For Sunday Easter 2A
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading
Reflection
Poor Thomas. He gets a bad rep for his supposed “doubting” here, but let’s clarify a few things. It doesn’t say he actually did doubt. Jesus brings it up, but not to call Thomas out but to contrast belief with doubt — he is saying blessing goes to those who believe without verifying.
The lesson here is two-fold. He speaks to these disciples, most of whom are hiding rather than serving. Only Thomas seems willing to venture out into the world. Which means only Thomas is doing what Jesus commanded. So when Jesus appears to the screwups, Thomas gets jealous. Wouldn’t you?
I suspect it is the other disciples that needed the appearance more than Thomas. His appeal, then, is about getting what the others got. So when Jesus comes a second time and gives Thomas what he gave the others, what does he say? Blessed are those who have no choice but to trust without seeing. In other words, none of them is so blessed! And yet everyone who they talk to may be!
The Easter stories offer the twin themes of action and relationship. In Jesus, we are blessed by his action and blessed by participating ourselves. And we are blessed in our relationship with God, with neighbor, and with ourselves. In this way, we are connected to this moment, not just because it happened and we go to church and hear about it, but because these stories and these people we serve with provide us with an invitation to believe in ways that truly bless us.