Mercy, love, hope: Homily for Sunday, April 27, 2025

In some ways, all Thomas wanted was the experience the other apostles had. He may have doubted in today’s gospel, but he gave his life for Jesus. On Divine Mercy Sunday, and the day of the funeral for Pope Francis, we are reminded of mercy, love, hope. Readings for Today.

Mercy, love, hope

I have a soft spot for Thomas. And I do in particular because of this gospel. You know, we have the expression “doubting Thomas.” And really, when we look at the way in which things unfolded in the gospel, we see that Thomas simply wanted what the other apostles had already received.

Proof that it was the same Jesus, the one they had followed, the one they had put their hope in. They wanted to know it was the same Jesus who was risen from the dead. And he was not settling a score.

We might think that Jesus came back so that he could really then lay into the apostles for leaving him, abandoning him at his time of most need. But how often is it in these encounters that Jesus begins by saying, “Peace be with you.” Peace.

And Thomas believed once he had encountered Jesus, which is the same way that all of the other apostles came to believe as well. But I think this gospel is particularly important on this Divine Mercy Sunday because there are people who find it difficult, if not impossible, to believe that God loves them and that God can forgive them when they sin.

There are people who carry around a toxic relationship with God, with themselves, and with others. But what we see in today’s gospel is Jesus reminding the apostles that it is a relationship of love, that Jesus has overcome sin and death, and Jesus longs to forgive our sins, to call us into a new and more powerful relationship than we ever thought possible because of his love.

Today, Jesus says to you, “Peace be with you.” And he says to you, “I can forgive your sins. Seek my mercy. Seek my forgiveness. Know that I am not the God of the dead, but of the living, and I want you to live forever.

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