April 23, 2006 - Second Sunday of Easter - Father Fred Myers

FIRST READING: Acts 4:32-35
SECOND READING: John 1: 1-2; 2
GOSPEL: John 20: 19-31

When I was active in the Diocese of Western Michigan, I took part in the Cursillo movement; and I spent about ten weekends with Christians, gathered together, singing and praising God and learning about the Church and about God and so on. One of the songs that they sang - I don't know if it quite qualifies as a hymn - but one of the songs that they sang was, "Have You Seen Jesus, My Lord?" Now, I am not going to sing it for you. You would walk out! But I am going to give you the words, because, to me, the words are very important. The words and the music were written by John Fisher, and it is kind of a camp song; but, to me, it has a lot of meaning.

The refrain goes like this:

Have you seen Jesus, My Lord?
He's here in plain view.
Take a look; open your eyes.
He'll show it to you.

Then the verses:

Have you ever looked at the sunset, with the sky mellowing red?
And the clouds suspended like feathers.
Then I say, you've seen Jesus, my Lord.

Have you ever stood at the ocean, with the white foam at your feet?
Felt the endless thundering motion.
Then I say, you've seen Jesus, my Lord.

Have you ever looked at the Cross, with a man hanging in pain?
And the look of love in His eyes.
Then I say, you've seen Jesus, my Lord.

Have you seen Jesus, My Lord?
He's here in plain view.
Take a look; open your eyes.
He'll show it to you.


Can you imagine what those disciples felt? We assume that they were the apostles, because they were the ones who were sent forth, which is what apostle means, ones sent forth. The apostles were in that upper room, that room where they had gathered before, and all the things of Holy Week had gone on before - the Last Supper, the foot-washing, the Crucifixion, and the empty tomb. They had been through all that commotion that was going on around them - the police, the religious police coming to arrest Jesus and take Him away; and the scourging, and the mocking - they had all witnessed that. They were all a part of it, and they were a part of this movement that Jesus was leading - not intentionally leading a movement, but it was there - and they were all a part of it. And so they were in this upper room on that very night of the empty tomb, and I can imagine how fearful they were and how full of fear they might have been, for fear that they, too, might be captured and taken and crucified or tortured. And so, the doors were locked. Then, suddenly, something happened. Jesus appeared to them, and what did He do? He showed them the wounds in his hands and the wound in his side, and He said to them, "Shalom! Peace! The peace of God be with you! Stop fearing! Don't be afraid! Shalom!" He said it twice.

We don't know what happened after that, but, anyway, Thomas wasn't there. Poor Thomas! But, I can imagine that Thomas probably went off by himself, because he just couldn't handle this. He couldn't handle it. He didn't want to be with those guys. It was too hard for him, and so he wanted to be off by himself, perhaps. We don't know that for sure, but perhaps that was why he wasn't there. Then, when he did meet them again, they were so excited. They said, "You know what? We have seen the Lord! We have seen the Lord!" And Thomas said, "Whoa! Wait a minute. That sounds good, but, until I witness something, I am going to have trouble believing it". Then, our Lord, in His infinite love - with the love of God showing through Jesus one more time - appears when Thomas is with them. He says, "Shalom! The peace of the Lord be with you! Don't be afraid! Thomas, take a look. Here I am. Look at my wounds". That is a strange thing. Don't you think that is strange? - to look at wounds so that you can believe?

Have you seen Jesus, my Lord? Have you seen Him dying on the cross? Have you seen Him in the wounds around you?

And Thomas, of course, believed. I love the words in John's Gospel. To me, they are some of the most powerful words that are written there. Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" My Lord and my God! What a testimony! There he has seen Jesus and has seen His wounds.

Do you see Jesus in the wounds that we encounter this day? Do you see Jesus out of your fear? Do you see Jesus in the wounds that are around you?

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to visit a young man who was dying. He was dying from AIDS, and, of course, I tried to be my best priestly self and remember all the things I learned in clinical pastoral education about what you are supposed to say and what you are not supposed to say, what you are supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do. And I just sat there, and I talked with this man. In the course of the conversation, he said to me, "Father, I am not afraid. I am not afraid". Oh, my gosh! What a testimony! What a testimony to me that I can see the love of Jesus in this man's eyes and in his life. In his wounds, I have seen Jesus, my Lord - my Lord and my God. The peace, the Shalom that overcame me was almost overwhelming. Tears came to my eyes. Here was an individual whom I went to minister to, but who ministered to me and showed me the love of God.

Jesus is here among us. His love is with us. We need to share those kinds of stories with one another about how God, through Jesus, manifests God's Self, the love that is for all of us, the Shalom that belongs to each and every one of us.

As John says in his Gospel; "I didn't write these things to impress you. I wrote these things that you might come to know Jesus - that you might come to know Jesus and have faith in the love of God". God's love is everywhere among us. It is in the wounds. It is in the dirt. It is in the everyday life. God's love is there for each and every one of us. All we have to do is open our eyes.

Have you seen Jesus, my Lord?
He's here in plain view.

AMEN