Mercy over Doubt
Acts 2:42–47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1:3–9; John 20:19–31
Pope John Paul II called the second Sunday of Easter “Divine Mercy Sunday” on May 5, 2000, a few days after Saint Faustina, the founder, was made a saint. Today is a special day when we give thanks to God for all that we have received from him (today’s psalm, Ps. 118). We thank God for the gift of our redemption in Christ Jesus. “We owe the debt we could not pay; he paid the debt he did not owe.” So we thank God for such an unmerited favor.
Divine mercy is a mystery of faith that goes far beyond a particular devotion. In his encyclical “Dives in Misericordia,” the Holy Father explains that Divine Mercy is the ultimate manifestation of God’s love in a history injured by sin. This mercy restores man to God’s glory through water and blood, as the second reading noted (1 John 5:6). This speaks of the dual aspects of Christ’s redemptive work—his baptism (water) and his sacrificial death (blood). Through his redemptive work, he expressed his mercy for the world. God is rich in mercy—not poor; generous, not stingy; extravagant, not thrifty. Let us repent and be grateful. The readings today offer us the opportunity to further understand other themes and the mercy of God.
Doubt: Today’s gospel also presents us with Thomas’ doubt which is often interpreted in a bad light. Generally, doubt can arise from intellectual questions, personal struggles, or external challenges. However, the Catholic Church cautions against persistent doubt that leads to rejection of one’s belief or relationship with God. Whatever the source of your doubt, learn to seek understanding and resolution through prayer, study, and dialogue with true spiritual directors. (Study more about emotional doubt, intellectual doubt, necessary doubt, experiential doubt, moral doubt, and relational doubt.).
NECESSARY DOUBT: Thomas doubt was a necessary doubt, and necessary doubt produced great faith. Thus, he was the first to declare the Lordship and Divinity of Jesus Christ; he says, “My Lord and my God.” In epistemological discourse, “necessary doubt” refers to doubt that is essential for critical thinking and rational inquiry. It questions assumptions and seeks justification. It is the pursuit of truth with open-mindedness. Before all of today’s prophetic and miracle centers, we need to express the necessary doubt. Despite the level of awareness, it has become easier to confuse Christians than to convince them. Let’s be critical; otherwise, we will be exploited. Necessary doubt saves us from gullibility. His doubt was faith-seeking understanding. Just as mercy came through for Thomas, Christians in this category will always find the mercy of God. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
SACRAMENT OF PENANCE: Jesus says in today’s gospel, John 20:23, “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; […] Whoever’s sins you retain, they have been retained. The sacrament of penance is a place where validly ordained priests exercise this mandate. We are all sinners, but the confessional makes the difference. At the confessional, we are washed. In John 13:8, Jesus said to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Therefore, if we must have part in Jesus, we must be washed. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.” The process includes contrition, sincere remorse for one’s sins, confession, and satisfaction (performing acts of penance to make amends).
PEACE OF CHRIST: “Peace be with you.” These were the very words of Jesus to his disciples when he appeared to them. After Jesus’ death, society was in disorder—religious and political tensions about Jesus. Amidst these tensions, Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you.” Beloved in Christ, we need peace as a community and as individuals. In a community where there is no peace, things are torn into pieces. Lack of peace is one of the major causes of high blood pressure today. Some families are in real crises, and many individuals have no peace of mind or body. Let’s approach the mercy of God for peace. Without peace, we can’t live out the true Christian spirit, as seen in the first reading (Acts 4:32–35). In the Eucharistic celebration, Jesus speaks the language of peace in the person of the celebrant: “Peace be with you!” This greeting has both spiritual and physical value. Peace to our body and peace to our soul. In accordance with Col. 3:15, I pray that the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts. Amen!
Let us pray.
God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own, increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose blood they have been redeemed.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
