Second SUNDAY- EASTER

1. In two weeks time, some 90 children from our parish will make the First Communion. The first Communion Mass is at 3:00 pm on a Sunday afternoon. So the regular parishioners never get a chance to see our second graders beautifully dressed up and coming with great devotion to receive Jesus for the first time. So I thought I would introduce some 40 of them at this Mass and they will sing the creed for us: "We believe, we do believe." This a far cry from what Thomas says in the Gospel today. In fact he says, unless my conditions are met I will not believe.

2. Our little children do not understand the full implications of the mysteries of our faith. Yet trusting in the fact that their parents will not lead them astray and trusting in the fact that the Church doctrines are true, they say, "We believe". Why then do we put conditions for our faith as we grow up. The Scribes and the Pharisees were constantly putting conditions for Jesus to fulfill.

come down from the Cross and will believe in you

Show us a sign that you are the Messiah.

Today we find Thomas, one the Apostles, asking for a sign even though he was taught that Jesus had to suffer and die and would be raised from the dead.

3. In our first reading we find a picture of the spread and growth of the Church soon after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. These events were written between 80-90 AD The picture is a glorified and glowing image of the Church.

the numbers increased,

the community were united.

the rest were in awe and reverence about the Christians.

This is one of the three pictures in the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. The other two may be found in Acts 2:43-47 and Acts 4:32-46. These give us the reasons for the growth in the number of Believers. They did not put conditions like Thomas did. They became members because they saw a "church" a gathering of believers who were

one in mind and heart because they were united in prayer.

these held things in common and gave to each according to their need. No one was in want of anything.

they broke bread together in their houses. This was their way of saying they celebrated their Eucharist.

4. Now all these three were needed for the strengthening of their faith. They had to pray to be one in mind in heart. They had to be nourished and strengthened by the Eucharist. However, if they had stopped here, they would be like an ingrown toe nail. They would be inward looking and not obeying the command of Jesus. They were to go and teach all nations beginning in Jerusalem, in Judaea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) On the other hand if they held all things in common and saw to the needs of others without prayer and the Eucharist, they would simply be a very good Social Action Club. Good but not necessarily Christian.

5. And so we get back to Thomas. How do we connect his "I will not believe unless.." with the group of believers that grew and grew and grew ? We tend to write him off as the Doubting Thomas. We tend to focus on Jesus saying, "Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe." We pat ourselves on the back today. But Thomas was asking a very important question: "Where are the wounds in his hands and feet, where is the wound in his side." It was important to see the Crucified Lord. Jesus had warned the Apostles that there would be many a false Messiah. They would try to lead them in every which way. But the authentic Lord was the one who had suffered and died according to the Psalms and the Scriptures. Thomas wanted to see the genuine article.

6. And that is what people want to see in you and me today. If we glory in the name of Christian, then we better show in ourselves the mark of the nails in our hands and in our feet, we better show the wound in our heart ! People are leaving the church or not joining us in prayer, - not because of the Scandals, nor because of bad preaching, not because of the hierarchy. These are only a partial reasons. We find these excuses in all walks of life. People come here, people come to church because their hearts burn for God and they are restless until they rest in God.

But like Thomas, what they want is to see the authentic Christ. They want to see

a Christ that is crucified and rose from the dead

a Christ washing the feet of the Apostles

a Christ who came to serve

a Christ who was equally comfortable with the rich and the poor, but sought the company of the sinner and the prostitute and the outcast of society: the leper.

7. What people often see in us is a fat an sleek Christ who is more at home in the Palaces of Herod and Pilate. They see in us, perhaps in me as a Priest - the glamour and glitter of this world rather than the Man of Galilee who had no place to lay his head. No wonder people like Thomas will say "I will not believe." I want no part with you... with Christ yes, but you do not reflect Christ to me.

If we want people to join us as we read in the first reading.

If we want people to hold us in high esteem

If we want to be believers who are all together,

then we better start with the Crown of Thorns - rather than with Crown Royal, with the Carrying of the Cross rather than the Carrying of Kudos and Accolades. This often means making a U-turn on a One way street that the World is moving along. Then we will definitely hear the blessing of the Lord. Blessed are you because "others have seen you and believed."