ST. THOMAS & DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
Thomas the apostle professes his faith in Jesus. (John 20:19-29)
INTRODUCTION
The persistence of St. Thomas the Apostle
that he would believe in the Risen Lord only if he would see Jesus
personally and touch the wound-marks on his hands and side became
another proof for the resurrection of Jesus. 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 return expressed his firm belief in the Risen Lord
and committed himself for the spreading of the gospel and even became a
martyr in AD 72. Today being the feast of 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.
Thomas.
INTERPRETATION
Appearance to the Disciples.
(19) On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
First day of the week
Since God created the universe and everything
in it within six days and sanctified the seventh day as Sabbath, the
next day was considered as a new beginning. The resurrection of Jesus on
the Sunday early morning was the beginning of a new era. Jesus continued
to appear on Sundays to his disciples until he ascended into heaven.
Hence for Christians, Sunday replaced the sabbath day.
When the doors
were locked
The body of the Risen Lord was his same body
when he was alive but had changed the limitations of the physical body.
So, he could come inside the locked room through the wall without
opening the doors. This is an indication of the nature of our risen body
at the second coming of Christ.
For fear of the Jews
The Jewish leaders were watchful of the
disciples of Jesus. The chief priests and Pharisees were afraid that the
disciples might steal the body of Jesus and claim that he had
resurrected from the dead (Mathew 27:62-66). Peter had cut off the ear
of the high priest’s slave with sword (John 18:10) and John was at the
foot of the cross. They and other disciples could be under monitoring by
the Jewish authorities.
“Peace be with you.”
This was a usual form of salutation among the
Jews. Israel had peace and prosperity when they were faithful to God.
Jesus appeared to his disciples after the
successful offering of himself as the Lamb of God similar to the return
of the high priest from the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement
(Leviticus 16:34). On the Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement each year, the
high priest used to go into the holy of holies and sprinkle the mercy
seat with the blood of a bull for the purification of the priests and
the blood of a goat for the forgiveness of sins of all Israelites.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, had sacrificed himself as the perfect sacrifice
for the forgiveness of sins of all who turn to him in faith. Thus, peace
was established and Jesus was communicating that to the world through
his apostles.
(20) When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
He showed them his hands and his side
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the
Lord.
Jesus appeared unexpectedly to the disciples.
Their conviction that he was real and not a ghost, turned their grief at
the loss of Jesus to the joy of his victory.
(21) [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Peace be with you
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. (22) And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.
He breathed on them
During his prayer for his disciples, Jesus had
said, “As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.”
(John 17:18). He was using the same to address his apostles. Like the
Father sent the son with a mission into the world, the son was sending
his trained and ordained disciples to continue his mission in the world.
Just as the Father needed the service of the Son to communicate his
message of love and redemption in words and action, Jesus needed the
church to continue the same in this world. As the members of the church,
we are the missionaries of Jesus to proclaim his gospel in our day today
lives.
Receive the holy Spirit.
At the last supper, Jesus gave the consecrated bread and wine and
told the apostles to receive his body and blood. At this moment, he
asked them to receive the Holy Spirit as the continuation and
fulfillment of the Holy Eucharist.
(23) Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.
God the Father had commissioned Jesus to save the
people who are sinners. Jesus in turn commissioned his disciples to do
the same. So, their mission was not to condemn the world but to save it
through their preaching, baptism and absolution of sins. They received
the authority to do so when they received the Holy Spirit that empowered
them with the Grace of God.
Whose sins you retain are retained
Repentance is a requirement for the forgiveness of
sins. In the story of the prodigal son, the Father had been patiently
waiting for the return of his younger son with true repentance. Jesus
absolved the sins of all who approached him with contrite hearts,
including one of the criminals crucified with him. The sins retained are
the iniquities of those who do not compromise with God.
(24) Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
Thomas, called Didymus
Thomas is a Hebrew name and Didymus a Greek
name. Both the names signify twin because Thomas was one of the twins in
his family. Jews used to have a Jewish name and a gentile name. In
Judea, they were known by their Hebrew name and in Galilee and other
non-Jewish areas they were called by their gentile name. Saul and Paul
of the Apostle Paul is an example.
One of the Twelve.
Jesus
kept many of the Jewish traditions and one of them was the importance he
gave to the number 12 in selecting his apostles. They were
representative of the 12 tribes of Israel. After the death of Judas, the
college of the apostles was very particular to maintain the 12 by
selecting Mathias substituting Judas.
The importance of the
number 12 which was considered as 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,
“Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when
the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Mathew 19:28).
Thomas was not with them when Jesus
came
It was not Judas or Peter alone who failed in
their promises at the passion of Christ. Thomas who had boldly told his
colleagues “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16) had failed when
the death of Jesus happened. However, he sacrificed his life for Jesus
in 72 AD. Thomas might have been suffering from guilt feeling that he
like Peter did not keep his promise. Thomas might have opted to grieve
in private like some people would like to spend in solitude during the
time of severe grief than in the companionship of others. He might not
have remembered the words of Jesus, “For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mathew 18:20).
(25) So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “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.”
The unbelief of Thomas was not just his
refusal to believe in the testimony of his ten colleagues, but in the
resurrection of Jesus. Seeing was not enough for Thomas. He wanted to
touch and feel the wound marks on the body of Jesus.
Nail marks
Crucifixion of criminals could be by nailing
or fastening to the cross with cords. The words of St. Thomas were a
proof that Jesus was nailed to the cross. That was also the fulfillment
of Psalm 22:17, “They have pierced my hands and my feet.”
Put my hand into his side
Thomas knew that the heart of Jesus was
pierced though he did not see it. Probably he came to know that from the
eyewitness account of John.
(26) Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
This second appearance of Jesus while Thomas
was present among the disciples was the Sunday after Easter. Though
apostles might have been gathering often, this Sunday gathering might
have been for special prayer in remembrance of the resurrection of the
Lord. This time also, as in the past week, the doors were locked for
fear of Jews when Jesus appeared to them. Probably 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 the peace of
resurrection added to it.
Thomas was with them
Thomas might have realized that he should be
with the company of other apostles to receive the privilege to meet the
Risen Lord. So, he continued staying with them in prayer. The other 10
apostles were witnesses to the privilege Jesus gave to Thomas to touch
his wounds of crucifixion.
(27) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
During the previous Sunday, Thomas missed the
visit of Jesus and all that Jesus did for the other apostles. However,
during the second Sunday, Thomas got special attention from Jesus by
calling him by name and allowing him to touch his healed wounds from
crucifixion.
Do not be unbelieving, but believe
This could mean the unbelief of Thomas in the
resurrection of Jesus as well as his tendency to move backward in his
spiritual relation with Jesus. A firm believer trusts the Lord without
seeking evidences.
(28) Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas might have been surprised that the
Master had known his intentions without telling Jesus his demand and
that his Lord was humbling himself to appear before him and yielded to
his demands. Without waiting to touch for belief, Thomas responds
immediately professing his faith.
“My Lord and my God!”
There are different shades of meaning for the
words “Lord” and “God.” The term God comes from Hebrew “Elohim” and
Greek “Theos.” God stands for the all-powerful one who created the world
and sustains it. The word “Lord” comes from Hebrew “Adonai” and Greek
“Kurios”. It is also translated as Yahweh (Jehovah), who interacts with
people like making Adam out of clay, conversing with first parents, and
making covenant with the people. Elohim came from Priestly tradition and
Yahweh came from Yahwistic tradition in the Bible. Thus, Old Testament
used both Lord and God when referring to God the almighty. Psalm 35:23
uses, “my God and my Lord.”
Jesus was usually called as Lord by his
disciples. The Lord could mean someone in higher rank or the “Son of
God.” In Mathew 16:16, Simon Peter answered Jesus, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” Jesus had asserted that he was God and that
was why he was accused of blasphemy. However, it was Thomas who was
inspired 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 was 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, “Anyone who has seen me
has seen the Father.” Thomas while seeing the Risen Lord acknowledged
that the God the Father was visible in Jesus.
(29) Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
We believe many things in practical and
spiritual life without physically seeing or proving. We trust in the
words or report 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 clear proof for the resurrection of
Jesus.
MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY
Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday. This
devotion to Jesus emerged 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 and Jesus had asked
her to paint his image as she had seen in the vision. The painting of
Divine Mercy was completed in June 1934 with the help of an artist. Sr.
Faustina had messages from Jesus 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. Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina and proclaimed the
celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday on April 30, 2000. This feast is
celebrated every year on the second Sunday of Easter based on the
message of Jesus to Sr. Faustina.
The Divine Mercy gives us three themes:
The five main forms of Divine Mercy devotion
are:
The image of Divine Mercy depicts Jesus
standing with one hand outstretched for blessing, the other grasping the
heart that was pierced while Jesus was crucified. From the broken heart
proceeds two beams of red and white light. The two colors represent
blood and water that flowed from the heart of Jesus when his heart was
pierced. The water stands for baptism and the blood for Holy Eucharist
that we have received for our salvation.
Jesus had taught us the mercy of his Father
and
had shown mercy during his life on earth. He showed mercy to St. Thomas
who was in grief of missing to see the Risen Lord. Jesus conveyed his
special love toward the modern world through the visions and messages to
Sister St. Faustina. Let us trust in the Lord and seek his mercy, and
involve in acts of mercy.
MESSAGE
1. Jesus used to appear every Sunday to his
disciples after his resurrection and before his ascension into heaven.
Jesus comes down to meet us in the sacramental way during every Holy Mass,
especially on Sundays. Let us give proper importance for Sunday
observance including the partaking of the sacrifice of Jesus and sharing
of our sacrificial love and service to our family and fellow humans who
need our care.
2. Since Thomas did not keep the company of
his fellow apostles, he missed the golden opportunity to meet the Risen
Lord on the actual day of resurrection. While he was absent, Jesus
breathed on other apostles and commissioned them for spreading the
gospel and empowered them to forgive and abstain sins. Though he got all
these later from Jesus in person, the experience of Thomas is a lesson
for us to keep up the Christian brotherhood and companionship.
3. Compassion of Jesus to St. Thomas who was
stubborn in his approach is also a lesson for us. Jesus who washed the
feet of his disciples demonstrated to the disciples how we could be
humble and caring towards people who are tough to handle.
4. The story of Thomas missing the first
appearance of Jesus to the apostles on Easter Sunday gives us a lesson.
Some believers claim that they want to be spiritual but don’t 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.
5. 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 mercy of God, and communicate and show mercy to
others in our daily lives.
6. Both the experience of St. Thomas seeing
the Risen Lord and the vision of Jesus to St. Faustina 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.