In today’s Gospel it is easy to think less of Thomas. He was the one who wouldn’t believe unless he could see. He wanted to touch Jesus to prove that he had truly risen from the dead. This doesn’t seem to bother Jesus though. Jesus tells 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.”
“Do not be unbelieving, but believe!” Do we believe? Do we believe in the Resurrection? Do we believe that Jesus shattered the power of darkness overcame death and rose triumphant? The answer of course is “yes!” “Yes, we believe!” “Yes, I believe!” But do we really believe?
We make fun of Thomas’ lack of faith. In English if someone is a doubter we call them a Thomas. But we should be grateful to Thomas, because he was not content to hear from others that Jesus was alive, or merely to see him in the flesh. Because for us too, it isn’t enough to know that God exists. A God who is risen but remains distant does not fill our lives; an aloof God does not attract us, however just and holy he may be. No, we too need to “see God”, to touch him with our hands and to know that he is risen, and risen for us.
How can we see Jesus? How can we know that Jesus has truly risen from the dead? Like Thomas: through his wounds. Gazing upon those wounds, Thomas understood the depth of his love. He understood that Jesus had forgiven him. We need to enter into Jesus’ wounds and contemplate the boundless love flowing from his heart. This is the way. It is to realize that his heart beats for me, for you, for each one of us. We can consider ourselves Christians, call ourselves Christians and speak about the many beautiful values of faith, we can say, Yes, I believe! but, like the Thomas, we need to see Jesus by touching his love. Only then can we go to the heart of the faith and, like the Thomas, find peace and joy beyond all doubt.
Thomas, after seeing the Lord’s wounds, cried out: “My Lord and my God!” Did Thomas really say that, “my Lord and my God!” Of course Jesus is Lord and God but why does Thomas say, my? My pencil, my cup, my room. We say my to reflect ownership. People who don’t like Trump say, “not my president!” I am sure the same is true here for those who don’t like Claudia, “she’s not my president” How can God be mine? How can I make the Almighty mine? The truth is, by saying my, we do not profane God, but we honor God and his plentiful mercy. Because God wished to “become ours”. As in a love story, we tell him: “You became man for me, you died and rose for me and thus you are not only God; you are my God, you are my life. In you I have found the love that I was looking for, and much more than I could ever have imagined”.
God takes no offence at being “ours”, because love demands confidence, mercy demands trust. As today we enter, through Christ’s wounds, into the mystery of God, we come to realize that mercy is not simply one of his qualities among others, but the very beating of his heart. Then, like Thomas, we no longer live as unbelievers, uncertain, devout but wavering. We too fall in love with the Lord! We must not be afraid of these words: to fall in love with Jesus.
How can we savor this love? How can we touch today with our hand the mercy of Jesus? How can we fall in love with Jesus? Many times we make faith an intellectual journey. What does it mean to believe? Do we know our catechism? The ten commandments, the seven sacraments? All of that is a journey of the head. Thomas touched Jesus, he put his hands in the wounds of Jesus. We need to touch Jesus if we are really going to believe.
This past week Pope Francis died. When he got out the hospital the doctors told him. “Avoid crowds, don’t get close to people until you are better.” Of course Francis didn’t obey, a few hours before he died he rode around St. Peter’s square in an open popemobile. Francis taught us how to touch Jesus, by touching others especially those in need especially the wounded. Holy Thursday Pope Francis visited a Regina Coeli prison in Rome, as he did everyone Holy Thursday. This year he couldn’t get down and wash the feet of the prisoners. He couldn’t kiss their feet as he did in the past. In his sickness, Francis’ last gesture was to blow kisses to the prisoners. I am sure that if you were to ask Francis about that he would say, “I was blowing kisses to Jesus.”
Francis’ taught us how to believe, Francis taught us how to touch Jesus’ wounds, by touching those most wounded in our world today. If you want to strengthen your faith begin by touching Jesus’ wounds, begin by touching Jesus’ wounded. They are all around us. “Do not be unbelieving but believe!”
In today’s Gospel it is easy to think less of Thomas. He was the one who wouldn’t believe unless he could see. He wanted to touch Jesus to prove that he had truly risen from the dead. This doesn’t seem to bother Jesus though. Jesus tells 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.”
“Do not be unbelieving, but believe!” Do we believe? Do we believe in the Resurrection? Do we believe that Jesus shattered the power of darkness overcame death and rose triumphant? The answer of course is “yes!” “Yes, we believe!” “Yes, I believe!” But do we really believe?
We make fun of Thomas’ lack of faith. In English if someone is a doubter we call them a Thomas. But we should be grateful to Thomas, because he was not content to hear from others that Jesus was alive, or merely to see him in the flesh. Because for us too, it isn’t enough to know that God exists. A God who is risen but remains distant does not fill our lives; an aloof God does not attract us, however just and holy he may be. No, we too need to “see God”, to touch him with our hands and to know that he is risen, and risen for us.
How can we see Jesus? How can we know that Jesus has truly risen from the dead? Like Thomas: through his wounds. Gazing upon those wounds, Thomas understood the depth of his love. He understood that Jesus had forgiven him. We need to enter into Jesus’ wounds and contemplate the boundless love flowing from his heart. This is the way. It is to realize that his heart beats for me, for you, for each one of us. We can consider ourselves Christians, call ourselves Christians and speak about the many beautiful values of faith, we can say, Yes, I believe! but, like the Thomas, we need to see Jesus by touching his love. Only then can we go to the heart of the faith and, like the Thomas, find peace and joy beyond all doubt.
Thomas, after seeing the Lord’s wounds, cried out: “My Lord and my God!” Did Thomas really say that, “my Lord and my God!” Of course Jesus is Lord and God but why does Thomas say, my? My pencil, my cup, my room. We say my to reflect ownership. People who don’t like Trump say, “not my president!” I am sure the same is true here for those who don’t like Claudia, “she’s not my president” How can God be mine? How can I make the Almighty mine? The truth is, by saying my, we do not profane God, but we honor God and his plentiful mercy. Because God wished to “become ours”. As in a love story, we tell him: “You became man for me, you died and rose for me and thus you are not only God; you are my God, you are my life. In you I have found the love that I was looking for, and much more than I could ever have imagined”.
God takes no offence at being “ours”, because love demands confidence, mercy demands trust. As today we enter, through Christ’s wounds, into the mystery of God, we come to realize that mercy is not simply one of his qualities among others, but the very beating of his heart. Then, like Thomas, we no longer live as unbelievers, uncertain, devout but wavering. We too fall in love with the Lord! We must not be afraid of these words: to fall in love with Jesus.
How can we savor this love? How can we touch today with our hand the mercy of Jesus? How can we fall in love with Jesus? Many times we make faith an intellectual journey. What does it mean to believe? Do we know our catechism? The ten commandments, the seven sacraments? All of that is a journey of the head. Thomas touched Jesus, he put his hands in the wounds of Jesus. We need to touch Jesus if we are really going to believe.
This past week Pope Francis died. When he got out the hospital the doctors told him. “Avoid crowds, don’t get close to people until you are better.” Of course Francis didn’t obey, a few hours before he died he rode around St. Peter’s square in an open popemobile. Francis taught us how to touch Jesus, by touching others especially those in need especially the wounded. Holy Thursday Pope Francis visited a Regina Coeli prison in Rome, as he did everyone Holy Thursday. This year he couldn’t get down and wash the feet of the prisoners. He couldn’t kiss their feet as he did in the past. In his sickness, Francis’ last gesture was to blow kisses to the prisoners. I am sure that if you were to ask Francis about that he would say, “I was blowing kisses to Jesus.”
Francis’ taught us how to believe, Francis taught us how to touch Jesus’ wounds, by touching those most wounded in our world today. If you want to strengthen your faith begin by touching Jesus’ wounds, begin by touching Jesus’ wounded. They are all around us. “Do not be unbelieving but believe!”
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