Shalom!

"Shalom!" The Easter Greeting of Christ.

The great Easter/Paschal Candle is the prime symbol of the Risen Lord.

Notice closely the 5 wound marks incised upon it. The original nails were ugly and blood crustd.

The nails affixed at the Easter Vigil were filled with incense and were beautiful to correspond to the wounds in the glorified body of Jesus.

They are filled with incense and

are beautiful to behold, as was the Glorified Body.

This Risen Body is different to behold. It moves effortlessly, through closed doors, and yet eats and drinks substantial nourishment.

But Thomas doubts.

Should we think ill of him?

Don't we all have our doubting moments?

A week later, he touches the wounds and he believes.

The Easter candle is meant to shine into dark places!

The dark places of our doubts, the dark places of our sins, the dark places of human corruption.

This is Mercy Sunday.

Jesus did not return to wreak vengence, though that would be understandable.

Rather he came back to bestow mercy.

And the Acts of the Apostles today reveals the first Christian Community as filled with mercy.

They shared. There was no needy person among them. And each received according to their need.

As a nation we like to pride ourselves as "a Christian Nation" although our Founding Fathers never claimed that title.

Yet how Christian are we? In the Scandinavian countries where church going is rare, these  are countries where there are no homeless on the streets, the elderly are cared for, teachers are paid a living wage, and gun violence is rare.

So where exactly do we find mercy in our times?

The question is worth pondering on Mercy Sunday.

And so we pray

May mercy stifle vengence in our day.

We desire it for ourselves.

We tend to ration it out to others.

Merciful Saviour

give balm to our woundedness.

Lord have mercy!

Christ have mercy!

Amen