As we enter the season of Easter, it is good to reflect on how we are present to the risen Christ. Lent prepares us for this time by helping us recognise what impedes our progress on the journey and where we become aware of our attachments. This is a time when we are called to surrender our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit. There can be a sense in which we can feel depleted during this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This process of drying out is necessary in a similar way that green wood needs to be dried if it is to catch fire more easily.
This is where we find ourselves, especially as we ponder with the disciples what it means to meet the risen Christ. He appears in their midst and wishes peace upon them. He even gives them the power to forgive or retain sins. This is important as we celebrate the Feast of the Divine Mercy. This is not just about trusting that God can forgive sins, but also about allowing ourselves to be transformed into ambassadors of God's forgiving love. This is not just about saying sorry but seeking mercy, not sacrifice. We touch the wounded heart of Christ so that we can touch the wounds in others.
As we grieve the passing of Pope Francis, we are called to reflect on his legacy, but also on how we are called to be people of faith who reach out to the margins. This is where Thomas could be the apostle of our age. He seeks to see the wounds of Christ for himself and to touch them. We are part of a wounded Church and a wounded world. When we feel those wounds in faith, our eyes and our hearts are opened to an incarnate love that does not leave us orphaned. We are people who seek to discover the truth of the resurrection, not as something that we read about, but as an encounter with the Risen Christ. As we enter these nine days of mourning and prepare for the Conclave that will choose the next Pope, we are called to discover how we touch the wounds of Christ in our own lives. May they heal us that we too may say My Lord and My God!
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