Shalom
The
disciples in today’s Gospel must have been so excited to tell Thomas their
news: “We have seen the Lord”. Sometimes,
when we try to share something of our faith experience with others, we can meet
similar responses – doubting, cynicism - we can even be made fun of. The Risen
Jesus bears the wounds of his suffering and even invites Thomas to touch them,
to get in touch with the reality of his suffering. We might recall times when
we have been overwhelmed by pain but looking back on those times we can see
that they sometimes brought us to a different place, to new life. Perhaps today
recall those times of ‘wounded-ness’ – and hear Jesus’s ‘Peace be with you’,
the promise that He is with you. The word “Peace”
(Shalom) is more than a wish for a good evening or peaceful day. It expresses
the desire that the person receiving the blessing might be whole in body, mind
and spirit. The Risen Jesus brings a peace that is life-giving. The disciples were
locked away, afraid, closed off from the world. When Jesus is present with
them, their hearts are opened again, they rejoice. The risen Jesus in today’s
Gospel moves the disciples from total fear and despair to ‘rejoicing’. The same
risen Jesus is active in all our lives and in the world around us.
“Life will always
prevail, through all the layers of death in which we try to contain it.”
Margaret Silf.
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