2020-04-19
– 2nd Sunday Easter
[_01_] Is it better to believe or to
doubt? Is it better to believe or to doubt?
It’s a question for these first Christians doing some
social distancing from their persecutors. Their lives had been cast into
uncertainty. And, Thomas the Apostle
manifests this uncertainty in his requirement for physical evidence of the
resurrection.
The text of the message to Thomas the Apostle from Jesus in
this Sunday’s Gospel is:
“[Thomas…] Have you come to believe because you have
seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)
It is better to believe than to doubt. Thomas came to belief, to faith, to trust,
after an episode of confusion.
And, sometimes, there are mix-ups or confusions that are
significant because they lead to a revelation of greater knowledge, of what is
true.
One example: on the day that I was to go to the cathedral in
Newark for the ordination of priesthood, for my classmates and me, I was on my
way into the building, on the sidewalk and met some friends and family.
I overheard this conversation of what one person said to another
friend: “I cannot believe you are here – you now, this cathedral-Mass with the
Archbishop is 3 hours long”
And, this 3-hour duration immediately flustered and frustrated
him. I think his family concealed this fact from him, but he did stay for the
whole Mass, all 3 hours. And, we had a good laugh about this later.
[pause]
Isn’t it true that we trust our friends and our families and loved
ones not only for what they tell us, but for who they are to us. In the end, he
was glad to be there all 3 hours. Trust is not just about the proposition but the
person.
[_02_] A mix-up can be a misunderstanding, later
resolved, that leads to greater faith, hope, love.
There is a mix-up in the Book of the Gospel of John,
chapter 20, which is told in 2 parts,
each of which is a visit of our Lord and Savior.
The setting and location is the Upper Room where they had
gathered for the Passover / Last Supper on the night before Good Friday.
So, it is appropriate that Jesus should reconvene,
reconnect with them in the very location where he had given them the new
commandment: “love one
another as I have loved you.” (John 13:35)
And…”There
is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
Jesus had shown them this love on the Cross, dying and
rising now … in Part One of the Gospel, Jesus was arriving in an environment
and mood of great fear, anxiety among the disciples.
All they could comprehend / grasp was that Jesus had died.
They had heard something from Mary Magdalene that Jesus had risen, but they had
not seen him for themselves.
Now, in his arrival in Part 1 of the Gospel, they were
seeing him in person.
But, as we read, there was one apostle who was absent from
the Part 1 visit. Was he social distancing? Where was Thomas? Thomas was absent.
[_03_] And, in Part 2 of the Gospel, Jesus appeared
again. This time Thomas was present. Thomas – being present – got his proof, to
see Jesus in the flesh.
Thus Jesus said:
“[Thomas…] Have you come to believe because you have
seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20: 29)
It is historic and theological tradition to single out
Thomas for his doubt, for his lack of belief.
John Henry Newman pointed out that Thomas’ doubting was no
different from any of the other disciples or any one of us.
I’d like to touch on this appearance of Jesus in 2 aspects
and what it reveals about your (my)
·
secrecy of DOUBTS
·
similarity of DESIRES
For we all have the secrecy of doubts. We may feel persecuted by doubts about
our own competency or ability, doubts about a financial worry, a medical
test. We may – at times – not even be
able to say out loud what all of our doubts are. It is difficult to state them. We may need to
pray for the right moment and words and grace of God to articulate them.
In Part 1 of the Gospel
– when Thomas is absent – he is completely alone – cut off in his doubt. That
is the secrecy of doubt.
This Sunday – also Divine Mercy Sunday – one in which we also
meditate explicitly on God’s love for us in the sacrament of penance and
reconciliation (confession). A person
going to confession often tells God – through the priest – what he or she has
told no one else.
This takes courage and trust, but it also healing and healthy and
reconciling to be close to God in this way.
At first Thomas is alone in his doubt. He is courageous to bring
his doubts into the light.
Jesus’ appearance says something about the secrecy of doubt.
ALSO: we all have a similarity of desire. That is,
we all have the desire for the friendship of love of both God and neighbor.
Right now, being unable
to attend church / attend Mass, we feel cut off from both.
And, the disciples,
locked in the Upper Room, also had this desire.
I suggest it is notable that Jesus appears to them while they are
cut off, while they are sheltering in place, and practicing social distancing.
Jesus appears to them because they all have – we all have the same
desire.
Jesus appears to us – in small ways – in out-of-the-way
places, in small crowds.
We might wish at times that God would appear the with the
strength of professional-sports-halftime-show … or something to make others
believe.
John Henry Newman, writing about “Witnesses to the
Resurrection” points out such large-scale appearances would have produced more
doubt than faith.
People would have said they could not see him, or hear him.
Faith is based on a personal relationship, one-on-one.
Jesus wishes to visit you also, please make time for Him
where you are.
[ But, you and I - in
similar situations also are called recognize where J.H. Newman touches on Jesus’ appearances to
his disciples in the following way ]
[_04_] We live
now in a time of great doubt, uncertainty, due to COVID-19 and the necessary
precautions and alerts.
We are similar to the disciples who are locked behind doors
in fear and anxiety, afraid to come out in public.
The disciples are sheltering in place in the Upper Room and
they had had masks, they would have been using them for hiding rather than
hygiene.
[_05_] For you and me, is it better to believe
or to doubt in such circumstances?
Doubt or doubting has become fashionable. We often tune into TV or internet news
channels not because we want the truth but we want to know what the doubts are.
What are doubters saying? People get paid $$$ big bucks to tell you their
doubts. Check your local listings!
[_06_] What is the cause of doubt? Essentially, the cause of doubt, the reason
for doubt is a lack of evidence.
Is it better to believe or to doubt?
I suggest it is better to believe, but it is certainly very
enticing and entertaining to doubt.
We may even entertain secret doubts about those around us,
simply because we may be more comfortable there. There is a familiar
consolation in skepticism and doubt.
Yet, are not our real and true loving relationships based
on something other than the elimination of all doubt? Are they not based on something other than
empirical DNA evidence?
Perhaps, you remember the movie – Meet the Parents – in
which a young man is introduced to his future father-in-law played by Robert
DeNiro. DeNiro plays the suspicious
father who even gives his future son-in-law a lie detector test. Of course, this is an extreme. It shows,
however that love is something revealed in a relationship over time, not proven
in an experiment once and for all.
For example, if I trust what you say – or you trust what I say – it’s not
just based on a proposition (or polygraph) but a person.
This is the lesson to Thomas, to all the apostles, to all
of us, behind locked doors, to recall not only that Jesus has appeared but that
he will talk with us about the secrecy of our doubts, loves us because we all
have similar desires for his friendship.
And, he demonstrated ”There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
“[Thomas…] Have you come to believe because you have
seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20: 29) [_fin_]
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