Mass & Directions

April 19th, 2020 – Divine Mercy Sunday

St. Francis Parish | April 19, 2020, 1:48 pm | Reflections

In today’s Gospel from John 20:19-31, we hear of Jesus’ encounter with Thomas, who had previously doubted his fellow disciples’ account of having seen the Lord. Thomas said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Jesus proceeds to have Thomas do just that and Thomas responds, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus responds asking, “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” This response from Jesus may sound like a bit of a rebuke of Thomas and perhaps it is. However, Jesus is also revealing His love and mercy as despite Thomas’s doubt, our Lord seeks him out individually in order to reveal Himself to him. He could have simply allowed Thomas to remain in his doubt, separated from Him.

On this Divine Mercy Sunday we recognize the mercy our Lord shows to each of us in our own moments of weakness. This is especially important in this time when we may be suffering and unsure of what God’s plan might be for each of us in the midst of this crisis. How is Jesus showing His patience with us as we are struggling to see Him continuing to work in our lives? If we allow ourselves to focus only on the difficulties we may be having instead of discerning the many ways our Lord is with us, we will be like Thomas who was so stuck in his sadness from losing Jesus that he failed to recognize Him in his presence. You see, even though we are going through very unique times and there are many who are sick and dying, our Lord is working in many amazing ways. Though we are not physically in Mass, many have attended far more Masses than ever before as a result of the many available via Livestream from various sources. And despite the challenges of staying in our homes, we are finding new ways to pass the time, only together as a family. Many have also shared how they have spoken more with distant loved ones and elder family members on the phone or using technology to visit face to face. Through these very different times we have come to appreciate so many things that we would otherwise take for granted. Certainly the most of which is our desire to be truly present with our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

As we long for this encounter with our Lord, let us take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the many blessings that we have received. Let us realize that, despite our not being able to be in His physical presence, He is always with us and working in our lives. May we be blessed by our belief in Him, despite our inability to “see Him”.

“Jesus I trust in you!”

 

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