The miracles don’t cease to happen after the death of Jesus. In today’s passage of the Holy Gospel Jesus appeared to the apostles, COMING THROUGH LOCKED DOORS! He shows them his hands and side. He greets them in peace and gives them the power to forgive sins. A week later, Jesus appeared again to the apostles and Thomas, who doubted the resurrection of Jesus, professed his belief. Actually, all the readings this weekend point to God’s mercy, the necessity for trusting faith and the need for God’s forgiveness of sins. Even the opening prayer addresses God the Father as "God of Mercy." In the responsorial psalm we repeat several times, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercyendures forever!” Mercy! What does it mean to you? Do you depend on God’s mercy for you? Do you offer mercy to those who have offended you? For centuries in the liturgy, the Church has proclaimed the mercy of God through the Word of God and the Eucharist.
Think about this because it is absolutely true…the clearest way of expressing our belief in the presence of the risen Jesus among us is through our own forgiveness of others (mercy). We can’t form lasting Christian relationships without mercy and forgiveness. Unless we forgive others, our celebration of the Eucharist is just an exercise in liturgical words and rules! The Gospel command to us, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful," demands that we show mercy to our fellow human beings always and everywhere. We radiate God's mercy to others by our actions, our words, and our prayers. Practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in our daily lives will make us eligible for God’s merciful judgment. Sounds like a good plan to me…give mercy and you will be shown mercy! When Leonardo da Vinci was painting his masterpiece, "The Last Supper," we are told that he had a quarrel with one of his companions. In revenge for the wrong he had received, he painted his companion's portrait as Judas in his great picture. After he had done this, his work was complete except for the face of our blessed Lord. It was da Vinci's ambition to paint the noblest and most perfect portrait of Christ that had ever been put on canvas; but try as he did, he could not succeed. In the meantime, his conscience was working, and at last he took his brush and painted out his companion's portrait and forgave him his wrong. That night in his dreams da Vinci saw a splendorous vision of Christ which thousands have gazed at in wonder ever since. When we give mercy, our picture of who Jesus is becomes clearer and clearer! GOSPEL QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Do you mean what you say when you are praying the Our Father… “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us?”