” What this means is that the apostles and the disciples were going about their work with such fervor that there were many coming to believe. They was the passion and the conviction with which they spoke, and it allowed them to not only observe what was happening, but to also believe in it themselves.
The second reading is taken from the first letter of Peter. He begins this letter with this simple phrase: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope.” Right at the outset of this letter, He is speaking about the mystery of the Lord’s resurrection. While it could be a sort of great thing to observe, and not really understand the consequences or the effects of the Resurrection- Peter is set on trying to lay out what this does. It allows one to enter into the inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading- and kept in heaven. The reality of what the Lord is offering is something altogether unexpected- restoration to eternal life. In Peter’s view, this should cause a great amount of joy- and they should be able to experience this in a very real way- and they will be able to endure trials and affliction- and still remain joyful in their faith- which will then as a result be stronger.
The very final idea that he has in place- though- is the reality of attaining the goal of faith- salvation of souls. That is the end goal of the Resurrection- though it is still attained in mercy from God.
Finally, there is the Gospel passage from the Gospel according to John. We find the disciples locked away, in fear, after the Resurrection of Jesus. They aren’t quite sure what to do at this point- and yet, the Lord appears in their midst. When He does, he wishes them “peace be with you” as a reminder of what He wishes to return to the. Then He gives them a sort of gift of the Spirit and then also sends them out- they are given the ability to forgive sins and to retain sins as well. However, in the midst of this occasion- Thomas is not there and happened to be away. When he returns, the disciples report that they have “seen the Lord.” This news is awesome and quite a good thing to happen, and yet, Thomas finds Himself in a place of want. In fact, he tells the others “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the nail marks, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now, really, we might throw stones at him rather quickly, but the thing is- he happened to have a case of bad luck. He wasn’t in the right place at the right time.
Or was he? In all reality- there was something of an opportunity to be had at this point. He might have not been there- but he was given the opportunity to believe. What did he choose to do, though? He unfortunately didn’t have enough faith.
Then, the Lord appears on the scene, and he shows Thomas everything that He had desired to see. This might seem like an all-out rebuke of Thomas, and while it could serve in that capacity- think about what has just happened. Thomas cried out because He couldn’t believe and couldn’t find the gift of faith within himself. So he expressed that- and the thing is that Jesus responded- and heard that plea of sorts. He recognized that Thomas didn’t have enough faith to believe just yet- and he needed some help. Yet, Jesus doesn’t mince words either. He reminds him that it is better to believe- without seeing, and yet, in His mercy, Jesus responds to him and his needs anyways. There was a struggle- and yet there is a response from the Lord- and even the Gospel itself emphasizes the need for belief- that is, in fact, the entire reason for the Gospel being written.
Yet, as we come to this Sunday, what are we being called to do? When we behold that word “mercy”, what does it require from us?
First, we should recall the first letter of Saint Peter. When Peter is speaking within his letter, he is careful to remind about the mercy of God being present in Jesus’s presence and in His Resurrection as well. He really wants to draw out the fact that- when God sends His Son, He sends him to redeem us from something that we could not save ourselves from. We were not able to redeem ourselves from sin nor pay the price for it with our own means. We simply cannot do this in any way. Yet, there is the act of mercy that we celebrate this very season that happens- God sends His Son into our midst. Therefore, we are given hope through Him, and it is not just us, but everyone around us as well.
Second, we should recall the way that our own community is called to be a community of mercy as well. It isn’t enough that we witness the Resurrection. We need to be a community that is formed and transformed by the entire event. In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear all about that happening, and it is such an exciting occasion that they are filled with joy- and they take it with them everywhere they go. Yet, it is fundamentally also a community of mercy. If they recognize what their Lord has done for them- then they should go and take that news everywhere!
Yet, the final point is one that should be one for us to each consider personally. When we encounter Thomas, it can be so easy to blame Him for everything that happened at that point. To see the ways that he failed, and didn’t live up to his calling. Yet, so often that is us. We are the ones who doubt. We are the ones who do not believe like we should. So, we tend to need that proof as well. Yet, the Lord encounters us in our need. He wants to give us His grace, specifically His mercy, in our encounters with Him, in the sacrament of Reconciliation, and in our every action with Him. It isn’t enough for us to simply know that the Lord and His mercy exist, but we should be willing to task for it and take it upon ourselves as well.
We observe the Crucifixion and we know that it is quite an occasion and we see what has been poured out. Yet, it isn’t enough for us to just see what has been visibly poured out, but we should also see what has been invisibly poured out by our Lord and our God- namely His Divine Mercy. May we each truly seek to become recipients of that Mercy within ourselves.
