To understand the Gospel of “Doubting Thomas” that we always hear on Divine Mercy Sunday, we first have to understand where the Apostles were—what was happening in their minds and hearts.
They had just experienced Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was welcomed like a king. But only a few days later, those same voices cried out for His crucifixion. So naturally, the Apostles must have been thinking: if they went after Him, they will come after us next. They are afraid. The doors are locked. They are hiding, trying to keep everyone out.
And into that fear, Jesus comes.
He appears to them in His resurrected body—glorified, passing through locked doors. We can imagine that their fear was no longer only of the people outside. They may even have been afraid of Him. Is He here to condemn us? To remind us that we abandoned Him? To call us weak?
But He says none of that.
Instead, He stands in their midst and says, “Peace be with you.” In other words: We are reconciled. We are okay.
Then He shows them His wounds—not to shame them, not to make them feel guilty, but to say: Look. Look what has been accomplished. Look what God has done. This is not a moment of condemnation; it is a moment of victory. A moment of mercy. And the disciples rejoice.
Then something remarkable happens. Just as Jesus has shown them mercy, He now entrusts that same mercy to them. He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit… whose sins you forgive are forgiven.”
He gives them His ministry of reconciliation.
Before, Jesus forgave sins in His own name. Now He tells His Apostles: you will forgive sins in My name. You will carry on this mission. You will bring My mercy and healing to the world.
And this is what the Church has done from the beginning. The Apostles, the first bishops, and then priests understood that this was not merely a personal gift—it was a mission to be handed on. This is the answer to the question: Why do I confess my sins to a priest? Because Jesus gave His authority to forgive sins to His Apostles, and that authority has been passed on so that His mercy would always remain available to His people.
Now Thomas was not there that first time. And honestly, we can relate to him. He wants to see. He wants proof. Maybe he even feels left out.
But the Lord knows that. He has compassion on him. So He comes back the next week, and again His first words are: “Peace be with you.”
Then He invites Thomas: Touch My wounds. See and believe. And Thomas responds with one of the greatest professions of faith in the Gospel: “My Lord and my God.”
The Lord knows that we need moments like that. All the Apostles did. And He continues to give us His presence—especially through the Holy Spirit, whom we will celebrate at Pentecost. The Spirit is given so that Christ remains with us, strengthening us in faith, especially when it wavers.
Because the Lord knows something about us: our faith rises and falls. We question. We struggle. Sometimes we drift. Sometimes we even wonder: Is God disappointed in me? Will He forgive me? Am I good enough to be here?
And the answer is this: on our own, no—we are not good enough. But it is not we who make ourselves worthy. It is Christ.
Through His grace. Through His Cross. Through His mercy.
Jesus did not rise from the dead to condemn us. He rose to reconcile us. He does not hold our sins over us; He offers us forgiveness as a free gift.
And that is what He says to us today: Here is mercy. Here is salvation. If you want it, take it. Just say yes. Then it is yours.
Father James Schibi, Pastor