Season of Resurrection
Second
Sunday: John 20:19-29
ST. THOMAS AND
THE DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
INTRODUCTION
St. Thomas the Apostle insisted that he would
believe in the Risen Lord only if he would see Jesus and touch the
wound-marks on his hands and side. That became another proof for Jesus’
resurrection. Jesus is the focus of the story because he, who washed the
feet of his apostles, humbled to appear before Thomas and obliged to all
his demands to make him come back to his faith. Thomas in turn expressed
his firm belief in the Risen Lord and committed himself for the
spreading of the gospel and even became a martyr for Christ in 72 A.D.
Today being the feast of the Divine Mercy, let us express our trust in
the Lord, seek his mercy for our sins and the sins of the world, and
show mercy to all whom we encounter.
BIBLE TEXT
Appearance to the Disciples
(John 20:19) On the evening of that day, the
first day of the week, the doors were locked where the disciples were
together, because of their fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood
among them. He said to them, “Peace be with you.” (20) When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking
at the Lord and were full of joy. (21) Again Jesus said to them, “Peace
be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” (22) And
with that he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy
Spirit. (23) If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you
retain people’s sins, they are retained.”
Thomas
(24) Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was
not with them when Jesus came. (25) The other disciples told him, “We
have seen the Lord.” But he replied, “Until I have seen in his hands the
print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my
hand into his side, I will not believe.” (26) Eight days later, the
disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Despite the
locked doors Jesus came in. He stood among them and said, “Peace be with
you.” (27) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my
hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Doubt no longer
but believe.” (28) Thomas then said, “My Lord and my God.” (29) Jesus
replied, “You believe because you see me. Blessed are those who believe
although they have not seen.”
INTERPRETATION
Appearance to the Disciples
(John 20:19) On the evening of that
day, the first day of the week, the doors were locked where the
disciples were together, because of their fear of
the Jews, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
The first day of the week
The doors were locked
Because of their fear of the Jews
“Peace be with you.”
Jesus appeared to his disciples after the
successful offering of himself as the Lamb of God. He returned like the
High Priest’s arrival from the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement
(Leviticus 16:34). Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest
went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the mercy seat with the blood
of a bull for the priests’ purification and the blood of a goat for the
forgiveness of sins of all the Israelites. Jesus, the Lamb of God,
sprinkled his blood to redeem all humanity and has returned after
completing his mission. Thus, Jesus established peace, and he
communicated that to the apostles.
(20) When he had said this, he showed
them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and
were full of joy.
He showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples kept looking at the Lord
and were full of joy.
(21) Again Jesus said to them, “Peace
be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I am
sending you.
(22) And with that he breathed on them
and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
He breathed on them.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
(23) If you
forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if
you retain people’s sins, they are retained.”
If you forgive people’s sins, they are
forgiven.
If you retain people’s sins, they are
retained.
(24) Thomas, the Twin, one of the
Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
Thomas, called Didymus
One of the Twelve
Number 12 has importance in the Bible. It is
one of the perfect numbers like 3, 7, and 10 derived from the 12 sons of
Jacob whose descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel. Moses sent 12
spies to Canaan representing the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus considered
his church as the new Israel and selected 12 men as the pillars of his
church. He said of his apostles, “Listen to my words: at the renewal of
all things, when the Son of Man sits on his throne in glory, you who
have followed me will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to rule the
twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28).
Thomas was not with them when Jesus
came.
(25) The other disciples told him, “We
have seen the Lord.” But he replied, “Until I have seen in his hands the
print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my
hand into his side, I will not believe.”
The unbelief of Thomas was not just his
refusal to believe in the testimony of his ten colleagues, but in Jesus’
resurrection. Even seeing the Risen Lord was not enough for Thomas. He
wanted to touch and feel the wound marks on Jesus’ body.
Nail marks
Put my hand into his side
(26) Eight days later, the disciples
were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked
doors Jesus came in. He stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus’ second appearance to Thomas and other
apostles was on the Sunday after Easter. Though the apostles might have
been gathering often, this Sunday gathering might have been for special
prayer to remember the Lord’s resurrection. This time also, as in the
past week, the disciples locked the doors for fear of Jews. They might
have been in the same room. The same greeting of Jesus as before, “Peace
be unto you,” was a normal greeting with a new meaning of peace of
resurrection added to it.
Thomas was with them.
(27) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your
finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my
side. Doubt no longer but believe.”
During the previous Sunday, Thomas missed
Jesus’ visit and all that Jesus did for the other apostles. However, on
the second Sunday, Thomas got exclusive attention from Jesus by calling
him by name and allowing him to touch his wound marks from crucifixion.
Doubt no longer but believe.
28) Thomas then said, “My Lord and my
God.”
Jesus knowing the demands of Thomas, without
him asking, surprised Thomas. Besides, the Lord was humbling himself to
appear before him and yielded to his demands. Without waiting to touch
for belief, Thomas responded his profession of faith.
“My Lord and my God!”
The disciples called Jesus, the Lord. That
could mean someone in a higher rank or the “Son of God.” In Matthew
16:16, Simon Peter answered Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.” Jesus had asserted he was God and for that reason the Jews
accused him of blasphemy. However, Thomas got the inspiration to say to
the Risen Lord, “My Lord and my God.” By that, Thomas declared that he
had seen Jesus so far as his Lord. However, he acknowledged that the
Lord is also the Mighty God. Hence, Thomas had advanced in his belief
and conviction. He expressed his faith in the divinity of Jesus. Jesus
had told in John 14:9, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Thomas
while seeing the Risen Lord acknowledged that God the Father was visible
in Jesus.
(29) Jesus replied, “You believe
because you see me. Blessed are those who believe although they have not
seen.”
We believe many things in practical and
spiritual life without seeing or with no proof. We trust in the words or
reports of others. Jesus compliments those who believe with spiritual
sight than with physical sight. The doubt of Thomas, and Jesus yielding
to the demand of Thomas became another proof for Jesus’ resurrection.
MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY
Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday. This
devotion to Jesus developed from the visions of a Polish nun, Sr. Maria
Faustina Kowalska who was born on August 25, 1905 and died on October 5,
1938. She had a vision of Jesus on February 22, 1931. Jesus asked her to
paint his image as she had seen in the vision. An artist completed the
Divine Mercy painting in June 1934. Jesus gave messages to Sr. Faustina
from 1931 to 1938. The message of the Divine Mercy was a great comfort
for the victims of Second World War. Pope John Paul II issued an
encyclical on the Divine Mercy on November 30, 1980. He canonized Sr.
Faustina and proclaimed the Divine Mercy celebration on Sunday, April
30, 2000. Based on the message of Jesus to Sr. Faustina, the Catholic
Church celebrates this feast every year on the second Sunday of Easter.
The Divine Mercy gives us three themes:
The image of the Divine Mercy depicts Jesus
standing with one hand outstretched for blessing and the other pointing
to his pierced heart. From the broken heart proceeds beams of red and
white light. The two colors represent blood and water that flowed from
Jesus’ heart when Longinus pierced his heart. The water stands for
baptism and the blood for Holy Eucharist that we receive for our
salvation.
Jesus taught us the mercy of his Father, and
Jesus shared that mercy during his life on earth. He was kind to Thomas,
who was in grief for missing to see the Risen Lord. Jesus conveyed his
special love toward the modern world through the visions and messages to
Sr. Faustina. Let us trust in the Lord and seek his mercy and involve in
the acts of mercy.
MESSAGE
1. Jesus appeared every Sunday to his
disciples after his resurrection and before his ascension into heaven.
Jesus comes down to meet us during every Holy Mass, especially on
Sundays. Let us give proper importance for Sunday observance.
2. The Divine Mercy Sunday reminds us we must
show mercy to others just as God is merciful to us. Jesus gave that
message several times, including his prediction on the last judgement.
Let us put that teaching into practice.
3. Since Thomas did not keep the company of
his fellow apostles, he missed the excellent opportunity to meet the
Risen Lord on the day of resurrection. While he was absent, Jesus
breathed on the other apostles and commissioned them for spreading the
gospel and empowered them to forgive and withhold sins. Though he got
all these later from Jesus, the experience of Thomas is a lesson for us
to keep up the Christian brotherhood.
4. Compassion of Jesus to the stubborn Thomas
is a model for us. Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples again
showed them how we should be humble and caring towards people tough to
manage.
5. The story of Thomas missing the first
appearance of Jesus to the apostles on the Easter Sunday gives us a
lesson. Some believers claim that they are spiritual but do not want to
do anything with religion. They have faith in God and do personal
prayers. Jesus wants us to be in communion with the church because he is
the head of the church and the Holy Spirit is guiding the church. The
Holy Mass, which is the sacrifice of Jesus, and other sacraments are our
essential spiritual nourishments.
6. The experience of St. Thomas and the
messages of Divine Mercy through Sister St. Faustina are messages to
trust in the Lord, to seek the God’s mercy, and communicate and show
mercy to others in our daily lives.
7. St. Thomas seeing the Risen Lord and St.
Faustina’s vision of Jesus point to the wounded heart of Jesus. His
sacrificial love from his heart is a lesson for us to follow in serving
others from our hearts.