Have you ever wondered what it was like to be in that upper room with the disciples after the death of Jesus? What it must have felt like as they huddled together in fear thinking that they could be next to die? All that despair, doubt and confusion that permeated their existence. It most certainly would make them want to cry out, “My Lord and my God.”
But as we place ourselves in that room with the disciples, there’s one key fact that we often overlook: Jesus comes and stands in their midst. He doesn’t knock. There’s no big introduction. Jesus just comes. The encounter takes place even though the disciples did not ask Jesus to come. Jesus enters into their lives, and once he’s in, Jesus simply gives them peace by breathing on them.
This very breath takes us back to the Book of Genesis when God breathed life into the nostrils of human dust which then became a living person. When Jesus breathes on the disciples, they are filled with the Holy Spirit – or with new life that comes from God – and they are suddenly raised from the dust of fear and despair. Jesus offers us this very same peace, especially when we are feeling confused, stressed out, or seeking answers to our problems. When these things happen to us, we need to stop, pray, and find the peace that only God can offer when we are in the midst of our struggles.
Now, Thomas somehow was not in the room where it happened. But when he does return, he simply cannot believe what he missed.
He wants to believe, but he desires to see it for himself. Thomas is looking for a personal experience or a personal encounter of his own.
And I think that’s why all of us tend to relate to Thomas. We believe, but we wish we could experience more. We want to have that personal encounter with our Lord; but more often than not, we just sit around waiting for that encounter to happen. But sometimes, if we want to encounter Jesus, we often have to make the first move. If we want to walk on water, we have to get out of the boat!
Several years ago, I volunteered at a homeless shelter in Aurora. I had some ideas of what it would be like, but I was way off. I saw people of different races and nationalities. I saw single adults, but I also saw families with children. I saw people who looked exactly like me, who through some misfortune or bad luck, found themselves homeless.
I witnessed people who had lost everything. One of my jobs during that day was the keeper of the keys that opened the lockers that each resident was given. One woman needed to get into her locker, so I walked her downstairs to the room where the lockers were. When I opened her locker, I couldn’t help but notice what little was inside. Everything that she had left to her name fit in that small locker. My heart sank in my chest. “My Lord and my God.”
Despite all their struggles, each resident showed a deep appreciation for all of the volunteers and staff. When I left that day, the residents hugged me and thanked me for spending the day with them.
I went back to my car and wept. I placed my hands in Jesus’ side and encountered Jesus that day, and like Thomas, I was forever changed.
It was an encounter like this that led me to start up our new Parish Social Outreach Ministry here at St. Hubert. It is all about being the disciples that Jesus wants us to be by becoming active in direct service ministries (like food pantries, clothing drives, etc.) but also those social change ministries (like legislative advocacy, community organizing, etc.). It’s introducing Catholics in the middle pew to the wounded Christ again and again. As activist Dorothy Day once said, “Good social ministry comforts the afflicted while afflicting the comfortable.” That’s what this new ministry is all about. It’s about putting people in situations where they can be deeply moved by their experiences. It’s about bridging the gaps between those who live in comfortable environments and those struggling in human suffering.
I’m excited to announce that we will be starting a new Prison Ministry. It’s a little-known fact that St. Hubert (the man) visited those who were imprisoned. We will follow in his legacy by working with Kolbe House in Chicago, a ministry that serves individuals and families who have been affected by incarceration. They provide pastoral accompaniment for families with a loved one in jail and help meet the immediate needs of those individuals when they are released. They help others encounter God. You don’t have to meet with the inmates in prison (although that’s an option), but there is plenty to do to challenge injustices where we see them and strive for peace and reconciliation.
If Prison Ministry is not your thing, we have plenty of other community outreach ministries that need your help. Check out our parish website or email me for more information. If we want to truly encounter Christ, we need to place ourselves in the service of others.
Jesus often comes into our lives without any action on our part. But sometimes, he calls us to take the first step. Every encounter with Jesus is life changing, and repeated encounters with Jesus promote our on-going relationship with Christ.
Thomas didn’t come to believe because he saw the risen Jesus but because he witnessed the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and the gift of mercy. Therefore, we must find a way to leave the safety of our upper rooms (our comfort zones) and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us so we can go out into the world and make a difference.
May we strive to lose all self-doubt and find the courage to take the first step, place our hands in Jesus’ side, touch the nail marks, and encounter Christ by living out our call to discipleship.
“My Lord and my God!”
Want to turn your grief into unimaginable joy? Read this.
Amen
Thank you for such a moving post.