2nd Sunday of Easter -- Sunday of the Divine Mercy

2^nd Sunday of Easter -- Sunday of the Divine Mercy April 7, 2013

Acts 5:12-16; Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31

Today is all about life in Christ and Christ helping me and each person to believe what He is all about. The last two sentences of the Gospel say this: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in His name.”
Luke starts out today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles with: “Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles.” I pause to reflect in my own life: how many signs and wonders has God shown me; how many times have I been touched by His presence, His miracles, His love, His gentleness, His leading me to be His witness? How many times has He ‘rescued me’ from the depths of where I have fallen? How many times have I doubted or been afraid and this never alienated God from me but made His pursuing of me even more awesome? There is no doubt that God is love. I’m a witness to this. Today’s reading is from the 5^th chapter of Acts. The 4^th chapter starts when Peter and John were taken into custody and questioned, then released. Again they were brought back in and given a severe lecture about not speaking about Jesus. Were they afraid? Did the sight of the ruling body of Israel and the soldiers deter them? No, this didn’t stop them. What does it tell me about me: do I back down when the ‘going gets tough’ or am I even stronger in being the person of Jesus? The apostles showed not fear but belief and trust.
The Book of Revelation was probably written sometime between 81 AD and 96 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian. Persecutions were happening all over for the believers. John says in today’s passage that he was in exile on a little island called Patmos as punishment for preaching Jesus. Was he afraid? He had lived through much, and was the last apostle still living; all the others had died cruel martyrdoms. John says how the Lord appeared to him and revealed that Jesus would never abandon those who were faithful. All those suffering for their faith in the Lord would be victorious in the end. Those words are no different for me than for the early believers. Sufferings come in all sizes; I can’t compare my sufferings to others, just realize that they are the way I bring myself closer to the Lord and my heavenly home. Am I afraid? Do I run or turn to the Lord? Do I make excuses and try to get out of ‘my persecution’ or do I prove my belief by trusting in the Lord’s words?
Three times in the Gospels, Thomas is mentioned as the ‘Twin’. I wonder why this is so? No mention is ever mentioned of the other twin; I wonder if it could be that since the name is not mentioned, I am the twin? Do I see in Thomas my life and my story? Somehow the label of ‘Doubting Thomas’ was attributed to him; scripture scholars maintain that he doesn’t deserve that title. For myself, I have had a lot of the ‘cloud of doubt’ in my spiritual life. Whenever I or anyone experiences the Dark Night, not knowing were God is or will He ever help, I wonder, better, worry, and am afraid. Thomas Merton wrote, “Faith means doubt. Faith is not the suppression of doubt. It is the overcoming of doubt, and you overcome doubt by going through it.” Thomas helps me. Jesus appeared to the ten in the upper room. They were afraid, did they immediately recognize Jesus or did it come gradually. The Greek word describing Thomas before he encountered the risen Lord is apistos which means unbeliever. Well the other disciples were unbelievers too until Jesus appeared and showed them His wounds. Now once they and Thomas experienced the risen Lord, they immediately became believers. The important point that John wants to make to me and to all is that it isn’t essential for me to have been there in that locked room and seen the Risen Jesus to have faith in Him. Centuries of believers have been witnesses to this. Countless people in my own life have shown me their belief. From the very first time that I distributed the Eucharist as a Deacon to this very day, I see the deep faith on the faces of people coming up to receive Communion. Some are afraid, some are worried, some are confused, some show a deep need, some show their love, so very many show their belief; what witnesses to the Faith! And Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed (a word which also means ‘fortunate’ or ‘happy’) are those who have not seen and have believed.”
I found much in the closing words of Fr. Anthony Kadavil’s sermon today: “We long to figure out and understand what this thing called ‘life’ means. We ache to know and have experiences of God or whatever we choose to call that which has brought about all of reality. We seek love and beauty and meaning. In a very real sense, we are all being lured by a God who wants nothing more than to have His creation be close to Him, to have all of us share in His life and His love. And so, as we leave this holy place today, let’s be sure to reflect on the gift of faith each of us has been blessed with. Let’s continue to search for God, continue to wonder about all the important things of life, continue to ask all the right questions. May we never see our doubts as a lack of faith. But in addition, let’s all leave this holy place with a greater respect for and appreciation of the faith journey of others, of those who don’t believe what we believe. May we always recognize that we are all pilgrims on a journey, a journey toward the same destination --- our loving God ---even if our paths don’ts always seem to overlap. The whole world is trying to believe without seeing. Let’s never forget that.” So I reflect on:

• Easter is not really a time for gifts as Christmas is but there are gifts given by the Lord: peace, forgiveness, healing, and hope. These free me from fear if I receive this as gift from my Maker.
  
• Am I giving signs and wonders of Jesus’ in my interaction with those in my life?
  
• Saints wrestled with doubt. Why do people of deep faith still have questions regarding their faith?
  
• I look at the people who show a deep faith in spite of trying times. Am I a faith example to others?
  

Sacred Space says, “Jesus always brings peace and reconciliation. Where is there lack of peace in my life? Who do I need to make peace with? Do I make space to experience God’s forgiveness and the gift of peace?”