The Second Sunday of Easter invites us into the upper room, where fear had locked the disciples behind closed doors. Into that fear, the Risen Jesus enters with a gift the world cannot give: “Peace be with you.” This peace is not the absence of problems but the presence of Christ—wounds and all—standing in the midst of His people.

Among the disciples is Thomas, absent on Easter night and struggling to believe the testimony of his friends. His doubt is not rebellion; it is the cry of a wounded heart longing for certainty. Thomas represents every believer who has ever wrestled with faith, every disciple who has prayed, “Lord, I want to believe—help my unbelief.”

When Jesus returns, He does not scold Thomas. Instead, He invites him: “Put your finger here…do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Jesus meets Thomas exactly where he is, offering His wounds as proof of love. And from Thomas comes one of the greatest confessions in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God.”

This is not merely recognition—it is surrender. Thomas moves from doubt to adoration, from fear to faith, from questioning to proclaiming. This Sunday is also Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast born from the heart of Jesus Himself. The Gospel reveals that mercy is not an idea but a Person. The same Jesus who showed His wounds to Thomas now shows His wounded Heart to the whole world. His message is simple and urgent: “Do not be afraid to draw near to My mercy.”

Divine Mercy is God bending toward our weakness, lifting us from our failures, and restoring our dignity. It is the breath of Jesus that empowers the apostles to forgive sins. It is the river of grace that flows from His pierced side—blood and water—renewing the Church and healing the world.

Today, like Thomas, we are invited to touch the mercy of Christ and to respond with faith: “My Lord and my God.”

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, risen and merciful Savior, enter the locked rooms of our hearts and speak Your peace. Heal our doubts, forgive our sins, and draw us into the ocean of Your Divine Mercy. Like Thomas, may we recognize You in our midst and proclaim with love, “My Lord and my God.” Make us instruments of Your mercy to all we meet. Amen.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley