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Gospel Reading for April 7, 2024 – John 20: 19-31
LIMITLESS
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.”
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.
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The disciples were so afraid. They knew the Jews were after them too. They no longer had a leader because they succeeded in eradicating him (or so it seemed). Then, their leader comes and stands in their midst saying, “Peace be with you!” Instead of being rebuked for running away (except John) when he went through all the suffering on the way to Calvary, he assures them of peace, and even sends them as the Father sent him. “OMG!” we might say. Is this possible? Yes, with God everything is possible! His MERCY is LIMITLESS! Not one of us can claim that we are worthy to be sent on a mission for him, and yet, by virtue of our Baptism, we are all sent on a mission.
There are those of us who are sent to spread the Gospel in more concrete ways. Hopefully, we do not think that it is because we are worthier than others. On the contrary, Jesus says in Luke 12: 48 – “to whom much is given, much will be required.”
As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on this 2nd Sunday of Easter, let us thank God for his endless mercy and for constantly loving us unworthy though we are! We ask him to help us share his mercy to others too!
