Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C

What’s the Cost of Salvation?

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Questions like “Who would be saved?” and “What must a person do to inherit eternal life?” have always followed the followers of Jesus Christ. During his earthly ministry, Jesus himself was asked a similar question by a rich young man: “Good, Teacher, what must I do inherit eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31 and Luke 18:18-30). In answering that question, Jesus did call the young man’s attention to the obedience of the commandments: Be faithful to your spouse, respect the sanctity of human life, do not steal, do not bear false testimony, honor your father and mother. But when the rich young man told Jesus that he had kept all those rules since he was a boy, Jesus turned his attention to the unhealthy attachment he had to his wealth, urged him to go and sell off his wealth, give the money to the poor and then come and follow him. In the first reading taken from Acts of the Apostles, the Early Church was also confronted with a familiar question. Unfortunately, some of the Christians taught that “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). The apostles and the elders of the church had to intervene to correct the theological error with this declaration: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right” (Acts 15: 28-29).

Sisters and brothers, what is the cost of salvation? What does it cost and how much will it cost a person? Salvation is a gift of God. It is free, but not cheap. It will cost you and I something. What is it? Turn your attention to what Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). Folks, that’s eternal life! That's salvation! The visit of the Father and the Son is heaven. Anyone who loves Jesus will be loved by the Father and will also become a living tabernacle of the Trinity. Salvation will only cost us one thing: obedient love of the Son. There is no love without obedience. The cost of salvation is surrendering to Jesus and doing what he asks his followers to do. What must a person do to inherit eternal life? The answer is simple: submit to the lordship of Jesus.

Now, when Jesus says “Whoever loves me will keep my word...” does it mean that each time we sin we do not love him? Sin is a love of something else other than God. It’s a choice of something else other than Jesus. So, any time we deliberately commit sin, we love and choose something else other than Jesus and the Father. But if we love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we will not want to put anything, no matter how small it is before him. Loving Jesus is not just an emotional feeling. It is deeper and greater than that. Obedience to him involves changing and reforming our lives and lifestyles, working on our personalities, bad habits, and characters, stretching ourselves to please him. Loving Jesus is putting him first, second and third before anything or anybody. Obedience to him requires making a daily effort to overcome any form of sin no matter how little it is. Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

Meanwhile, as we go about the business of loving the Lord in this unsteady world, he has promised: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (John 14:27). Jesus is the Prince of peace. His peace is perfect and uninterrupted. The kind of peace that the world gives is not perfect, and it is often interrupted. It mostly comes from the political leaders with vested interests. They cannot always be trusted to do the right thing, to promote peace and enact laws that would make peace and justice possible. Some of these leaders talk about peace, but their actions make its attainment virtually impossible. Some of them talk about peace, but frown at the mention of justice. The kind of peace they advocate flows from material and transient things. But Jesus’ peace comes from the Kingdom. It flows from the bosom of the Father and penetrates the heart of the believer, making his or her faith stronger and then dismantling every fear.  

We all know that the command to love and obey Jesus at all times is not an easy task. Anyone who tells you it is easy is probably not observing it. It is difficult! Jesus knows it is going to be a struggle, hence, he promised to send us the Holy Spirit: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.”  If there is any attitude, behavior or habit you are still struggling to get rid of in order to perfect your union with Jesus and make the Father to declare from heaven, “This is my beloved son/daughter with whom I am well pleased,” why not ask the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, Counselor, Comforter, and Helper to help you? 

Love: The Definition of Christianity

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Since we are still in the season of Easter, those of us who didn’t know that Jesus saw the Cross as much a part of his glory as his resurrection may wonder the rationale behind the selection of today’s Gospel (John 13:31-33a, 34-35). Jesus, knowing full well that his death was near and Judas’ sinister role in it, declares at the Last Supper: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, and God is glorified in him…”  It’s very clear that he has a different and more profound knowledge of his death. He understands that death will not embarrass him or impede and obstruct God’s plan and purpose for him and humanity. He sees his impending death as part of his glorification. Paradoxically speaking, he is going to conquer death with his death. So, before that happened, he speaks inspiringly to his disciples in order to prepare their minds for it and also to shield them from despair and loss of faith. Today’s Gospel begins with the phrase: “When Judas had left them….” He left them to kickstart series of events that will lead to the glorification of Jesus. 

Jesus also knows that in a little while, he will not be with his disciples, but they will still be with each other, so he reminds them of the old commandment: “Love one another,” and then gives them a new one: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” The command to love, especially to love as one loves himself is very old. It predates Jesus’ earthly ministry. Leviticus 19:18 is very clear about it. But Jesus does not see such a love as being sufficient enough. With his new commandment to love one another as he loves us, he raises the bar of love. Love for each other is no longer contingent  on how much we love ourselves but how much Jesus loves us. It’s the kind of love that never stops. It’s sacrificial! It means love in season and out of season. Love in sickness and in health. Love in poverty and in riches. Love in weakness and in strength. Love in betrayal and in faithfulness. Love the innocent. Love the guilty as well. Love always and everyone! Love until it hurts, and even at that, never stop loving. Big challenge, isn’t it? 

Christianity is love mixed with power. Love is the Christian identity. It is the Christian uniform. It is the Christian habit. We are to be recognized as Jesus’ disciples not only in the way we dress, talk, walk, and carry ourselves, but essentially in the manner, depth and breadth of love we have for each other. Love is the adhesive substance (glue) that keeps and binds us together. It also keeps us moving in the right direction as children of God. It is the summary of Christianity. I dare say that love is faith and hope in action. Love is the reason for faith and hope. We can never go wrong for loving and for being lovely. Jesus wants the world to recognize us as his followers not because we carry the Bible about, wear the Rosary and other religious objects or simply by the stickers we have in our houses and in our cars’ bumpers. He wants the world to recognize us by the way we love each other. Love should be the lens through which we see each other. Love makes us Jesus’ look-alike. It makes us resemble him. It makes us little messiahs.  Others will only recognize us as disciples of the Lord only when we love each other. There’s no escaping this fact that a disciple of Jesus must love and be a professional lover of others.  Although Jesus wants us to “go to the whole world and preach the good news,” but the most effective evangelization and witnessing has less to do with how fluent we speak and how powerful we preach; it is more to do with how much we love each other. Jesus gave us an example of this kind of love. He gave everything for his disciples, even his life. Our love for each other must be without limits. 

Love has been defined, explained and discussed in various ways, but for me love is “I accept you the way you are; you accept me the way I am. And together we can enrich each other, shape each other and recreate each other better in the image and likeness of God.” By accepting each other the way we are, we teach the world the virtue of tolerance and compassion. By enriching, shaping and recreating each other, we teach the world the virtue of charity, character formation and human development. A gospel preached is useless without a gospel lived in love. No member of a church stops coming to church because the people love each other genuinely. No one hates a church because the members practice the love of Christ. The world will probably not hate us because we love each other. No one leaves the church because the priest is kind and compassionate. No one becomes an atheist because we, Jesus’ followers love him or her. Some atheists are rather made because we do not act as Jesus directs us. Some atheists are created because Christians do not practice what they preach; they do not practice the virtue of love. True love is infectious! When it is there, others will feel it.

Scripture says that God created us in his image. And this image is love because God is love. At the very core of the human person is love. Our feelings and emotions incline us to act and not to act in relation to what is good or evil. The most fundamental of all these feelings and emotions is love. Love brings new things in our life and society. It makes God live among us. Remember the song: “Where love and charity abide, there God is found.” Love enthrones the reign of God in our family and society. It wipes away tears from people’s eyes- tears of frustration, hunger, sickness, and hopelessness. Love makes the whole of creation come alive. It removes mourning or sadness. Even in suffering, love from sisters and brothers can lighten a burden.

Mercy Begins With "This is Not Helping Me."

Fr. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Old habits, they say, die hard. They die hard because we are used to them and they have become part of us. Old sinful habits are even more difficult to die. But then, a time comes when we realize that they are affecting us and those around us adversely. For me as a Christian, a religious and a priest, sinful habits are what constitute darkness, while virtuous acts constitute light. So, the first thing that comes to the mind of someone who wants to exit from darkness to light is this: “I can’t take it anymore” or “This is not helping me” or “I am sick of being spiritually, morally and socially sick; I am done with this.” The person gets to a point in life where he or she decides “it’s time for me be healed, made whole and forgiven.” To be able to exit from darkness, an impure life has to be destroyed, crushed and laid aside so that a pure life can be created. To walk in darkness is to take pride in sin. But to walk in the light is to be ashamed and displeased with ourselves when we do what is wrong. Sin displeases God. And if it displeases us as well, we are walking in the light. But if we find delight in doing what is wrong or make excuses for doing them, then we are in the dark. Jesus came into the world as the Light, to bring us out from darkness, to show us the light, to open our eyes to the misery and pain of living in the dark and to see what darkness does to us. He came to show us the beauty of light. He is the Light. He came to make us light— the light of the world. 

Anyone who wants to live and walk in the light must hate darkness. It is not possible to live in both worlds. By darkness, I don’t mean nighttime. I mean sinful and immoral acts. Hateful acts. Divisive acts. Acts of injustice. Flight from faith, reason, love, friendship with God and with the people of God. Darkness is unforgiveness, betrayal, mockery of faith, loss of sense of God and of sin. Light, on the other hand is love, forgiveness, peace, joy, friendship with God and with the people of God, humility, kindness, generosity, unhappiness at doing what is wrong. Light is holiness. Holiness is being like Jesus. Light is walking with him and trying daily to imitate him. Light is feeling deeply remorseful and uncomfortable for doing wrong. 

The difference between a believer and a non-believer is not that a believer does not fall short. Scripture tells us that “All have sinned…” (Romans 3:23). We are all sinners! But a believer does not feel comfortable with it. A believer is deeply displeased when he or she falls. A lover of Jesus does not make excuses for betraying the Lord. He or she does not blame someone else. That’s what Adam and Eve did. When God asked Adam why he ate the forbidden fruit, he did not say, “Lord, I am sorry.” He blamed the woman: “The woman you put here with me…” (Genesis 3:12). When God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” She also did not say, “Lord, I am sorry.” She blamed the serpent: “The serpent made me do it” (Genesis 3:13).  But a child of light does not make excuses for wrongdoing or engage in blame-game. The discomfort, displeasure, sadness and sorrow he or she feels inside for committing sin drives him or her to seek for reconciliation with God. That’s the difference between us, believers and non-believers. To be in the light is to have a sense of God and a sense of sin. But to be in darkness is to suffer the loss of the sense of God and of sin. If we no longer feel uncomfortable and displeased for indulging in sinful acts, something dangerous is happening in our spiritual life. We may be getting lost. 

May the good Lord never allow any of us to be lost. Jesus came into the world as the Light and to also make us co-light of the world. May we remain children of light. Amen

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

No Shepherd Like Jesus!

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, April 17, 2016

The fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It is also a World Day of Prayer for Vocations. So, we are going to reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In ancient Israel, shepherds were primarily called to care and protect the sheep. If anything bad should happen to the sheep, the shepherd in-charge of the flock must produce evidence to demonstrate that it was not his fault. Meanwhile, there were two kinds of shepherds: a hired shepherd and a shepherd-owner. A hired shepherd saw looking after a flock of sheep as a job and not a vocation. He would move from one flock to another depending on the condition of pay and service. He would not risk his life for the sheep because he was only a hireling. The sight of a wolf or a human intruder was enough to make him abandon the sheep and flee, leaving the sheep at the mercy of the invader. And his relationship with the flock was not always intimate.   

On the other hand, there was the shepherd-owner who cared for the sheep more than a hireling. He was more intimate with the sheep and would naturally risk his life in defense of them. The sight of a wolf would not scare him. He would rather fight to save his flock. The sheep had good care because he had personal interest in their wellbeing. He made sure they had plenty to eat and drink because he was personally attached to them. As a good shepherd, he fed the sheep, not on the sheep. His knowledge of each of the sheep was spot on. He knew each of them personally and can identify his own sheep no matter where they were. He can narrate personal story of each of them. A shepherd-owner knew what the sheep wanted and when they wanted it. During the day of grazing, his flock of sheep can mingle with other sheep, but at sunset, he would identify his own and lead them home to safety. When he had led them to the sheep-pen, he would not go home. He would make his bed across the entrance of the sheep-pen. So, no intruder will be able to enter the sheep-pen without passing through him. 

In the Old Testament, the image of the Shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people. The book of Exodus severally called God a shepherd. Prophet Isaiah compared the protection and care of God for his people as follows: “Like a Shepherd he tends his flock; in his arm he will gather the lambs and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead their young” (Isaiah 40:11). Prophet Ezekiel described God as a loving shepherd who searches meticulously for the lost sheep. And in Psalm 23, King David gave us an amazing description of the Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, and beside still waters, he refreshes my soul” (Psalm 23:1-2). In the New Testament, Jesus declared and introduced himself as The Good Shepherd: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He is not just a shepherd or a good shepherd, he is The Good Shepherd. Which means, he’s the Real Deal. He is the Shepherd Owner. A hired shepherd thinks primarily of his own welfare. When he sees a wolf coming, he takes off, leaving the sheep to be attacked, destroyed, killed and scattered. But as the Good Shepherd, Jesus says, “I lay down my life for my sheep.” He would not leave the sheep at the mercy of an intruder. He would fight to defend them. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep and they know him, “I know them, and they follow me.” There is a mutual bond of love and intimacy between the Shepherd and the sheep. Like I said before, the relationship between a hired shepherd and the sheep is not intimate. He does not know the personal or collective story of the sheep. But Jesus knows. He knows us individually. He knows our personal stories and struggles. As the Good Shepherd, he knows when you and I can no longer walk or do things by ourselves. He knows when to pick us up and shoulder us. He knows each of us, our needs, strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge is not a mere intellectual knowledge, but the kind of knowledge that comes from love. He loves as we are, with all our imperfections. But he also expects us to receive his love and to return his love by keeping his commands. He speaks to us through the Bible, the priests, parents, friends, family and through the events of our lives. He whispers to us through our consciences— the divine GPS. God speaks to us even when we are trapped in a mud of sin, even when our hearts are cluttered by the material things of life and when others have concluded that we are lost. To the sheep who listen to his voice, he has made a promise: “I (will) give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” This is amazing! Under his protective wings, no one can ever take us away from him. Hidden under his shelter, we are absolutely safe and secured. No one is powerful enough to snatch us from him, unless we deliberately drop out from his sheepfold and no longer follow him.

The good news is that we are not a flock of sheep without a shepherd. We are preciously and peculiarly owned by the Good Shepherd. There is no other one like him. “Cut off or depart from me, you can do nothing” he declares in John 15:5b. What distinguishes Jesus from other shepherds is this: “I know them” (that is, the sheep). He knows his own. He knows his sheep. His sheep equally know him. In the midst of several and divergent voices and opinions in today’s world, the sheep are able to single out the voice of the shepherd and follow him. Those who want to follow other shepherds should know that they are not following the Good Shepherd. Other shepherds cannot protect them or give everlasting life. They cannot lay down their lives for them. In fact, if push comes to shove, other shepherds will sacrifice the lives of their dependents to keep theirs. Only Jesus, the Good Shepherd has laid down his life for everyone. If we accept him as Master and Lord, become a member of his flock, and maintain an ongoing relationship with him, we will experience the splendor and the magnificence of his life. No one, not even death will be able to snatch us or separate us from him. Death would not be the end of life but the beginning of it.

As we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday, let’s resolve to do three things: one, become good shepherds; two, become good sheep; and three, pray for vocations to married life, the priesthood and religious life. 

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

Eucharist: The Best Breakfast Ever!

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, April 10, 2016

The Gospel of John 21:1-19 accomplishes several goals: it reasserts the authenticity of Jesus’ resurrection, gives a glance into the lives of the disciples who were saddened by the sudden ‘loss’ of their Leader, provides a do over for Peter, and also establishes him as the undisputed leader of the emergent community that Jesus has set up. In my sermon last Sunday, I said that the resurrection of Jesus is not a hoax, that it is not a creation of the Early Church, and that it did happen. Jesus did not want his disciples to see his resurrection purely as a “spiritual” reality that only gives them a “sense” of his presence, but also as an event that truly happened; that he is truly risen physically. Once his friends are convinced of it, they can talk about it wherever they go, write about it, and transmit their experience to the generations after them. Why? So that all may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief, all may have life in his name (John 20:31).

Jesus’ ‘loss’ was a painful experience to his disciples. But after a period of hiding and mourning, they felt a sense of need to return to their previous profession, at least, to quicken their emotional healing. So, Peter said to the disciples with him, “I am going fishing” (John 21:3). Fishing was his profession before Jesus called him. When he said that, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John (Zebedee sons) and two other unnamed disciples responded, “We will also come with you.” With that, they set out to the sea. Throughout the night, they worked and toiled but caught nothing. By sunrise, they were getting ready to go home when a Stranger showed up by the seashore and said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” He called grown men “children.” Surprisingly, they were not offended because in this case, it was a term of affection for someone who is treasured in the way a parent treasures a child. On learning that they had not been lucky, he filled their net with fish. John suddenly recognized him, “It is the Lord.” But Jesus was not done with them. He also made breakfast for them.

As we already know, breakfast is the first meal of a day, often eaten in the morning before undertaking the day’s work. There’s a general agreement that it is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast meal is good for the body. But we are not only a body. Every human person is a composite—body and soul (spirit). As important as breakfast is for the human body, the Eucharist, Jesus’ gift of himself is also important and exceedingly too. The spiritual aspect of the human person is what really gives life to the body. When a soul is well fed and deeply nourished, the body becomes a vehicle that communicates God’s love and glory. Other material food we eat only blends with our body and gives it a momentary energy to function. But the Eucharist, Jesus’ breakfast, makes us the body of Christ and gives real life to the body and soul. It gives us strength even in weakness. It is the Food for the journey. When a soul is malnourished, a person begins to die. At every Mass, Jesus is really present to nourish our lives with his teaching and with his Body and Blood. He feeds us in the Eucharist in ways that are beyond our imagination. The Eucharist does not just renew our bodies, it gives us a new body by making us the body of Christ itself. It brings us into union with Christ and with one another. It is our breakfast no matter the time we receive it in the sense of what it does for us and its extreme importance. Without eating in the morning (i.e. breakfast), the body may not be all set to begin the activity of the day. That first meal gives us the energy and nutrition we need to begin the day. Without the Eucharist, without partaking in the Lord’s breakfast, we may not be able to confront and win the trials and temptations that come with life. Just as we need food to begin our day, we also need Jesus to begin our day, even more. Those Catholics who, for various reasons, have stayed away from the Lord’s breakfast, you are truly missing the spiritual strength and power that only his Body and Blood can give. You are missing in this union with the Lord. You are excluding yourself from becoming a new body— the body of Christ. As Jesus said to Peter, James, John, Nathanael, Thomas etc, “Come, have breakfast” he also says to us. Don’t turn him down. Don’t reject this amazing breakfast. 

Another news that should delight us can be found in this Gospel. After the arrest of Jesus, Peter was confronted thrice with a fact, “You also were with that Nazarene”  (Luke 14:67b) but thrice he denied knowing Jesus. For a man who ate and dinned with Jesus, who witnessed so many miracles, signs and wonders he performed to deny publicly of knowing him is huge. That’s something, folks! But we serve an awesome God who bears with us even when we go adrift. He’s a second-chance giving God. Peter denied Jesus thrice, and thrice Jesus offered him a second chance to redeem himself: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” To that question, Peter’s reply was, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” In the same manner, Jesus uses the 7 sacraments of the Church to offer us a second chance to redeem ourselves. Using Baptism, he asks, “Do you really love me when you accepted to share my life with me in baptism?” If yes is the answer, he says to us, “Live out your baptismal promises! In the Eucharist, he asks, “Do you really love me to be in union with me?” If yes is the answer, he urges us, “Become what you eat.” In Confirmation, he asks, “Do you really love me when you accepted to become my witnesses?” If yes is the answer, he says, “Make disciples for me; announce my good news to all” In Marriage, he asks, “Do you love me enough to invite me into your relationship?” If yes is the answer, he says, “Make it happen if you haven’t done so. And if you have, keep me in that relationship, and I will help you to turn it into a family. The family is where I want to dwell.” In the sacrament of Reconciliation, he asks, “Do you love me more than others to recognize when you have offended me?” If yes is the answer, he says, “Then apologize to me! Tell me you are sorry, and I will forgive you.” In the Anointing of the sick, he asks, “Do you love me still, even in sickness?” If yes is the answer, he replies, “Then invite me to visit you at your sick bed; I will come with healing in my hands.” In Holy Orders, he asks, “Do you love me more than the rest to be praying and supporting my priests? Do you love me enough as to encourage your kids, grand-kids and young people around you to consider the priesthood or religious life? If yes is the answer, he says, “Pray for my priests. Support them. Be kind and generous to them. Forgive them when they err. Do not expect too much from them. Promote vocation too.” 

He’s Truly Risen!

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter, Year C (Divine Mercy Sunday)

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, April 3, 2016

The Resurrection of Jesus is not a hoax. It is not a figment of imagination of his disciples. It is not a creation of the Early Church. It is not a fairytale or a parable. It did happen! The crucified Savior of humanity indeed rose from the grave. He conquered death with his death. The chief priests tried to undermine his resurrection by offering monetary bribes to the guards who also witnessed it and urging them to say that “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep” (Matthew 28:13). But their lie and plot did not prevent Jesus from appearing to his disciples severally in order to remove any shadow of doubt from their minds about his Resurrection.

In the Gospel of John 20:19-31, John sets out to establish the reality of the Lord’s resurrection by paying a close attention to the physical details that assert and reinforce its authenticity. Having seen what the Jews had done to their Master, the disciples, out of fear, locked themselves up in a room for safety reasons. But despite the locked doors, Jesus appeared to them and offered them physical evidence that showed that his Resurrection is more than a spiritual reality. They will no longer believe that he is risen and alive only from the account of Mary Magdalene, but also from their own experience of it. After accomplishing his first mission, which is, to show himself to his brothers, his disciples, he then breathed on them just as God first breathed on Adam, thereby initiating a new order, a new creation of which his disciples will be the messengers. But before he breathed on them, he offered them his peace, because the new life he is offering must be lived and shared in peace. And in this new creation, his disciples are to be bearers of God’s endless mercy: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sin you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23). 

When this event took place, Thomas was not around. Upon his return, the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But like many people in the world today, he refused to believe their testimony. He gave conditions that must be met before he accepts: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25b). For a whole week, Thomas lived with the other disciples, yet refused to yield to their testimony. Then Jesus showed up again. Like his first visit, the doors were also locked. He stood in their midst and greeted them again, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26b). He quickly turned his attention to Thomas and said to him, “Put your finger here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe” (John 20:27). We were not told if Thomas actually touched his hands or side, but he did immediately yield when he saw what others saw a week ago and then made a bold declaration of faith, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) 

This event has given Thomas a bad name. We usually refer to those who doubt our story, “Doubting Thomas,” without any recollection of his big and bold leap of faith. He called Jesus “My God.” Before now, the disciples had called Jesus “Lord,” “Master” and “Teacher.” But after his initial doubt, Thomas declared that Jesus is not only his Lord, but also his God. When Jesus, in another occasion, asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter’s declaration, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16) was huge. But Thomas’ assertion was even a greater deal. His declaration of the identity of Jesus went beyond that of Peter. God surely can write even in crooked lines. He’s an expert at bringing good out of bad. The Gospel did not record the reaction of Jesus at being regarded as God by Thomas. But I believe that he must have been thrilled by Thomas’ leap and profession of faith. But then, Jesus looked beyond Thomas to generations that will believe without seeing, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen me and have believed” (John 20:29). 

Sisters and brothers, as we revel in the Resurrection of our Lord, let’s not forget that today is also Divine Mercy Sunday. Everything that Jesus accomplished for us can be summarized in one word, “Mercy.” He was motivated by mercy. After his resurrection, he could have quietly ascended to heaven. But he severally appeared to his disciples to convince them that he is risen to die no more, so that by believing in his name, they will partake in his divine life. God’s mercy is God’s healing balm on the wounds of humanity, and part of that wound are unbelief and faithlessness. God does not want us to wallow in ignorance. Through the mouth of prophet Hosea, he had said, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Ignorance of God is ignorance of the path of life. Due to God’s mercy, Jesus came to connect us with God with each other. Mercy is what drove him to do all that he did. All the miracles, signs, and his appearances to his disciples were done so that we may come to believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief we may have life in his name (John 20:30-31). The Gospel account of the Resurrection of Jesus was not written down to resolve disputes, disagreements or debates. It was not written to satisfy the enquiry of science. It was not meant to conform with our modern way of writing or thinking, or coerce people to believe, but to give life in his name. By believing in him even when we have not yet seen him, we will have a new life. The Gospel was written so that faith in  Jesus might become the bedrock, the foundation and pillar of our collective and individual faith. And the Lord has already assured us that those who will believe in him even when they have not seen are blessed.