by Fr. John Martin Shimkus, O.S.B.

      It is instructive to observe the reaction of Jesus and the other apostles when Thomas refused to accept the proclamation that the Lord had risen.  They would have certainly been justified in chastising him for his unbelief since each apostle, to a man, had testified that they had indeed “seen the Lord.”

     But they didn’t criticize Thomas.  They didn’t judge him.  Instead, they met him where he was.  Jesus himself emphatically invited Thomas to probe and examine his wounds, because this was the very thing Thomas had insisted on in order for him to believe.

     The reaction to Thomas can only be described as “mercy”, the mercy extended by One who knew Thomas through and through, and loved him anyway.  Our mercy to one another is rooted in that Divine Mercy: meeting others where they are, accepting weaknesses with patience, discarding our own prejudices in order to extend the open invitation of God’s love.

     May we see in the mercy of Jesus an example of how to guide others into faith.  May we see that it is not harsh criticism or judgment that draws us to Christ, but rather a deep love and respect for the seed of goodness that seeks to be awakened in every heart!

---