Sermon about the signs of credibility of the Resurrection
Introduction
In the Gospel of today, we read how Our Lord Jesus gave St Thomas some evident signs in order to help him to believe the reality of His Resurrection. Similarly, God helps our Catholic Faith by some evident signs of truth.
1. Belief of the Apostles in Jesus¡¯ Resurrection helped by some evident signs of truth:
Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead. He was alive again. He was alive again with the glorious life of Heaven. The Apostles had difficulty to believe Jesus Christ¡¯s Resurrection because they could not understand how it could be possible. They could not understand how a dead person can come back to life. They could not understand what the glorious life of Heaven is.
Our Lord Jesus did not explain to His Apostles how He could rise from the dead. He did not explain what the glorious life of Heaven is like. Understanding this is above human capacity. Our Lord Jesus did not explain anything, but He gave His Apostles some evident signs of the reality of His Resurrection in order to help them to believe the truth of His Resurrection. Also, Our Lord Jesus wanted to make the testimony of the Disciples more impactful. Indeed we believe more easily somebody who has been an eyewitness than somebody who has not. St John said: ¡°That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled¡¦ we declare unto you.¡± (1 Jn 1;1).
By what signs did Our Lord Jesus show to His Disciples the reality of His Resurrection? Firstly, Our Lord Jesus showed that He had a real human body. The Apostles could see Him and touch Him. Our Lord Jesus told them: ¡°It is Myself. Handle and see: for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see me to have.¡± (Lc 24;39). Jesus ate food in front of the Apostles. ¡°They offered Him a piece of a broiled fish and a honeycomb. And when He had eaten before them, taking the remains, He gave to them.¡± (Lc 24;42).
Secondly, Our Lord Jesus showed to His Disciples that He had the same body as before His death. He allowed them to see and to touch the wounds in his hands and feet and side: ¡°Put in your finger hither and see my hands. And bring hither the hand and put it into my side¡± (Jn 20;27).
Thirdly, Our Lord Jesus showed to His Disciples that He had the same Divine power as before His death. He performed a miraculous fishing.
Fourthly, Our Lord Jesus showed to His Disciples that His life was no longer as before his death, but he had the glorious life of Heaven. Jesus entered the room all doors being shut. He disappeared all the sudden from the sight of His Disciples.
Having all these evidences, the Apostles could not deny the fact anymore: Jesus was in truth risen from the dead. They understood that Jesus¡¯ Sacrifice on the cross for the expiation of the sins of the world had been accepted by God. They understood that by following Jesus, anybody can reach eternal life.
2. Our Catholic belief helped by some evident signs of truth:
The followers of religions like Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Islam, and so on¡¦ are requested to believe in stories, but they are given no sign of the truth of these stories. Even worse, these stories are often ridiculous and absurd. To follow such religions is therefore unreasonable.
We are Catholics. We are not Catholics because our parents were Catholics. We don¡¯t believe blindly the teaching of the Catholic Church. As Our Lord Jesus gave some evident signs to His Apostles showing the reality of His Resurrection, so Jesus gives us some evident signs showing the truth of the Catholic teaching. What are these signs? The testimony of the Apostles in the Gospels which are authentic historical books; the constant and identical teaching of the Catholic Church throughout centuries without alteration; the wisdom, unity and holiness shining in the teaching of the Catholic Church; the great material and spiritual realisations done the people living according to the teaching of the Catholic Church; the miraculous expansion of the Catholic Church all over the world in spite of many and terrible persecutions; the direct and historical chain of succession from St Peter to the current Pope. It is therefore reasonable to believe the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Conclusion:
Today especially, let us thank God for being Catholics. Let us thank God for revealing to us the supernatural realities, especially through Jesus Christ. Let us thank God for granting us the virtue of Faith by which we believe firmly His Revelation. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may Our Lord Jesus protect and increase our Catholic Faith. May He give us the courage to profess it until our death, without any fear.