Second Sunday of Easter—C2004
John 20:19-31
Deacon Lee Hunt (St. Monica)

Experience Jesus through Word, Eucharist, and Community

My first grandchild, Thomas Patrick, was born early this year in Washington, D.C. I have not met him; I have not been able to put a finger on him or put my hand on his side. Does he really exist? I only have second-hand evidence that he does through my wife who visited him for two weeks and from photos e–mailed by my daughter and son-in-law. I have so much faith that Tommy is alive that I have planned to baptize him in the back of church next weekend after the 10:30 Mass! But, what if I had to wait for many years to see and hear Tommy? I would begin to have doubts about him.

The Gospel writer, John, knew that his contemporaries had this same kind of doubt about Jesus near the end of the first century. Most of them had never seen or heard Jesus in the flesh. Most of them had been born after Jesus had died, so the stories they heard came second or third hand.

John’s problem, which is a continuing problem for the church, was how to encourage people in the faith when Jesus was no longer around to be seen or touched. The story about Thomas gave him a way to do that. By detailing that reluctant disciple’s doubt, John took the words right out of our mouths and put them in Thomas’ instead, so that each of us has the opportunity to think about how we do (or do not) come to believe.

So what do we do, 20 centuries later, so far removed from being able to see or hear Jesus in the flesh? Our doubts have to be greater than that of Thomas! There are three ways that we can experience Jesus today.

One way we experience Jesus is through Scriptures. Our Church teaches us that “[Christ] is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in church.” (GIRM 29) Another way we encounter the Risen One is in the Eucharist, which we will soon receive.

But, most of our time is not spent in church. The third way we find Jesus is in the midst of community. Any one of us can be invited into a deep personal encounter with Jesus when we least expect it, in the most unlikely places, with effects that overwhelm us. In fact, the risen Christ is always just around the next corner, eager to enter our lives with transforming power, if we are ready.

Twice within the past year, I unexpectedly and powerfully met Christ. These are not in ways that just happen to a deacon, they happen to anyone.

One Sunday as I was distributing Communion, a young girl came up to me for a blessing. As she smiled and looked into my eyes, I saw the face of Christ. I was so moved that I could hardly say “The Body of Christ” as others came forward to receive Communion. I didn’t get my voice back until the dismissal at the end of Mass.

The second encounter with Christ was during a mission trip to Peru. Nothing could have prepared me for my extremely deep, personal encounter of Christ in the extremely poor 4,000 miles away from home. While I went there to help with their material needs, they ministered to my spiritual needs many times over by showing me how deeply they love one another and me. I cried a lot during my first week back home. Thank goodness my wife was on vacation then or she may have sent me to the funny farm. I am leading a mission to Peru in June to let the poor teach me more about love by encountering the risen Christ in them.

So far, my best explanation of how the poor do this is from the pastor of the parish we visit. He said, “Being poor here means finding enough to eat for your children so you can make it until tomorrow. It means begging for medicines that one cannot buy so that a sick family member might recover. It means fending off desperation with the only hope left available…that Jesus loves me.”

We at St. Monica can experience the risen Christ by helping the poor of Sacred Heart, our sister parish, in south Oklahoma City.

Some people experience Jesus in the quiet of the golf course, or walking a long a beach, or gazing at a beautiful sunset. I do too. But, I experience him more powerfully through his word read in church, the Eucharist, and through others in community inside and outside of church. It is in our neighbor that we will experience the risen Christ. Hopefully, they will also find him in us.

Blessed are you who have not seen and yet have come to believe in our Lord, Jesus Christ!