B: 2nd Sun of Easter (8 Apr 2018) - THE SIGHT OF WOUNDS AND BLOOD - Jn 20:19-31

This Sunday is declared by Pope St. John Paul II as the Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast features especially the mystery of the overflowing compassion of Jesus to mankind as manifested in his apparitions to St. Faustina Kowalska. To her Jesus presents himself with a heart that is open for all. The two colors of red and white gushing out from it represent the blood and water, respectively, that flowed from his side when it was pierced by a soldier at his death on the cross (Jn 19:34). This may also be the reason why this celebration is placed on the Second Sunday of Easter since the gospel herein is about the validity of the existence of a human wound on Jesus' side. He showed this to his disciples twice so that they may believe that he indeed died but was risen from the dead.

We are already well aware of the immensity of God's love to us, even to the point of sending Jesus so that we may not perish but have life everlasting (Jn 3:16). The interesting personality though in our gospel today is Thomas. In the Bible there are only four times when he spoke:

1) The first is "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16). Thomas displays in this pericope his false messianic image of Jesus, assuming like the many, that he is the awaited Jewish political liberator from the Roman occupation.

2) The second is "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" (Jn 14:5). Thomas says this out of his wrong understanding of "the Father's dwelling house" (Jn 14:2), thinking that it is an earthly kingdom that can be physically reached.

3) The third is "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" (Jn 20:25). Thomas here continues to hold on to his fallen expectation that Jesus could never be alive since he already died along with his failure to change the political order.

4) The last one is "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28). Thomas here had his "leap of faith", finally believing that Jesus is truly Lord.

What just happened to Thomas as seen in his discourses is his gradual ascent to faith. Initially, he was banking on the idea that Jesus would be a political liberator against the Roman soldiers as most Jews would hope (cf. Jn 11:48-50). But the irony is that Jesus was sentenced to die and was executed by the Romans themselves (cf. Jn 19:1-34). His false idea of liberation was finally changed upon seeing the resurrected Jesus in person. Actually, Thomas arrived to this eureka moment even if it is not described in the biblical text that he did actually put his finger unto Jesus' wounds. Probably, just the sight of Jesus already filled his thoughts and transformed his spirit instantaneously. He was conquered by God's grace that he immediately forgot about his doubts and fears.

What does this tell us today especially on the Divine Mercy Sunday? Simply said, God's mercy to all of us is abundant and overflowing. Jesus could have saved us by a mere word, or just a drop of his blood, but he did it by totally emptying himself: water came out from his sides, pointing to the fact that he has given all of his blood on the cross. As Thomas was overwhelmed by God's grace upon seeing Jesus' real wounds, we are also challenged to be transformed by just gazing at the wounded and crucified Jesus. If we can only comprehend how much Jesus has given for us, we will surely change ourselves from within, and eventually the society from our collective Christian commitment. Only numb and callous hearts will not be moved by this sight of Jesus.

In the Philippine context, there is nothing much to say for many things have already been said on our current political situation. I just hope and pray that the sight of bloodshed in our daily news stories would overwhelm our minds and hearts to change our stance on what is the true nature of this liberation that we are hoping for our country.

- Rex Fortes, CM