April 19th

Post date: Apr 20, 2020 3:37:41 PM

April 19, 2020 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

On Easter morning, John and Peter ran to the tomb,

but like the women told them, it was empty except for the burial cloths.

Back they went to the security of the Upper Room. Hope had been stirred

but fear of the authorities was uppermost in their minds.

The doors were locked and barred, when suddenly, there was Christ

standing in their midst. This is the scene of today’s Gospel.

I said that the empty tomb stirred hope, but this, this was real!

They could see him, touch him and indeed eat with him.

As Jesus Himself came in through the front door, the fear of Peter, John

and the others went out the back door. Jesus was with them again, and

with Him on their side, whom should they fear?

Jesus wished them peace, breathed new life into them,

gave them their mission.“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me,

even so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Thomas was absent on that first Easter and could not believe

the Apostles’ claim that they had seen Jesus. Poor Thomas, he will always

be called ‘doubting Thomas’ but we should be grateful to him.

First for being a bit of a skeptic, like the rest of us.

For reinforcing our faith. For further dispelling our doubt.

In Thomas’ skepticism is our strength. For enabling us, vicariously,

to put our fingers into the nail holes and our hand into the Lord’s side.

Thomas needed the visual and the tactile.

There is a side of us that needs it too.

To Thomas’ doubt, the Lord, in His great love and kindness, told him:

“Put your finger here and see my hands, put out your hand

and place it in my side. Do not be unbelieving but believe.”

Few scenes in the Gospel give more credence to the Resurrection

than the one between Thomas and our Lord.

We should praise Thomas for another thing—

for giving us one of the shortest and loveliest prayers in all Scripture—

more than an act of faith, an act of commitment and surrender:

“My Lord and my God.” (At every elevation of the Host

and the Chalice, I have prayed this prayer, as have many of you.)

This is also Divine Mercy Sunday. In 1937, our Lord

appeared in private revelations to Sr. Faustina Kowalska in Poland.

He asked her to keep a diary of his messages.

He wanted the world to know about his Divine Mercy.

He asked her to get an artist to paint this image.

Only carefully and slowly did the Church approve this devotion and then

canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000.

The way to exercise this message of mercy is as easy to remember as

A-B-C:

Ask for God’s mercy

Be merciful to others

Completely trust in God’s mercy.

And so, we say: Jesus I trust in You.

At the conclusion of Mass today, we will pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.