Reflection on the Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy)

When I was younger, I was envious of the apostle Thomas’s access to evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. Wouldn’t it be great to be sure – even if forever after I were called Doubting Mary Ann. But now – I’ve paid my money, and I’ve made my choices. That is, I’ve lived my life, worked, prayed, loved, sorrowed, delighted in life, all that goes into a life. And now evidence of things unseen isn’t on my mind. I don’t know, and I’m content to not know. 

The evidence that matters to me is the report of the Acts of the Apostles in the first reading: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Really, I considered re-reading this entire first reading to you all.  It fills me with joy.

Natalie Gavaria and I manage the Wednesday Mission Message that you may receive in your mailbox. We’ve considered publishing an essay about the burden of living with the daily news of cruelty. We put the topic on a list. But what we been publishing are accounts of joy: No Kings Day, sign waving on Wednesdays in Lebanon, lovely essays by some of the justice fellows about their own growth and development, the hard immigration work of Denver Community members, JoAnn and Susan’s meditations about nature and the life of the spirit.

This past Tuesday, Maureen Fiedler, Sue Rogers, Jennifer Haines, Aggie Hoorman, Eileen Custy and I were at the dinner table. Eileen quoted an admonition of novice mistress Sister Martha that some of us slathered large pieces of bread with butter – clearly the wrong way to eat toast at breakfast. Aggie offered that some tip their heads to one side in an effort to look holy. Sue assessed that they may breathe only out of one nostril. We all teased Jennifer that we would sing happy birthday to her next year while she was presiding at a Communion service. Our waiter Ashley found gravy in the refrigerator for Maureen’s turkey and brought it hot in a small dish. Kindness and nonsense. Small stories and bits of jokes.

In times of cruelty we do our best to live out resistance in the street and in church but at the dinner table we take refuge in small moments of shared affection. Jesus showing his wounded hands to all the disciples and then again to doubting Thomas – that’s giving witness to harsh reality. Acts’ description of community life in that first reading – “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and with sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.” – That’s joy.

Acts doesn’t say that while the Christians were enjoying supper together the Roman emperors were enjoying the spectacle of lions eating up the Christians. Our lives and our love for one another are our expression of faith, evidence of things unseen.