These are exciting times. I recently rediscovered a bestseller titled The Death of Common Sense by Philip Howard. The thrust is that government policies have replaced common sense.
A newspaper even published an “obituary” about Common Sense. Here are some excerpts:
Common Sense will be remembered for cultivating such valuable lessons as: knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn’t always fair; maybe it was my fault; and don’t spend more than you earn.
The point is many things are simply a matter of good judgment. Let’s hope common sense prevails in our lives, in our congress and national security, and in our pastimes like baseball.
The Scripture readings also bring back exciting times. We continue to celebrate the Easter miracle: Jesus Christ lives, and because he lives, we live.
Have you ever witnessed a miracle? I have. A depressed person resurrected to hope; an alcoholic resurrected to sobriety; a troubled marriage resurrected to renewed love; an angry man resurrected to mercy. We can help create little miracles every day. Today, think about how you can create a miracle for someone.
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles carries us
back to the beginnings of the Christian community. They were a family who
looked out for one another, who cared deeply. That community is a role model for us.
The Letter of John emphasizes what unites us: our faith in Jesus Christ; our spiritual birth in baptism; our partaking sacramentally in the body and blood of Jesus Christ; and our fidelity to a way of life. As Mother Teresa said simply but profoundly: God does not ask us to be successful, but to be faithful.
In the Gospel according to John, we have a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus. We have no idea what the Risen Christ looked like—he could pass through locked doors, as he had exited from a sealed tomb. He could appear and disappear.
And then the Risen Christ breathed upon the disciples, through the energy of the Spirit, the gifts of wisdom, love, courage, peace, and forgiveness: gifts that we too possess, gifts that contribute to the well-being of all people.
But the skeptical Thomas wasn’t there that day. A week later, Jesus appears again. Jesus urges "believe." Then Thomas makes that awesome declaration of faith: “My Lord and my God.”
We know little to nothing about Thomas. But we can easily relate to the doubter or questioner. To be human is to question. We can also relate to the deep desire to believe. Christianity proposes that we were born to be in relationship with God. Otherwise, we will experience a hunger, a feeling that something is missing. St. Augustine, in his classic autobiography Confessions, captured this hunger eloquently: “Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you, O God.”
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the
life.” In Jesus, we find life where there was death. Yes, every human being is
made in the image of God. But we are fallen human beings. It does matter
how we live. Good and bad, light and darkness, generosity and selfishness, live
within us.
That's why we cry out for healing and mercy, which we celebrate today: divine mercy. Only in Jesus can we find the way. Through the mystery of his dying and rising, Jesus has freed us from death so that we can live in relationship with God forever. Christianity challenges us to live life authentically, to be true to our own selves.
Now there are many indicators pointing to God: the universe presupposes an orderer (just as a watch presupposes a watchmaker); hope presupposes a future, and so forth. There are also indicators that there’s no God—the evil that people sometimes do.
Fortunately, faith in God is a calculated risk. Blaise Pascal, a 17th century mathematician, inventor and philosopher, wagered this:
•
One does not know
empirically whether God exists.
•
Not believing in God is
bad for one’s eternal soul if God exists.
•
Believing is of no
consequence if God does not exist.
• Therefore, it is a safer bet to believe in God.
So, believe.
Thomas concludes, “My Lord and my God.” Yes, Jesus lives, and because he lives, we live. In relationship with God forever. Someday this bodily existence, like that of Jesus, will be transformed, into a new kind of spiritual embodiment. That's why we hear at every funeral mass, “For those who believe, life is not taken away, life is merely changed.”
