{"id":83974,"date":"2014-04-27T07:30:34","date_gmt":"2014-04-27T14:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/?p=83974"},"modified":"2014-04-27T09:39:14","modified_gmt":"2014-04-27T16:39:14","slug":"divine-mercy-change-and-continuity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/divine-mercy-change-and-continuity\/","title":{"rendered":"Divine Mercy, Change, and Continuity"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Today, the Second Sunday in the Octave of Easter, is also known as Divine Mercy<\/a> Sunday. <\/p>\n

P<\/span>ope John Paul II proclaimed the Sunday after Easter as the Sunday of the Divine Mercy (Dominica II Pasch\u00e6 seu de divina misericordia)<\/em> in accord with the visions of the Divine Mercy received by Saint Faustina<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But what is the Divine Mercy?<\/p>\n

In short, it’s a scandal, perhaps best summed up by Christ’s teaching of the Parable of the Prodigal Son<\/a> (Luke 15:11-32<\/a>).<\/p>\n

We are sinners and turn away from God, but God in His great mercy pours his love and His grace upon us anyway. Oh, the choice to be saved is ours – for without free will, reciprocity is meaningless, without reciprocity, love is meaningless. But… but! We are saved only through God’s superabundant grace. <\/p>\n

And God will forgive anyone who repents, anyone. No matter the crime, no matter the sin. Anyone.<\/p>\n

Like the elder son in the Parable, this will make some uncomfortable, even angry, because it flies in the face of justice. It’s a scandal that one who comes lately is accorded the same heaven as the one who struggled his whole life to do his Father’s will. <\/p>\n

Tough.<\/p>\n

God’s mercy trumps everything. <\/p>\n

Today’s Gospel reading has always had a strong attraction to me. When I was younger, I often put myself in Thomas’ place in the story, and I prayed for the faith that would require no proof. It was only as I grew older that I realized that the proof was all around for those with eyes to see.<\/p>\n

Here’s the excerpt from the full reading that always gets me:<\/p>\n

\n

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
\nwas not with them when Jesus came.
\nSo the other disciples said to him, \u201cWe have seen the Lord.\u201d
\nBut he said to them,
\n\u201cUnless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
\nand put my finger into the nailmarks
\nand put my hand into his side, I will not believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
\nand Thomas was with them.
\nJesus came, although the doors were locked,
\nand stood in their midst and said, \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d
\nThen he said to Thomas, \u201cPut your finger here and see my hands,
\nand bring your hand and put it into my side,
\nand do not be unbelieving, but believe.\u201d
\nThomas answered and said to him, \u201cMy Lord and my God!\u201d
\nJesus said to him, \u201cHave you come to believe because you have seen me?
\nBlessed are those who have not seen and have believed.\u201d<\/p>\n

(John 20:24-29)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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"The Incredulity of St Thomas" by Caravaggio<\/p><\/div>\n

I spent much of my life as Thomas. The passage resonates with many folks, I think. It’s so powerful that we get the same Gospel reading every year on this Sunday, regardless of the lectionary cycle. It is an integral part of the Resurrection narrative.<\/p>\n

It is even included in one of my favourite Resurrection hymns, written by the Franciscan Jean Tisserand in about 1490, “O Filii et Fili\u00e6” (O Sons and Daughters<\/a>).<\/p>\n

I’ve looked in vain for a good English version online. This is the Latin (with English subtitles) – but it’s only the first half of the song, so we don’t get to hear the verses about Thomas.<\/p>\n