Second of Easter (Jn. 20:19-31) "The Lesson of Suffering"
Second Sunday of Easter (Jn. 20:19-31) “The Lesson of Suffering”
When we gaze at Jesus on the cross it is difficult to understand how the suffering Jesus can bring healing to the world. But that is indeed the case. A minister is most affective when they have gone through the crucible of suffering.
A story is told of a Maryknoll missionary sister who had worked in El Salvador. She acknowledged to a retreat group that as she was serving among the desperately poor in El Salvador, she completely stopped believing in God’s mercy. Still, she remained in her mission because she loved the people. She could not abandon them as other ministers had abandoned them.
A series of events caused her to believe in God’s mercy once more. She had a hard time explaining why her attitude changed, but she knew it had. The brutal martyrdom of several of her fellow missionaries was the catalyst for the renewal of her faith in God. She gained a new vision regarding her vocation. Suddenly she felt united in a new way. She felt one with the suffering Body of Christ in El Salvador. She felt ready to offer her very life for others.
Another story describes a similar experience. Elie Wiesel was imprisoned in the concentration camp at Auschwitz because he was a Jew in the 1940’s. He was only fifteen when he was arrested. During his time in the camp, he witnessed many terrible events.
One episode he describes is haunting and inspiring at the same time. Someone had tried to sabotage the camp. Two men and a twelve-year-old boy were arrested. The three were sentenced to death by hanging. The Gestapo thought that this would be a deterrent to further problems. The three victims were led by the rest of the prisoners on their way to the gallows. A man cried out as they went by, “Where is God?” Elie Wiesel was startled by the cry.
When the two men were hung, they died right away. The boy however was too light. His neck did not break. Minutes went by as the boy slowly strangled. The same prisoner cried out again, “Where is God?” Elie Wiesel’s thought he heard another voice cry out. “God is at the end of the rope.” Elie Wiesel, from that moment on had a new sense of faith. He made it through the horrors of the camp. Elie came to see that God was not absent when there was pain, but God was most present when there is anguish. He fought for peace and justice the rest of his life. He never wanted people to forget the inhumanity he saw.
The spiritual truth is that we don’t usually have a deep, lasting faith until we experience woundedness. We should not be surprised by this. All we must do is look at the New Testament that proclaims this truth. St. Paul writes to a persecuted community in 2nd Corinthians saying in 1st Chapter of that work, “As we have shared much in the suffering of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation. If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation and when we are consoled it is for your consolation.”
When we see Thomas confronted by the risen Jesus it’s interesting to observe what the proof is that Jesus is risen. Our Lord points to his wounds. He asks Thomas to probe the nail marks in his hands and feet, to put a hand into his side. The wounds were the proof. The wounds caused Thomas to move from disbelief to belief. The death that should have destroyed faith led to faith for innumerable people in the history of the world.
We can recall the crucifixion scene when Jesus was mocked as he was dying on the cross. What was said? Some in the crowd asked where Jesus’ Father was in his time of need. The centurion in the Gospel of Mark said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Thomas, after seeing the wounds of Jesus, knelt before him saying, “My Lord and my God.”
Jesus’ final remark challenges us today. He utters a beatitude. Beatitudes are spread throughout the scriptures. A beatitude presents a juxtaposition. Jesus says, “You became believer because you saw me. Blest are they who have not seen and have believed.” Perhaps another way to put it would be blest are they who see the suffering Christ in the world today, who see him in the struggles of others, and blest are they if this causes them to believe, and to be rich in mercy.
Reflection Questions:
1. When I feel wounded how do I react? Is it with faith or doubt?
2. Do I know someone who has great faith despite terrible suffering? Who is that?
Dear Parishioners,
We received the bids back for the new addition to our church. This is the third phase of our Today, Tomorrow, Together, campaign. The bids have been sent to the Diocese of Peoria and we hope to have approval to begin construction soon. If things go well, we should be doing site work by the 1st of June.
We have not had an open meeting since late last year. The building committee would like to share the information about bids and some simple renderings of the new building. This is a busy time of year for all, but we would like to keep people informed.
The open meeting will be Sunday May 1st at 3 p.m. It will be in Culemans Hall. It should last about an hour. If you cannot be at the meeting the presentation will be available on our WEB site after the meeting.
We received a lot of feedback last fall during numerous meetings. The Building Committee invested long hours trying to incorporate what we heard. If you would like to see the final design and get financial information join us Sunday May 1st.
May Our Lady of Peace reign in our world.
Fr. Mark