Jesus enters the upper room offering the disciples the gift of his peace. There are no accusations or recriminations, just the risen Lord reuniting with his friends in peace, making them whole again. There are so many things Jesus could have asked or said that night. He might have asked them where they had run off to as they left John and Mary and Mary Magdalene to face the cross. He might have asked Peter why he found it so easy to deny him three times. Instead, he just said, “Peace be with you.”
A week later, he comes again with that same gift for Thomas. There is no interrogation or anger here, but only a loving Lord inviting Thomas to touch his wounds if that is what he needs to believe. He makes Thomas whole and reunites with him through the gift of true mercy. The community of disciples is whole and holy again. This same risen Lord offers us his peace and mercy each and every day of our lives.
In “The Merchant of Venice” Shakespeare wrote, “The quality of mercy is not strained. It drops as a gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesses the one who gives and the one who takes. It is the mightiest in the mightiest.” Mercy, God’s gift to us, is the gift that is the hallmark of our Christianity. We are also people of forgiveness, compassion and mercy.
On this Sunday of Divine Mercy, may we reach out to one another with the gifts of God’s peace and mercy. Perhaps today is the day to let go of any grudges we still hold. Maybe today is the day we forgive someone who has hurt us or whom we have hurt. Mercy is our greatest gift and our greatest reward. As the risen Lord has mercy on us, may we have mercy on one another.