Remember a time in your life when you were fearful and sad, and felt lost and alone. Perhaps you experienced a significant loss or change in your life or were struggling with a painful situation. At that time, it would have been a great gift if Jesus had suddenly appeared and said: “Peace be with you.”
When we feel lost and alone, we may not always have a clear sense that Jesus is with us. Typically, we do not physically see Jesus appear to us. However, at that point in your life, was there any sense of Jesus’ presence with you? Did you experience the gift of strength from your faith in Jesus? Perhaps your faith and your belief enabled you to keep on going.
We know that Jesus is always with us, gifting us and gracing us with His presence; even if we may not realize it at that moment. Jesus walks with us daily through all of life’s circumstances. Do we believe and trust that reality? As the case of Thomas illustrates from this week’s Gospel (Jn 20:19-31), even the disciples who walked with Jesus sometimes had doubts. Jesus meets us wherever we are on life’s journey and removes our doubts. Even if we do have a sense of Jesus’ presence, we may desire evidence that Jesus is with us, just as Thomas did. Thomas wanted to know if the resurrected Jesus was real. Isn’t that what we all seek and need at times? We need to live in the reality that Jesus is alive. How do we encounter him without physically seeing Him with our eyes? Jesus says that we do not have to see Him to believe in Him. We are invited by Jesus himself to believe by trusting the first-hand accounts given to us by the Apostles in Sacred Scripture. By encountering Him through prayer and the sacraments and through our neighbor. Today, if we doubt Jesus is near us and with us, may we reach out in faith and ask Him to come and be present and real in our current circumstance. Jesus will come to us and bring us His peace as we proclaim, “my Lord and my God!”
Christ is risen! Happy Easter!
Deacon Howard
Divine Mercy Sunday
Sunday, April 16th, the Second Sunday of Easter, is also Divine Mercy Sunday when the faithful may receive an indulgence by devoutly participating in certain pious practices, including: receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation within a week of Divine Mercy Sunday, receiving Holy Communion at Sunday Mass, praying the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, a prayer for the intention of the Pope, and a devout prayer such as, “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you.” Confessions are heard weekly on Saturdays 3:30–4:30 pm and Thursdays 7:45–8:15 am, or by appointment by calling the parish office. For more information on Divine Mercy, please visit: https://www.stjane.org/divine-mercy-novena/
