Second Sunday of Easter
Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 47, 48).
In today’s Gospel, we hear St. Thomas, the doubter, say: “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.” St. Thomas who accompanied Jesus throughout his ministry and still doubted was shown Divine Mercy! The Lord could have been angry with Thomas and could have told him to get lost! But instead, Jesus takes Thomas’ hand and puts them in his side to show him that he is truly alive. He says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
My brothers and sisters in this passage, Jesus is talking about us! We are the people who have come to believe without seeing! Our faith should be very precious to us, something that is passed down from one generation to the next. In a way, as you pass down your faith, you become an instrument of Divine Mercy.
I am reminded of what Gandalf tells Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. After Frodo tells Gandalf that he wishes the ring would have come to him, Gandalf says, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”
On this great Feast of Divine Mercy, can you be an instrument of the Lord’s Divine Mercy? Can you be an agent of Divine Mercy and show mercy to your neighbor and to your loved one? Always remember that mercy and love come from the heart. Jesus has given us an example of the pattern that we see!
Reflection by Br. Maximilian Burkhart, OSB
Posted in Article for Easter, Daily Reflections