April 15, 2007
Second Sunday of Easter

Wounded Christ

We have come again to Thomas Sunday also known as "doubting Thomas Sunday". Thomas could easily be the patron saint of modern people. The Gospel tells us that Thomas was known as the twin, it's possible he was an identical twin, and as such, he would have known all about mistaken identity. He would have known how easy it is to be wrong about something, even when we see it with our own eyes.

The possibility of seeing someone that looks like Jesus, even though remote, was not impossible, at least to someone with the experience of being mistaken for someone else. They had received news that Jesus' body was not in the tomb and that angels had announced to them that he is risen. All this could lead them to believe that now he is in great glory; with this said, it is important for us to remember that Jesus does not come to the disciples in a blaze of glory surrounded by angels, rather he comes quietly. He seems to surprise the disciples, and he comes with his wounds; the wounded savior coming to his wounded disciples. He is not all neat and tidy, but still bears the marks of his suffering, the marks of his humanity. Even his resurrected body still shows the signs of his dwelling among us.

As humans, we struggle to hide our woundedness as a sign of weakness, yet the risen Christ still bears his woundedness and comes to meet us and bring us his peace. Our own doubt is not necessarily a sign of our lack of faith, but it can be the opportunity to get the reassurance that the presence of God in the midst of our woundedness is real and is so real that it is the only hope that we have, and to know that His resurrection gives us the hope that we will be healed and made whole.

Silito

Take a look at some of the previous messages from the Rector