Saturday, April 22, 2017

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 23.04.2017

Acts 2:42-47 / 1 Peter 1:3-9 / John 20:19-31

Whether we like shopping or not, the ways of shopping have evolved tremendously.

When we think of shopping, what might come to mind are shopping malls, supermarkets, departmental stores, heartland shops, pasar-malam (or night bazaars).

And what we see is what we get. We not only get to see what we are interested in, we get to touch it and feel it.

Of course, some items are nice to touch and hold, but break it and it’s considered sold.

But with the rise of technology and the Internet, shopping has taken on another form, i.e.  online shopping!

From our computer screens, we go “window” shopping at those big online stores like eBay, Qoo10, Lazada, Redmart, and even if we don’t know Chinese we would have heard of Taobao.

Even though we are seated comfortably and just moving the cursor, we can literally shop till we drop. It’s almost like, if you can name it, then you can find it, and buy it.

Online shopping is getting so popular that when we want to buy something, we go online because it is cheaper and better still if it’s free shipping.

And some people can be so into online shopping that even a prayer has emerged out of it: Dear Lord. Please don’t let my husband be at home when all my online orders arrive. Amen.  

The only issue with online shopping is what we see and what we order, may not be what we get. And that’s when disappointment and frustration sets in.

So nothing is as certain as what we see is what we get when we get to touch and feel it, along with all that interaction of bargaining and choosing. 

Now we do not know what kind of shopping profile each of the apostles have. But most probably Thomas, called the twin, is not likely an online shopper.

Because even when the other disciples told him that they have seen the Lord, he answered: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands, and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.

Thomas was not going to believe so easily what the disciples say about having seen the Lord. He himself wants to see the Risen Jesus, and not just see, but to touch, and to even touch those wounds.

To say the least, he could have been very disappointed. He had placed his hopes and dreams on Jesus and it come down, crumbling and crashing at the crucifixion. He lost it all.

Maybe that was why he was not there when Jesus first appeared to His disciples.

He wanted to be left alone and to get up and move on. He didn’t want to be disappointed again. And since the disciples told him that Jesus is risen and is alive, then he wanted to put the Risen Lord to the reality test. So it’s not just seeing, but touching, and touching and feeling those gaping wounds.

In a much lesser way, that is also a bit like our experience of online shopping isn’t it?

What we see on our computer screen excites us so much that we proceed to place an order. Our hopes and dreams begin to build on what we read about what we have ordered.

And then the disappointments come one by one. The shipping is delayed. The wrong item comes in. Or the size is wrong, the colour is not quite like what we saw, or wrong specs, or wrong this and wrong that.

In our frustration and disappointment, we would let fly some scorching reviews and write off online shopping, and go back to the old ways that we are familiar with and certain about.

It is not likely that the online seller would go out of his way to appease us by unconditional exchange of goods or quickly refund our money in order try to restore our faith in online shopping.

And here is where the difference lies. Jesus rose from the dead, He came back to His disciples to restore their faith, He came back again just for Thomas to lift him from his disappointment and even granted his request by letting him touch His wounds.

And that is the love and mercy of the Risen Jesus, the mercy that we celebrate on this Divine Mercy Sunday.

His glorious Resurrection is expressed tenderly in His love and mercy for His disciples and especially for Thomas.

And that love and mercy is also shown to us through His wounds. 

Because in those wounds of Jesus, we can also see our own wounds – wounds of disappointment, hurt, shame, rejection, frustration, envy, jealousy.

His wounds are the marks of His suffering in order to save us. By His wounds we are healed.

We look at the wounds of Jesus and the life-size statue of Jesus at the entrance shows us the wounds of His hands.

Through those wounds, Jesus is offering us mercy and healing. 

Yes, as we look at those wounds, we may also want to touch those wounds and with St. Thomas we too say “My Lord and my God”.

Jesus came to heal Thomas; He comes now to heal our wounds. Let us show Him our wounds and let Him touch it, and we will be forgiven and healed.