It is Divine Mercy Sunday, the most recent solemnity added to the Church’s liturgical calendar by Pope saint John Paul II. The opening prayer of Mass asks God to give us more grace so that “all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit … reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed.” It seems to me that this is what “doubting Thomas” is trying to do in the Gospel and indeed what our own faith life is about throughout our lives. Faith is not an instant thing but something that has to be continually grasped and struggled with to understand it enough to live it. As I write this I think of my Dad who long ago led us protesting children weekly to the Stations of the Cross in our local parish. Once I lamented — “why, Dad?” His reply: “If you only understood what happened for us on that cross you would not need to ask.” I don’t know about you but I am still trying to understand.
– Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia