After receiving this great gift of the Eucharist and the
Sacred Priesthood, what did the Apostles do? They betrayed the One who gave it
to them. They abandoned Him in His hour of need, fled from Him as they went to
the Cross, afraid that they would be killed along with Him—all but one, of
course: John, whose words we are reading in the Gospel today.
In the Gospel, we are just a day and a half removed from
the crucifixion. The Apostles have gone back to the Upper Room, the place of
the Last Supper—perhaps to find solace in the last place where they were
friends with Jesus—and have locked themselves in because of fear. It is here
that Jesus enter the room, passing through the door as like a ghost, but able
to be touched—as does Thomas, later. Jesus is really resurrected; once dead,
but now alive.
It is here that Jesus could have revealed wrath, revenge,
the sword, any number of resentful words for the Apostle’s apostasy. But,
instead, He says, “Peace”… In this moment, Jesus manifests the power of the
divine and that power is manifested in mercy.
And yet, it happens in the Upper Room and with those whom
He has ordained. This is no accident. Jesus is giving them the second
miraculous power of the Sacred Priesthood: the power to absolve sins. This is
why He says:
As the Father sends me, so I send
you.
Why did the Father send Jesus? To go in search for what
was lost; to show the Father’s love for the Prodigal Son; to give mercy; to
forgive sins. “For this reason I have come, not for the righteous, but for sinners.”
But notice: Jesus doesn’t give this power to the Apostles
on Holy Thursday when He gives them the Sacred Priesthood. He waits—He waits
until after Good Friday. Why? Because it is on Good Friday that the treasury of
God’s grace is opened for sinners; only after it has been opened that the
mission can now be given to the Apostles to dispense of this treasure.
Indeed, they must first themselves experience Jesus’
mercy. Hence He says, “Peace be with you.” Jesus is forgiving them of their
apostasy; and the Apostles, now having experienced Jesus’ mercy (as a new kind
of Washing of the Feet) are sent “as the Father sends me”: to go and forgive
sins, such that “whatever sins you forgive are forgiven”…
Thus we can see the evenings of Holy Thursday and Easter
Sunday as one Ordination Rite in the Upper Room: at the Last Supper, Jesus gives
them the Eucharist and the power to confect it; at the Easter Evening, Jesus
gives them mercy and the power to dispense it.
To show how powerful and particular this grace is, Jesus
breathes on them—which is the only other time that this is done in Sacred
Scripture (the other being when God breathes on Adam to bring him to life). The
connection being quite amazing: Jesus is fashioning the Apostles in such a way
that they have this new life in them: a new life to give to others: namely, the
very forgiveness which God offers us through them.
This is also why He pours out the Holy Spirit upon them—for
only God can forgive sins. But as water through a pipe, this Holy Spirit and
the grace of God will flow through the Apostles chosen and appointed by God.
* * *
Of course, Thomas was not there on that Easter Evening.
Who knows why. But he wasn’t and so he missed this second part of the
ordination. This, too, was no accident in the plan of God.
Jesus wanted to show the others how far God’s mercy
extends: that it isn’t just a one-time offer; it is a mercy that goes the extra
mile.
Jesus, therefore, draws near again to the Apostles, this
time when Thomas is present. Thomas doesn’t believe the Apostles: both that Jesus
is risen and that this power to grant mercy has been given them. Thomas
proclaims, as does modern science, that he will not believe until he is able to
touch.
Ask and you shall receive, Thomas.
Mercy draws near and invites Thomas to enter in—and quite
literally. (This is the only way to come to knowledge of God: by entering into
that relationship). Jesus invites Thomas to touch the side that was pierced by
a lance—that lance which went all the way to the heart, a heart that, once
pierced, poured forth blood and water upon the Roman soldier who held the
lance. And, who in that moment was not only covered by the blood and water of
Jesus—a foretaste of the Sacraments—but through it came to believe in Jesus: “Truly,
this was the Son of God!”
Thomas was invited to touch this very side. And so Thomas
places his fingers there. But not just on the skin and not just on the ribs.
Thomas slides his fingers in such that he is able and likely does indeed touch
the very heart of Jesus. A heart that is alive and beating and pouring out divine
mercy upon him.
Thomas cries out: “My Lord and My God!”
He has received forgiveness and, not only that, the power
to forgive; for Jesus Himself had said to Thomas, “Peace be with you”… Imagine
how awesome Thomas and the Apostles would have been as confessors!
Indeed, we see (in the First Reading) Peter going through
the area healing people of their physical and spiritual infirmities. Even if
his shadow fell upon them, they were healed!
* * *
To think that I have received this grace—both the
forgiveness of my own sins and the power to forgive others of theirs—it is
truly overwhelming.
This gets at the heart of Divine Mercy Sunday: not only
that Jesus forgives sins, but that He has given this divine power to sinful
men. It is humbling and overwhelming and a tremendous manifestation of His
mercy.
What can I say to all of this? I pray the Psalm:
Give thanks to the Lord for He is
good; His mercy endures forever!
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