Doubting Thomas
In the readings at Mass this last Sunday, we heard the story of doubting Thomas. Thomas said he would only believe in Christ’s resurrection when he could see the holes in the Lord’s hands and side for himself. When he finally gets to see, and proclaims his belief, Jesus replies “you believe because you see, but how blessed are those who do not see and still believe. “
Christ Among Us
I have always taken comfort in this verse, as we in this time do not have the chance to see him. But this Sunday when I heard this story for the 200th time, it suddenly dawned on me—we DO see Him! We see him in everyone we lay eyes on: family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and strangers. We are all part of the Body of Christ so when we see each other, we are seeing Christ. An Aha moment if I’ve ever had one. He left us to each other to remind us of Him and teaches us through His actions about how to treat each other.
Grace
I’m sure you have heard of unconditional love—the love a parent has for their child? If you have children, you know how much you love them—well, God loves us that same way—to the nth degree! His grace is all that love freely given and definitely not earned. It is knowing that He has your back and will never leave your side or give up on you. It is GRACE!!!
Mercy
Not only do we not earn the grace He shares with us, we daily fall short of our best selves. Those selves are the life He designed for us and that we often throw away or ignore. Mercy is the punishment we have earned that He does not deal out. Mercy is God saying I love you enough to forgive you.
My Faith
I do not pretend to be a theologian, but I do know that God is real, that He speaks to us (I have heard Him!), and that His love is never ending and the ultimate unconditional love there is. Understanding that belief can be difficult particularly in tragic times. As a Christian I cannot understand how to make it through life without my faith in the Lord. In my most grief-stricken depths, I have not doubted He is there, even when I was angry at Him for taking my loved one away.
Being a Christian does not mean an automatic easy life. He never promised us a rose garden, but He has promised us eternity with Him! And He offers His grace and mercy to get us there.
That’s my prayer to God today from my amazing grace-filled life……