Breakthrough

THE STORY is told about a guru who ordered the Ashram cat to be tied during the evening worship so as not to disturb the worshippers. After the guru died, the cat continued to be tied, and when the cat died, another cat was brought to the Ashram so that it could be tied during the evening worship. And so it was that years and years later, many treatises were written by the guru's scholarly disciples on the liturgical significance of tying up a cat during worship.

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In today's Gospel (Jn. 20, 19-31), disciple Thomas doubted Jesus' resurrection. "Unless I see the mark of the nails on His hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." Thomas must have reaped criticisms from his fellow disciples then, but on hindsight now, it was precisely his doubt that erased all our doubts about the resurrection. Were it not for Thomas' probing and doubting mind, the resurrection story would have been treated with lots of scholarly treatises and empty tales like that of the Ashram cat.

The pursuit of truth is never easy. We salute people who sincerely search for it, for they have an important role to play in this world searching for the truth. What role do you play? Do you expose the truth? Stifle the truth? Manipulate the truth? Spread the truth? Are you an ally or an enemy of the truth?

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I can't help but notice the emotions that swamped the disciples after Jesus' resurrection. There was a lot of joy, but there was also a lot of fear. Their doors were locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus' greeting to them was: "Peace be with you." We have joys, but they're often seldom and fragile. We have fears, but they're often unfounded, but plenty. May Jesus' greeting of peace permeate all our joys and fears. Are you happy? Be at peace. Are you afraid? Be at peace, for God is a God who blesses all our joys and fears.

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A good question to raise is why Thomas was not with the disciples on the evening of the first day of the week. Where was he? All the other disciples were together, behind closed doors. Was he the only one who braved the outside world? Was he still investigating the empty tomb? Or did the other disciples lock him out? A week later, he was already with the other disciples behind closed doors. Were the disciples able to convince him to join them? Fr. Nielo Cantilado, SVD, rightly points out here the role of the community as "a source of mutual reassurance in time of fear, confusion and uncertainty." How do we treat people who are in the periphery or outside our circle of family, friends and community? Do we bring people in, or do we shut people out? Are you a cave that takes people in, or are you a wall that shuts people out?

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If we are not busy enlarging the circle, reaching out and going forth, then we are not being true to the spirit of the resurrection. If we are busy putting up our fences and strengthening our defenses, amassing wealth and holding on to our comfort zones, then we are still living in the tomb.

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What we need today are people who are active in the Lord's army and not people in the secret service who sign up only during Christmas and Easter. What have you done, and what are you doing to help spread the resurrection story? If you pass on a beautiful text or e-mail message to others, why don't you pass on the greatest story ever told about a God who loved us so much that He gave His only Son who suffered, died and rose again that we may have eternal life?

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Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. More and more, I realize that beyond divine justice and divine love, there is divine mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve. Love is getting what we don't deserve. Mercy is getting something, whether deserved or not. In all our dealings, may we constantly go beyond justice, and beyond love and move on to mercy, and there, find God. May our constant earnest prayer be "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

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"To those I have wronged, I ask for pardon. To those I have helped, I wish I did more. To those who helped me, I am very grateful." I received this touching message from friends last Holy Week, and I would like to borrow these lines myself for all of you out there. May we not wait for our final moments before we say these lines. May we say "Thank you, I'm sorry, I love you" at any and every moment of our lives.

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By the way, have you heard of "payback time"? Some people are so engrossed in getting and hoarding, so much so that they forget that they should be busy giving and paying back what God and what life itself have given to them. Life has been good to you? Give back something to life. The world has been good to you? Give back something to the world. God has been good to you? Give back yourself to God. Otherwise, you will not go back to Him.

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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, help me to break through the walls of my gloom and tomb. Amen.