The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
A new kind of prayer entered my heart lately. “Lord, please save me from myself.”
I remember entering the Advent season feeling frustrated with myself for letting all “the small things” rob me of my peace and occupy my thoughts when I should be preparing my heart and mind for our Saviour’s birth! What I realized on Christmas day was that all the anxiety, doubt, distraction, and restlessness I was experiencing and wanted so badly to be alleviated from, was just me being human.
In my own broken humanness, I was able to connect deeply with the humanity of Christ.
When we see Jesus’ resurrected body, He didn’t erase the wounds on His hand and His side. In fact, He showed them to His beloved disciples - a sign of His suffering and victory; His humanity and divinity on display, ready to teach them about God’s love and mercy.
No one understands our innermost needs better than the God who chose to become one of us. Jesus, fully understanding our humanity, wasn’t upset at Thomas for wanting proof (and what a human thing to do! Pics or it didn’t happen, right?). Instead, He responds with mercy and compassion, drawing him close and allowing His friend to see and touch his wounds.
Christ’s mercy transforms the way we see things. Thomas didn’t see it with his eyes, but Jesus taught him how to see and believe with his heart. He teaches us that the way to overcome our doubts and fears, is to have faith - to believe that Jesus is the Son of God as expressed in the second reading.
It’s also because he understands us so intimately that Jesus gives his disciples an extraordinary commission. He grants them the authority to extend God's divine mercy to forgive our sins, reconciling us back to the Father, through the Son, with the help of His Spirit. Only when we lean into our humanity do we recognize just how much we need God's mercy and grace.
He understands the movements of our heart, and much like the disciples in the upper room when Jesus appeared, we are more than just safe in God's presence, we are saved by His mercy.
And so, on this Divine Mercy Sunday, I invite you to lean into your humanity as Jesus did. Let Him be your strength and courage. Seek Him in the Sacrament of Confession. Accept and receive His mercy, allowing it to transform you and bring you peace.
Gabrielle Alvear is a woman in tech and visual storyteller living in Canada. She loves journalling, Doctor Who and having long conversations with God through Scripture. When she's not helping to lead Youth and Young Adult Ministries at her parish, you'll find her curled up with a book and sipping on tea. You can check out her bookish adventures here.