From The Bishop

All of us have had doubts at some point in our lives. In the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter we see the apostle Thomas doubting the Resurrection of Jesus. When told that the Risen Lord had appeared, he stated, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in his side, I will not believe.” The important thing about Thomas is that he does not remain in doubt. When the Risen Lord appears a second time in Thomas’ presence, he makes an act of faith: “My Lord and my God.” In the Gospel passage we have a powerful example of the love and mercy of Jesus. The Lord helps Thomas move from uncertainty to faith. He is not condemned for doubting; he is given a second chance to believe. During this Year of Mercy we should all be doing whatever we can to help people to believe in the Lord. We reach out to all those in disbelief and offer the words of Jesus, “Do not doubt, but believe”. A significant way of doing this is through prayer. The Second Sunday of Easter is also Divine Mercy Sunday. On this day we pray in thanksgiving for the love and forgiveness God has given to us; we also pray for all of those in need of God’s mercy. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have yet come to believe.”