I asked a friend how can I make my day better, feel more optimistic? He suggested I do two things: 1. Don’t watch the news. 2. Stay off the bathroom scale.
I rediscovered a bestseller titled The Death of Common Sense by Philip Howard. The theme is that government policies have replaced common sense.
The London Times even published an “obituary” about Common Sense. Here are a few 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; that life isn’t always fair; maybe it was my fault; and don’t spend more than you earn.
Let’s hope common sense prevails in our lives, in our federal government and national security, and in our pastimes including sports.
We continue to celebrate the Easter miracle: Jesus Christ is gloriously alive, and because he lives, we live with God’s life.
Have you ever witnessed a miracle? A depressed person resurrected to hope; an addict 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 help create a miracle for someone.
he Book of the Acts 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, 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.
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 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 indicates a future, and so forth. There are also indicators that there’s no God—witness 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. Witness this magnificent planet that points to God.
Thomas concludes, “My Lord and my God.” Yes, Jesus lives, and because he lives, we live. In relationship with God forever. Someday God will transform our bodily existence, like that of the earthy Jesus, transform, 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.”
Let us pray that the gift of faith will empower us to proclaim each day, “My Lord and my God,” to spread the good news of God’s mercy, to help create little miracles by reaching out to someone in need.
