Reflection for Sunday – April 27, 2025

Sr. Joan Sobala, SSJSunday Readings Homilies

Readings: Acts 5: 12-26; Revelation 1: 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19; John 20: 19-31 
Preacher: Sr. Joan Sobala

It was almost a mantra. All the years I worked with newbies as they prepared to become Catholic at the Easter Vigil, I reminded them endlessly that they were entering a complex church. 

Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, I invite us to linger over that thought: our Church is indeed complex. We see that, with sadness today, as we live through these days after Pope Francis’ death. 

Our church is a community of disciples. Our roots and full flowering are in the person and message of Jesus. Most especially, we are an Easter people, for as Paul tells us, “If Jesus had not risen, our belief would be in vain.” 

For 50 days, until Pentecost, we try to absorb the great lessons of Easter:

that death is not the last word, 

that great reversals are possible, and  

that we are not to linger at the tomb. 

Go, Jesus told Mary Magdalen. Go tell my brothers… 

The early disciples did go—and as our first reading reports today, “Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the Apostles.” 
We belong to a community of signs and wonders. 

Going back to the Easter Vigil for a moment, before the newcomers were fully initiated, the community sang the Litany of the Saints, calling on the support of all who were faithful disciples for over 2000 years. We are a community of faithful disciples then and now. 

But we are also a human church and therefore, not above sin. Throughout our history and now can be found in our church threads of destructiveness, violence, eruptions that are not life giving. We have not and do not always and everywhere give witness to the depth and compelling love of the Risen Lord. 

I wish we could say loudly and clearly “We are sorry for all these sins. We ask forgiveness.” We can’t seem to do it. 

As a church, we are in one of those times right now. The abuse of children by some Catholic priests and the shielding of these priests at various hierarchical levels filled our newspapers in recent years. The righting of these wrongs is still not universally resolved. 

For a whole host of reasons—personal, local, national, international — we may have grown uncomfortable with the church. We may not like clustering, the lack of the leadership of women. Maybe we had a disagreement with a pastoral leader years ago, and it still leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Maybe we bemoan that the Church isn’t the way it used to be. Too much change. 

In this 21st century, as in centuries past, the Holy Spirit is moving us as a church in new and unknown directions—still faithful to the Risen Lord, but new. The church is being painfully transformed.  

Do we have the courage to stay? I don’t mean just sit in the pew, but to participate in the becoming of the Church, to do our share to make our faith communities attractive, welcoming, prayerful and grounded in Word and Sacrament. 

When we find ourselves dissenting from some point that is being raised in the Church, we need not fear. Dissent is just as much part of faith as doubt. 

Speaking of doubt, we come to today’s Gospel. (Did you think we would never get to it?) Poor Thomas. For 2000 plus years, on the Second Sunday of Easter, Thomas has probably hidden in heaven until this day was over! Too much Thomas-talk.  

Yet once Jesus came and interacted with Thomas, Thomas found words of faith in his heart. Words that no one had ever uttered, but we have all uttered since. 

MY LORD AND MY GOD! 

It is precisely when Thomas looked upon the wounds of Christ, when you and I – The People of God – look upon the wounds of Christ in our complex church that Thomas and we can say those words. My Lord and My God. Then faith happens deeply and we don’t go away. 

The poet Rumi puts it this way. “Don’t turn your head away. Keep looking at the wounds, for there is where the light enters in,” 

Today, as members of the community of disciples, Jesus calls us each by name:  

Maddie, will you come with me into the future? 

Josh, will you be a committed part of this ever-ancient, ever -new community of believers? 

Rachel, will you open the door of faith to others? 

Shaun, will you bring hope to the poor, the frightened, the overwhelmed who are waiting for the Good News? 

Will you, will I, will we greet the Risen Jesus as My Lord and My God? 

Sr. Joan Sobala, SSJ
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