Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and St. Rose,
      “It sounds too good to be true.” How often these words have passed through my lips.  And that is exactly the frame of mind that Thomas seems to have in our Gospel today.  All the Apostles except for him have had an encounter with the risen Jesus.  Despite all their proclamations of “He is risen!” Thomas declares that he will not believe until he sees with his own eyes the wounds, and even touches them with his own hands.
The Sunday after Easter the eleven are gathered.  This time Thomas is with them.  Jesus again stands before his Apostles and it seems as if almost before his greeting is out of his mouth Thomas falls to his knees and proclaims his belief saying, “My Lord and my God!”
I have always liked Caravaggio’s painting of this event.  Rather than depicting Thomas on his knees before the Lord, he paints a doubting Thomas with his finger in the wound of Jesus’ side, his disbelief persisting until he can see it for himself.
 The mercy that we celebrate on this Divine Mercy Sunday is that God will not allow Thomas to persist in his doubt and unbelief.  He shows Himself so that he might believe.
That opportunity is extended to all of us.  The mercy of Easter is that God did not want us to continue in doubt and darkness, but to believe and have the light of His life!  So let us fall on our knees before our risen Lord and echo the proclamation of Thomas’ faith: “My Lord and my God!”
Msgr. Cox
  The Incredulity of St. Thomas, Caravaggio (1602)