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Vocation Meditation -
Second Sunday of Easter, 2010
It was evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then 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."
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas, who was called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told 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 in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
After eight days his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe. Thomas answered, "My Lord and my God."
Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Jesus during that Easter week appeared to his disciples and gave them His peace-the blessing of every good thing. Most importantly, Jesus breathed into them the Holy Spirit. Like in the story of creation, John captured the same expression of God giving life to man and he became a living being. The coming of the Holy Spirit into them is like their Easter moment, the awakening of life from their fears, from disbelief, from the darkness of their confusion over the happenings at Calvary and its aftermath. Jesus did not analyze their mistakes. He empowered them.
He gave them His Peace. Next, He commissioned them to go as disciples sent by the greater Power of the Father to continue God's task of healing: to forgive sins and to restore friendship with God and the world. In this passage, one can notice the on-rush of graces just poured abundantly by Jesus on His disciples. Acceptance was easy for many of them. Their faith was restored. But not all! Thomas needed a proof. And Jesus took him from where he was. With honest dialogue, Thomas poured out his unbelief. "Unless I see... unless I touch." Jesus welcomed the slow growth of faith of Thomas. He needed that process. Patiently, Jesus asked him to touch the marks of His passion, the marks of His love for him and for all. He did. Finally, Thomas made the leap of faith, the best act of faith that can summarize who Jesus is for you and me: "My Lord and my God!"
Vocation Challenge:
"We have seen the Lord!"
When can I convincingly proclaim to others "I can see the Lord" in the many challenges of my vocation?
Dear God,
My faith is weak and tested often. I have failed many times to recognize Your presence when You are closest to me in the Eucharist and in the stillness of my being. My fears, disbelief and distractions get in the way. Let me 'touch' Jesus in the sacraments and in the sufferings of others. In my vocation journey, transform my 'Thomas-like' heart into a heart that can make leaps of faith and unconditional service to others. Amen
For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.