Dear Parishioners,
Deep Within My Wounds
In this week’s gospel, we again see fear amidst the Apostles. Although they saw the empty tomb and believe that Jesus rose from the dead, they were still fearful of the Jews, and we find them huddled in a locked room. Isn’t it just like Jesus to calm their fears by quietly entering the room and standing in their midst? It’s not the first time Jesus calmed their fears. When they were being tossed about in a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee, He simply told the wind and the rain to “be still.” Jesus’s greeting in this gospel passage has a similar calming effect. He says, “Peace be with you.”
He then showed them His hands and feet as a visible sign that He was their Lord. Jesus knew exactly what they needed to feel and to see.
Jesus was well-aware that Thomas was not in the room that night, and when He appeared to the Apostles again, He directed His attention to Thomas. Thomas was struggling with doubt and hesitation, yet Jesus spoke the same words to him: “Peace be with you.” But Jesus went beyond words this time – He gave Thomas the privilege of putting His hands into the wounds that served to heal all of us. Thomas experienced the depth of Jesus’s love by going deep within His wounds. Thomas needed more, and Jesus allowed Him to have it. Jesus’s actions speak volumes. In a sense, Jesus allowed Thomas to see what faith really looks (and feels) like.
This is yet another example of how Jesus looks beyond our faults and responds with incredible love and compassion. If our faith at times appears to be shaken, we can trust that Jesus will somehow show us that He is real, that He is there for us. He did it for Thomas, He will do it for us.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito