Divine Mercy Sunday
They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
Let Israel now say That his loving kindness endures forever. Let the house of Aaron now say That his loving kindness endures forever. Now let those who fear the Lord say That his loving kindness endures forever.
You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, But the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. "The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
The stone which the builders rejected Has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn't fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, Who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials, That the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ — Whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don't see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, Receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle and said to them, "Peace be to you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone's sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone's sins, they have been retained."
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn't with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
After eight days, again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, "Peace be to you." Then he said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don't be unbelieving, but believing."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
The disciples huddle behind locked doors, paralyzed by fear. Thomas demands physical proof before believing. Yet from these very human moments of doubt and terror, something extraordinary emerges—a community that will transform the world.
Notice the movement in these readings: from locked doors to open hearts, from "unless I see" to "my Lord and my God," from scattered disciples to the vibrant community described in Acts. The resurrection doesn't eliminate our struggles with faith; rather, it meets us precisely in those struggles.
Thomas often gets labeled as the doubter, but there's something profound in his honesty. He voices what many of us feel but hesitate to admit—that faith can be hard, that we sometimes need more than words to believe. Jesus doesn't rebuke this honesty; he accommodates it. He shows up again, offers his wounds as evidence, and meets Thomas exactly where he is.
This same patience extends to us in our daily uncertainties. When we're overwhelmed by a difficult diagnosis, when relationships feel strained, when the news cycle leaves us anxious—these aren't signs of weak faith. They're invitations for Jesus to show up again, to breathe peace into our locked rooms.
The early Christian community in Acts lived with radical generosity and joy because they had encountered this risen Christ who transforms fear into mission. Their "breaking of bread" wasn't just a ritual—it was a lived reminder that death has been defeated, that scarcity is an illusion, that we can risk loving extravagantly.
Peter reminds us that our trials, like Thomas's doubts, can become the very places where faith is refined and proven genuine.
Where in your life might Jesus be inviting you to move from locked doors to open community? How could your honest doubts become doorways to deeper faith? What would change if you truly believed that this day—this ordinary day—is one that the Lord has made?