MEDITATION TIP —
Second Sunday of Easter (Sunday of Divine Mercy) April 7, 2024

“Do not be unbelieving, but believe” (John 20:27).

　What kind of personality did Thomas have? Most likely, he was a stubborn man. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples, Thomas happened to be the only one who was not present. When the other disciples said, “We have seen the Lord,” he grew stubborn and insisted, wondering why Jesus had appeared just when he was not there and whether he had been left out. He argued, “Unless I see the prints of the nails in His hands, and unless I put my finger into the nail marks, and unless I put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, Jesus appeared for the sake of Thomas and said, “Put your finger here and see my hand. Stretch out your hand and put it in my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

　Surely, Thomas did not believe in Jesus. He was unbelieving. But we can say that he believed in other people. They were his fellow disciples. If Thomas had been angry that at the first apparition Jesus showed himself just when he was not present, and had left his fellow disciples thinking that he was an outcast, he would never have met Jesus. Even though he was angry, he did not leave his companions. This is what made the encounter with Jesus pos-sible.

　In the same way, there will be times when we stop believing in God due to the weakness of our faith. Even at such times, the important thing is that we do not leave the fellowship of the church. By staying connected to our fellow church members, it is possible to be reunited with Jesus.

　It is the bond of trust that makes the connection with our friends possible. The Bible also has an interesting description of friends (see Syr. 6:5-17). The Chinese classic “Caigentan” (Discourses on Vegetable Roots) describes friends as follows: “A friend not to get close to is one who is greedy, one who is skillful with words, the flatterer, and someone who throws money away. A friend to be close to is one who is truly helpful, one with whom one shares hardships and joys, one who is generous with advice, and one who is deeply sympathetic. A person who gives advice not to be dishonest, worries about you without showing it, comforts you when you are in trouble, helps you when you need it, never reveals your secrets, and always guides you in the right direction is a friend you should have in your heart and with whom you should be close. It is not easy to obtain such a friend, but you must try to become such a friend yourself.”

　I would like to add one more word to this saying from the “Caigentan”: “A friend to cherish is a person who in everything never forgets to be thankful and to smile.” Gratitude and a smiling face are inseparable, and when we lose our smile, it is a sign that we are forgetting our gratitude as well.

　There used to be an ad in the United States called “A Smile for Christmas.” “You don’t need any capital. And the profits are enormous. Even if you give, it doesn’t diminish, and those who are given become rich. Show it to someone for a moment, and the memory lasts forever.

　No rich person can live without it. Even the poorest person will be enriched by it.

　It brings happiness to families and good will to business. It is the watchword of friendship.

　It is rest for the weary, light for the brokenhearted, sunshine for the sorrowful, and a natural antidote for the afflicted.

　It cannot be bought, extorted, borrowed, or stolen. It is priceless only when it is given gratuitously.

　If any of the shopkeepers, exhausted from the Christmas sale, do not show you this, I am sorry, but we would like to see you show us your share. There is no one who needs a smile more than a person who has used up his or her smile.”

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Akabae)