2nd Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on April 2, 1989
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 5: 12-16; Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31
In this week’s homily, we’re invited to rethink what it meant for Thomas to doubt the existence of the risen Lord until Thomas saw Jesus for himself. What if Thomas is the hero in the story? Perhaps Thomas was the only one who recognized that to be the Messiah required Jesus to suffer human pain and suffering and Thomas was acknowledging that human suffering of our Messiah by asking to see his wounds and put his hands in His flesh. Furthermore, it might be that this Gospel story tells us not so much about Thomas’ disbelief, but rather that we can experience a relationship with our God by being in relationship with our sisters and brothers, reaching out to them, and touching their lives in a similar way to how Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds and hurts.
Weekly Homilies 