This week is Divine Mercy Sunday. And the Gospel speaks about Thomas doubting Jesus’ appearance to the disciples the first time as he was not in the room. His well known words “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, the 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.”
Whilst we are not called to simply anyone with blind faith, what I have learnt from a long time back is that believing in Jesus and indeed religion itself, requires a leap of faith. If every single tenet or teaching can be scientifically concluded, then indeed, there will be no one left to disbelieve in Jesus Christ.
And not to believe in God’s mercy through his son Jesus is a sad state. In Divine Mercy Sunday, we are called to remember that the most precious thing that God has given us is his mercy. By sending his son to die and redeem us, is his most merciful act to humanity.
Whilst we are suffering as a society through this pandemic, we may question “where is that mercy?” But perhaps, this is a time for humanity to hit the reset button. For the world to repent and reflect upon how we did all that was against God and the earth he gave us.
And lest we forget, as Christians we believe that death is not the end in itself. God can be merciful to those who leave us, as they prepare for the afterlife. We continue to pray for all the souls who have gone back to him during this outbreak. We pray also for mercy onto ourselves as we struggle as one humanity to contain this situation. And we pray for peace in our hearts, come what may.
As Jesus says as he appears to his disciples “Peace be with you”.
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