DIVINE MERCY: AS THE FATHER SENDS ME, I SEND YOU
“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.’
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.’
“Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
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 nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’
“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.’
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.’
Thomas answered and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Jesus said to him, ‘Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.’” John 20:19-29
After reading this passage from John’s Gospel, how can people turn away from the Church because of the wounds inflicted by actions or inactions of popes, cardinals, bishops, priests and fellow parishioners? Here we see Jesus’ way of dealing with his apostles who denied and left him alone as he was humiliated, stripped naked and crucified while they hid away in fear and did nothing. His response was not to flee or condemn. Instead, he sought them. He stood in front of them and said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
“As the Father sent me, I send you!”
What does this wounded yet mercy-filled loving God see in you and in me, that he trusts the self-centered cowards that we see ourselves and each other to be? As I look at the tiny buds on the winter-dormant trees I pray for a spring and summer in which we shall let blossom some of whatever the Father and Jesus wish to grow within and among us.
AND EVEN MORE MERCY FOR THE DOUBTING AMONG US
Then, to the absent, unbelieving Thomas, who would not believe that Jesus was alive and would do such a thing as send these weak ones to continue His mission even “AS THE FATHER SENT HIM”, Jesus shows him the wounds, the sign of the damages caused while they were hiding. Was he saying, “See this, what you let happen to me? And still I believe in you! Go and do likewise – forgive sins and help sinners be my disciples.”
It makes one wonder. Who are those faithful to Jesus today? Is it those who are running away from the wounded Christ, the wounded Church or those who are saying to the Church and those who wounded her, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent Jesus and me and you, so Jesus and I send you.”
What does Jesus choose? What do I choose?
Sister Loretta