Or some monasteries and idealistically minded communities are examples of such unity.
In the first reading we hear that the first Christian community was of one heart and one mind. They shared all their possessions with others. So there was nobody in need, says the Acts of Apostles. This is a very nice report of unity and community- which must be our dreams too.
I think the most important miracle that happened after the resurrection of Jesus, is the unity among the disciples of Jesus. Then when they were together with Jesus, they had some difficulties to understand each other;
there were also discussions about "importance and greatness" among them.
Here we see that the death and resurrection of Jesus unites the disciples.
They are of one heart and one soul. They live these very important values in the community. It happens in the love. There is a trust among them.
We know, Love and Trust are very important in human life.
When these are violated, then the relations are destroyed;
then the people go in despair.
Today we hear in the gospel, that Jesus appears to his disciples.
One can see two parts here:
At first we hear about the appearance of Jesus to the disciples. Jesus talked to them, showed his hands and his side. The disciples saw him; they were happy and were very excited about Jesus. As the climax, he gives them the Holy Spirit and power to forgive Sins.
In the second part we see the story about Apostle Thomas. He is very disappointed with the events happened in his absence. Because he was called "Didymus”- “Twins". That means, there was some special bond between Jesus and Thomas. Now Jesus, one of the twins appears in his absence, and Thomas become a loser - no vision of Jesus,
no gift of the Spirit and no power of forgiveness.
That makes him blind and he was so sticking on his conditions.
He goes further - he not only wanted to see Jesus but also to touch his body and wounds. It means he wanted to feel Jesus better and closer.
That does not doubt the divinity of Jesus and his power. One can find out his frustration in these words. This despair is simply out of frustration, because he loved Jesus so extreme.
The Gospel - John 11, 16 - gives us an example of his love of Jesus.
" Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’ ". He says this as all the other disciples were afraid of Jews. That means Thomas was basically a deeply religious man.
This deep faith of Thomas, we see at the end of the Gospel:
His confession is unique: "My Lord and My God".
John uses the word "Theos". It is not just ‘a god’, but Jesus is the personal Lord and God of Thomas. This is the total submission. I think after the resurrection of Jesus there was not such a strong testimony from any other disciples.
The Apostle Thomas is the symbol for all of us who values love and union but sometimes gets hurted and disappointed. Apostle Thomas had the fortune to preserve his inner faith even in the midst of despair and disappointments. He could see and touch Jesus as he wished.
This made him from disbelieving disciple to a strong Apostle of Jesus.
Similar experiences were there for almost all the apostles, especially after the resurrection of Jesus. As they experienced the love and acceptance of Jesus in his words and appearances, they lived this in the early church – and could lead others to be one heart and one soul.
Let us ask God for His grace and mercy – on this Divine Mercy Sunday - as the Apostle Thomas, as the other disciples of Jesus, to preserve us in faith and to proclaim him, in and through our lives even unexpected disappointments and questions are confronted there.
May God bless us all, through the Apostle Thomas. Amen!
-Fr Thomas Kalathil
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