Thomas, He is Risen

Listening to the Spirit

It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise You Father and Your Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of Loving-Kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son. Dear Jesus You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your Blood poured forth in Loving-Kindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror. You reconciled Heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love!

Saint Gregory’s Easter Prayer

Listening to the Word

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Reflection

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday. After celebrating the Triduum – Maundy Thursday, Holy Friday, and Easter Vigil – the candles in the Church are lit up, and the bells ring beautifully. And after 40 days of not hearing the chanting of Alleluia, the hum of "Alleluia" has become meaningful as if the whole earth and heaven were shouting, "Praise be to God."

The Gospel said that the disciples were frightened. They were terrified, even though they had heard Mary Magdalene's testimony and the testimony of the two disciples who traveled to Emmaus. The news of Christ's resurrection may have spread to all corners of the country, so that in the Gospel of Matthew, it is written that the chief priests said, "You must say that His disciples came at night and stole Him while you were sleeping." (Mt 28:13) after they heard reports that Christ had risen. And in this situation, the disciples could become the target of the chief priests' anger. Avoiding this, the disciples hid in fear. In this situation of fear, on the evening of the first day of Sunday, when they gathered in a place with locked doors, Jesus came and stood in their midst, saying, "Peace be with you!" To prove them, Jesus showed His hands and His side, which showed the scars from being crucified and pierced by a spear. The greeting and reality that lay before the eyes of the frightened disciples had the power to turn fear into joy (v. 20).

However, when Jesus appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not with them (v. 24). And the disciples, with great enthusiasm and joy, said to Thomas, "We have seen the Lord!" (v.25). Who can withstand this exciting news? But this good news was responded coldly by the Apostle Thomas. The Apostle Thomas did not believe, but he also hardened his heart. He who had lived with the other apostles still did not want to consider the testimony of his friends. Showing his hardness of heart, he gave a condition that he could believe by seeing the nail marks on the hands and until he stuck his finger in the nail marks and stuck his hand into the side of Jesus. It's a statement that looks pretty bold and perhaps impertinent. We can imagine that every day the disciples and possibly Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, tried to convince Thomas that Christ had indeed risen.

Maybe we also often do what Tomas did, providing conditions according to our own parameters. We demand that God give proof, and only when God provides this proof do we feel satisfied. Well, if we think about it, this is not true faith. The belief of a mature person depends neither on sight nor on feeling. Perhaps because of his grief, the apostle Thomas spat out sharp words. He was sad because the apostles had seen Jesus, and he alone had not seen Jesus.

This second Sunday of Easter restates the praises of God, for Christ has risen. The experience of the risen Christ gives strength and removes all worry. That's what happened to the apostles. However, the apostle Thomas who did not meet the risen Jesus, expressed his doubts. Christ designed to appear to the apostles to clear Thomas's doubts, including Thomas. The conversation between Jesus and Thomas gives strength to all of us, who also often doubt God, often place conditions on God, and continually measure faith by feelings and what seems reasonable in our opinion. Only with firm faith in Christ who suffered, died, rose, and ascended to Heaven can we share in proclaiming Christ and calling out, "He is risen!"