Scripture Scribbles: April 12, 2026 - Sunday of Divine Mercy

the Gospel

John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

the scribble

Alleluia!! 

Welcome Home!

Truly, welcome home, to all who entered the church this Easter! What a gift to witness, the joy, the beauty, the gift of those eternal sacraments being received by so many! Standing in our pew at the Easter Vigil, it felt like you could almost hold that joy. The candles, the incense, the flowers… and then that moment when everything shifts. The promises fulfilled. The darkness gives way. The bells ring out, the music swells, and the Church rejoices. It makes you want to capture it somehow, to keep it close for the days when the world feels loud and mundane. 

As Pope John Paul II said “We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song!”

And what a joy to see the faces of the newly initiated, full of light, wonder, and yes, courage. In a world that feels shaky, confusing, and untethered, there is something deeply compelling about what the Catholic Church offers: not trends, but Truth; not chaos, but clarity; not instability, but something steady, solid and unchanging. There’s no surprise people, especially young people are drawn to that. They’re seeking, and they are finding.

Welcome home! Invite your friends! 

Today, on Divine Mercy Sunday, the Gospel brings us into that upper room. The doors are locked. Fear is real. And then “Jesus came and stood in their midst.” 

Pause there.

He was tortured, He suffered and  died a brutal death. And now He stands before them. Alive. Present. Not distant, not symbolic, but right there in their midst. I know it says “The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” It’s easy to gloss over that and read on but, can you imagine that moment? It calls to mind those powerful scenes when a soldier surprises their family…unexpected, overwhelming joy, shock, tears, laughter, disbelief. You’re here? Really here! 

That must have been something like what the disciples felt.  Their friend. Their Lord. Standing right in front of them. And what are His first words? 

“Peace be with You.”

Not blame. Not disappointment. Just peace. 

And this is not the peace the world likes to give…. The “good vibes” or the “good-bye” or the “good juju” or “chill”  kind of peace. No, this is the peace of the Lord. The peace we experience when God is put in his rightful place in our lives. 

Peace be with you.

Even for Thomas, who doubted, who needed to see and touch. Jesus meets him right where he is. No rejection. Just an invitation: Come closer. Believe. 

And Thomas responds with one of the most profound declarations in all of scripture: “My Lord, and my God!”

This gospel reminds us that faith isn’t about having everything perfectly figured out. It’s about being willing to encounter Him right in the midst of our fear, our questions, even our doubts.

Because He still comes.

Into locked rooms.

Into anxious hearts. 

Into ordinary lives.

And He still says: 

Peace be with you. 

Blessed are we who have not seen, and yet believe. 

Alleluia! 

Saint Faustina, pray for us!

Today’s devotion was written by Beth Brennan