Divine Mercy Sunday Homily
Thomas may get a bad rap by some people for his unbelief in the resurrection of Jesus. After all, the other disciples were adamant about seeing Jesus on that first night of the resurrection. Despite the encouragement of the disciples, Thomas would not believe it unless he saw it himself. (Jn 20:19-31)
However, Thomas has probably given many people hope for themselves. There are probably many people who have had doubts about their faith throughout the centuries. Someone should not think that he or she is the only person who has ever had doubts about the faith. There are also some people who will not believe in something unless they experience it themselves. For them, there has to be physical proof. They will not go by someone else’s word about something.
What should someone do when he or she has doubts about the faith? The one thing that someone should not do is give up and not seek answers. This would be the worst thing that someone should do. To doubt and not seek answers would be detrimental to the soul, much like feeling ill and not going to see a doctor would be detrimental to the body. When someone doubts their faith, that person should seek answers. Having doubts can be seen as an opportunity to grow in the faith. God wants us to seek answers because by seeking answers to our faith, we are seeking the One whom our faith is all about. When we seek answers about our faith, we are seeking God Himself. God wants to answer our questions and help alleviate our doubts. Look at what happened to Thomas. Despite his stubbornness in doubting, his request was heard and answered by the Lord. Jesus put those doubts to rest, and Thomas grew in his faith and belief in the risen Lord. As we heard in the Gospel reading, Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”
This is Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday falls on the Sunday after we celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday. God’s divine mercy has triumphed in saving humanity from eternal death. God went into the depths of human misery, all the way to dying on the cross, in order to save us from the same fate. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Not only did Jesus show the depths of His love for us by dying on the cross, but Jesus also called us His friends. This shows that God is willing to go to any length to save His friends, His beloved people. God wants to forgive, be reconciled to us, and raise us up so that we may one day live in His presence forever.
Yet, there are some people who doubt that God will forgive their past offenses. Some people believe that something they did in the past is so bad that God will not forgive them. Some may say, “How can God forgive me for what I have done?” Or, “Why would God forgive me for what I have done?” While it is important to acknowledge these feelings, they are real, and many people do have them, it is also important to acknowledge that this is not the way that God feels or thinks. God’s message from Old Testament times has always been that He is slow to anger and quick to forgive and show mercy to those who turn to Him for forgiveness. Jesus Himself constantly showed compassion and mercy to the brokenhearted who came to Him for healing. Jesus never turned anyone away who sought Him out with a sincere heart.
Part of the problem may be that many people are not willing to forgive themselves. This inability to forgive themselves for past sins places doubt in their minds about God’s ability to forgive. We need to look upon a crucifix to see God’s ability to forgive our sins. Jesus bore our sins in His Body (see 1 Pet 2:24). He shed His Blood in order to wipe away those sins. Jesus rose from the dead in order to give us new life and a fresh start so that sin would no longer hold us bound. Jesus told Thomas, “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Jesus tells those who doubt His willingness to forgive their sins, “Do not be unbelieving in My mercy but believe. Come to Me even in your doubt, as Thomas did. I will have compassion for your brokenness and show you mercy and forgiveness. I will bring you the healing and wholeness that you desire. I am your peace.”
This Sunday, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We give thanks to God for His great mercy. For He has called us out of the darkness of doubt and misery to live always in His love and mercy. He wants us to be confident in His care and concern for our well-being. Like the words in our responsorial psalm for today, may we say as well: “Let those who fear the Lord say, “His mercy endures forever.” I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.” (Ps 118)
Fr. Tim Ilgen
