Gospel Reflections for April 11 2015
Thomas is not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. Thomas is as skeptical as anyone at hearing that Jesus had risen from the dead. He wants proof. I am sure you would too.
Today’s Gospel describes their meeting, with a unique detail. Jesus invites Thomas to physically examine the marks of His wounds and personally verify they are the ones He suffered at the crucifixion. He affirms they are …and he believes.
Sadly, we can verify that those wounds are still happening today. The Catholic Church is the “Body of Christ” and we still suffer wounds daily with our fellow Christians cruelly martyred in the Middle East and Africa by Radical Islamic terrorists. Some are even crucified in the same manner as Our Lord! They died precisely because they were Christians. Can you even imagine that happening today! It sadly does. Seeing these events on the news is horrible and they cry out for a response. Yet silence by our religious and political leaders only adds to this tragic human disaster. Let our voices not be silent either. Surely we can verify radical Islam is a threat to us all.
Amazingly, the US Government is in negotiations with Iran, a principle source of terrorism in the Middle East and against the USA. Iran actually designed many of the roadside bombs that killed and maimed so many of our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadly, the present treaty only involves nuclear issues and does not address those other Iranian terrorist activities. So why these negotiations? Ironically, Iran pleaded for negotiations precisely because of the effective economic sanctions the west imposed on it for its support of terrorism.
Iran is certainly eager to have those effective sanctions relieved! However, if sanctions end, as our negotiations now offer, Iran will receive around 130 Billion dollars in new international business; just what they need to fund even more terror! That means we must verify this treaty with exceptional accuracy and reliability. I pray our leaders will make that rigorous verification happen.
Remarkably, this Sunday is also called “Mercy Sunday” after the devotion developed by Sister Faustina Kowalska of Poland, who miraculously received from Our Lord His own verification of His powerful mercy in the form of a beautiful picture. It shows the image of Jesus with two bright rays of light emanating from His sacred heart, symbolizing both compassion and courage.
The heart of Jesus was certainly broken at His crucifixion by the sins of His executioners, but His love for them, and us, was never diminished, and so from His heart flows the compassion we must feel for our Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish brothers and sisters in the Middle East who suffer persecution and the courage we need to stop it. Like Thomas, that is a message we can believe in.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Image: Public Domain work of art.
Thank you, Father Dave.
Thank you father Dave for your insightful and compassionate words. I am deeply concerned over current negotiations with Iran and the suffering of Christians. I pray for our leaders and nation. May our precious Lord guide us all to trust in His merciful love.
Thanks for your message. We still have until the end of June to finalize the agreement with Iran. I believe it will never happen because the Iranians will try to make new demands that are unacceptable to Congress.
Father Dave
I like your analogy of Jesus wounds to the suffering of Christians in the Middle East. We are so fortunate in the United States to have Freedom of Religion. Thank you for the story of Mercy Sunday. I did not know the significance of the day.
Also, do you know what became of Doubting Thomas? I think his reaction to the resurrection of Jesus was a very human response.
I really appreciate your articles. You have always been able to relate the Gospels to the present day.
There is a tradition that Thomas went to India, however, there is no physical evidence, just the tradition that passed on down the generations.
Resplendent!
+Blessings, Joe
PS: Please be on the look out for an invitation I’m sending you in connection with a clergy day event we host annually with Bishop Solis – I believe I have your address; hope you can join us along with many of your fellow priest brothers. This years guest speaker will be the Armenian Catholic bishop from New York.
Great! I remember you talking about it.
I don’t understand why our religious leaders haven’t initiated some united prayerful action on behalf of those suffering persecution for their faith, such as when we prayed for the conversion of Russia. There is almost a silent conspiracy to do nothing. We witnessed such dramatic change in our lifetime, that surely we can do it again. Thank you for speaking up on this issue.
I am glad the Pope has spoken several times, and quite forcefully too. Like you, I also do not know other Catholic leaders do not speak out more often, or even at all.
Excellent analogy between the wounds of Christ and the wounds of the suffering innocents by Terrorists around the world! I wish all our pastors had the “courage” to speak to the heinous attacks on Christians in the Middle East. One pastor responded with, Well, atrocities constantly happen there and around the world so he
can’t reference all of them! Obviously, he can’t even reference any of the latest crimes against Christians for the same reason (which is NOT a valid reason in my opinion). Sadly, may of our Church leaders are paralyzed
and fearful of “speaking out”! (just like the “fear” that the Apostles had after Jesus was arrested!).
Unfortunately – “we” the people don’t get very far when “we” speak out since we don’t have the power that the
Church Clergy have. All I can say is “Praise God” for YOU and your courage, wisdom and dedication!
Thanks for your message. I wish more religious leaders would speak out, especially in defense of Christians in the Holy Land …where our faith began!
Thanks Father! I pray also that our leaders – religious and political – have the courage and supernatural faith to face these evils and name them for what they are, as well as to recognize the christian martyrs of today for what they are – heroic witnesses to the fact that this world is worth giving up everything for the promise of Heaven and the Beatific vision! These evil events give us as parents a chance to explain to our kids that the Faith is real and has real enemies, just as the saints of yesteryear we learn about in reading or watching movies like “Quo Vadis” or “For Greater Glory”. He is Risen!
Well said. I am glad you teach your kids that while our faith has enemies, it also has many heroes as well.
Interesting that Terrorism denunciation is not on the table. Even though we must start somewhere, if passed, I think this will set a bad precedent. Change has to come from within…..within The Middle East and within ourselves, like St. Thomas. On a happier note, thank you Fr. Dave for another successful and informative University. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect to one another and our Faith. Looking forward to next years’ offerings.
I am glad you enjoyed the University! We are already working on next year’s program. Stay tuned!
Right on Fr. Dave! Well said. Thank you for having the courage to speak out against Islamic terrorism. Sadly many of our politicians including this administration, fear calling this cancer what it is. They look at the middle east and blame poverty or lack of education when the reality is many that are converted to this radical form of Islam are well educated and wealthy! We must speak out against evil especially when it cloaks itself in religion.
I think about Thomas often because I can identify with him. He wasn’t with the group when Jesus first showed up he missed out on the emotion and witness of the others…perhaps he felt a little jealous., “yeah well, I’ll believe Jesus is alive when I see him for myself!” – I think Thomas responded like most of us would.
Thanks Fr Dave.
It is interesting that scholars often make the point that the name Thomas actually means “twin.” His demand for proof parallels what so many people ask for, making him a kind of “twin” to all of us.
Hello Fr. Dave….
Thank you for the discussion regarding Iran negotiations. I too am very concerned about this. I inherently do not trust politicians. That being said, I pray that the Lord will guide them. To me, it simply makes no sense and as it has been shown in the past, it is nearly impossible to accurately inspect various sites. I suppose we shall all have to wait and see if it indeed passes in Congress. Sorry i”m so pessimistic…
Enjoyed the sermon this Sunday. We can all identify with Thomas. To a dregree, most of us need proof positive to believe. Sadly, it it because we have all been taken advatage of or deceived by those in power positions. Faith sometimes takes a back seat. I wish we could all be more trusting.
Have a wonderful week,
Carol
YEs, I agree that we have all been mislead too many times by politicians. We need to be vigilant about policies and negotiations, especially with countries like Iran.
Father Dave,
Beautifully said!!!! We must have love and compassion for others as Jesus did and the courage to stand up for the wrongs in the world!!! Our faith is soooooooooooooooooooamazing!! Our God becomes man out of love and dies for us so that we could return to his loving arms!!! An extraordinary miracle of love!!! With the Islamic terrorist they kill for their God!!!! Love does not exist in them!!!! We must stop the violence and the whole world should respond to this evil!!!!We must all pray that this present evil ends!!!!!!Prayer works miracles!!God loves us and will answer our precious prayers!!!
Love, Franca and Dick
Well said again!