April 3, 2016 – Second Sunday of Easter. Click here to read about Divine Mercy Sunday
Saint for the day: Richard of Wyche (1197-1253)
Scripture Readings for today’s Liturgy:
Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118
Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:19-31
“Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe.’” (John 20:29)
Since my surname is “Thomas,” I have always considered this 2nd Sunday of Easter to be my family’s Feast Day. Not so much that we are doubters. But, rather, since we, like everyone, are symbolically being drawn into Jesus’ love in a very special way. Even so, we all have doubts about God on various levels and have to come to grips with that being a part of our finite being. It’s alright for me to ask, “Why didn’t God make me just a little bit taller and not so “stocky?” A little bit more hair on the top of my head would have been nice, too! But that’s not the point! We have to believe that each one of us is made in the image and likeness of God and somehow come to grips with what that actually means. Given that most of us won’t have the kind of “first-hand awareness” that the apostles and disciples had we need to be able to say, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.” This is especially true when we are confronted with some kind of hardship or tragedy in our lives. I’m sure that we’ve all questioned God about why bad things happen to good people.
Whenever I’m confronted with questions about why God allowed this or that to happen to people who are trying to be good Christians, I always ask them to think what kind of
know what a disastrous world it would be if God were interjecting his finger into every potential disaster. It’s important for us to remember that God didn’t create Adam and Eve as some kind of robots living in a never troubled world. He placed them in a beautiful garden where everything they needed was provided for them. But … in order for that to be a real world, evil in some form was nearby slithering down from the ‘tree of life” with a false promise of a better way. Then ending of today’s Holy Gospel makes the promise, “Many more signs were given by Jesus … so that we might come to believe in Jesus … and through this belief we might have life in his name.” Amen! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!