Jesus' Show and Tell

~~~ Divine Mercy ~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 5:12-16 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~

~~~ REV 1:9-11A, 12-13, 17-19 ~~~ John 20:19-31 ~~~

 “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

The disciples locked themselves in a secluded room.

because they were afraid of the Jews.

Jesus knew that if they camped out in that room

they would be controlled by their fears.

He could not allow that to happen.

So Jesus finds them and brings them his peace.

Jesus appears in this locked room where 

the disciples thought they were safe.

He wastes no time in calming their fears with his peace.

...he breathed on them and said to them,

"Receive the Holy Spirit..."

They are confirmed in this blessing from Jesus.

It is the Holy Spirit that will give them the 

courage needed to leave that room.

But Jesus still had one issue to deal with;

Thomas. 

Thomas wanted to believe the others 

as they shared their sightings of Jesus,

but could not.

Thomas, for whatever reason, was not locked

 in the room with the others.

We do not know where he was at the time.

We do not know if he too was afraid of the Jews.

Maybe he was the only one who had 

the courage to be among the locals.

Maybe he returned to his former life 

thinking it was business as usual.

Maybe he believed Jesus was really gone.

Maybe he thought the others created a vision of Jesus,

because they missed him so much.

Just maybe it was all in their head.

It is not unusual, after losing a loved one,

 that you notice other people that seem to be 'look a likes'. 

“Have you come to believe because 

you have seen me?

Blessed are those who 

have not seen and have believed.”

A week later Jesus comes again to this locked room;

this time Thomas was with the others.

Does Jesus come back only for Thomas?

Does Jesus come back because they all need another

inoculation of the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps it is a combination of both reasons.

Yes Thomas did want to see and feel.

But the others needed to witness

 just how much Jesus cared for Thomas too.

These things are recorded for our sake.

We are the ones who missed the Jesus 'show and tell'.

We are the ones who now must believe without seeing.

We are the ones who now reflect 

on what happened in the looked room.

...these are written that you may come to believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

This is recorded for you and me.

Today we can choose to hear this 

Gospel as just another story

or as proof that through

 believing in the Resurrection

 we too may have life in his name.

...do not be unbelieving, but believe...

Words spoken today for us.

If you believe then you will tell others.

Divine Mercy Sunday

is the wonderful time to deepen your beliefs.

Once again Jesus showed himself 

through one of his beloved.

Peace be with you!

~Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia~

Fearful Yet Overjoyed

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 28:8-15 ~~~

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary

 went away quickly from the tomb,

fearful yet overjoyed,

and ran to announce the news to his disciples.

On the third day those who believed in Jesus

were fearful and overjoyed at the same time.

They were fearful because of the unknown.

They were fearful because they were known

 to be followers of Jesus.

They were fearful for their own safety.

At the same time they were overjoyed.

They were overjoyed because Jesus 

was no longer in the tomb.

They were overjoyed because he just might

 have been telling them the truth.

Finally they were overjoyed because Jesus appeared to them.

Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.

Jesus appeared to calm their fears.

Jesus appeared to assure the women 

he had indeed been raised from the dead.

Jesus appeared to the women

to comfort them in their time of fearful sorrow.

Jesus appeared to them because he wanted to dispel any doubt.

God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,

because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

God raised Jesus from death...

he alone has power over death.

God can not be held in death; because God is life itself.

The Resurrection of Jesus is more about

 life than it is about death.

God creates life from nothing.

God is the Creator of life even when 

it appears that death has won.

God breathed the Spirit of Life

into the person of Jesus.

God allowed Jesus to be seen for a few

 times after his Resurrection.

Now the Roman officials are to experience fear...

fear of the unknown.

"Where is Jesus?"

They told lies to cover up their fear...

'His disciples came by night 

and stole him while we were asleep.'

Jesus soon meets his beloved apostles on the beach.

The beach where he called them to follow him.

The beach where they gladly left their nets behind 

to become fishers of men.

Never underestimate the plans of God;

they truly are Divine.

Share the joy of those who saw the 

Resurrected Jesus

it's blessings last forever.

~~~Peace~~~

~~~Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia~~~

Overjoyed...Released from Death

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33 ~~~  Psalm 16 ~~~ Matthew 28:8-15 ~~~

...fearful yet overjoyed...

We know too well what fearful looks like and feels like,

but how would you express overjoyed?

Throughout the Scriptures we have examples of those who were overjoyed 

by the miracles Jesus performed.

...Walking....Seeing...Hearing...

Many people are overjoyed today too.

Imagine the survivor after having lost both legs, walks again 

on their prosthetic legs...

...the stoke victim who learns to speak again...

or the liver transplant recipient who is no longer facing eminent death.

We too can find times in our life when we have been overjoyed.

Sometimes even things we feared can transform into sources of joy.

We fear the unknown; we are overjoyed by the known.

And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.

I can just imagine Martha and Mary seeing Jesus,

looking at one another and 

saying, He really has been raised!

Maybe they even jumped in the air with joy

right before they fell to their knees to kiss his feet.

At that very moment nothing could take away their joy.

But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

Saint Paul says it well...

it was impossible for death to hold on to Jesus.

For Jesus death was the price he paid for our salvation...

it was never meant to be a permanent state.

Because we too believe in the Resurrection.

Death is not meant to be permanent for us either.

What we feel overjoyed by today 

does not compare to the joy awaiting for us in heaven.

May all your fears transpire into being overjoyed.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Overjoyed with Blessings!