Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen

Where We Are

Alleluia! Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Every year on this Sunday, the Church gives us the Gospel of Thomas and his encounter with the Risen Lord. Thomas, absent on Easter evening, refuses to believe unless he can touch the nail marks and the wound in Jesus's side. A week later, Jesus appears and invites Thomas to do exactly that. In Acts, the early community lives out the Resurrection: they share everything, break bread together, and devote themselves to the apostles' teaching. The first letter of Peter reminds us that our faith is being tested so it may prove genuine.

The Word

The Acts reading portrays the first Christian community: they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, the breaking of bread, fellowship, and prayer. They held all things in common and distributed to anyone in need. Peter's letter speaks of a living hope through the Resurrection, an inheritance that is imperishable. In John's Gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples on Easter evening, showing his hands and side. He breathes on them: "Receive the Holy Spirit." Thomas, not present, declares, "Unless I see the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later, Jesus comes again: "Put your finger here. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas responds with the greatest confession in the Gospels: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Today's Full Readings

First Reading — Acts 2:42-47

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Second Reading — 1 Peter 1:3-9

Gospel — John 20:19-31

Read the full Scripture text

Continue Reading

Sign in to read the full devotional and receive it in your inbox each morning - a quiet moment of reflection to start your day.

Send me the daily devotional by email each morning

By signing in, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Reflect

Thomas gets a bad reputation. We call him "Doubting Thomas," as though doubt were his defining characteristic. But Thomas's demand is actually quite reasonable. He is asking for the same evidence that every other disciple already received. They saw the Risen Lord on Easter evening; Thomas was not there. He simply wants what they had: a direct encounter.

Jesus does not condemn Thomas for asking. He shows up. He offers his wounds. He meets Thomas exactly where he is. This is the mercy at the heart of Divine Mercy Sunday: God does not wait for us to achieve perfect faith before revealing himself. He comes to us in our doubt, our questioning, our honest struggle.

Thomas's response, "My Lord and my God," is the highest Christological statement in any of the four Gospels. The doubter becomes the most articulate believer. This is the pattern of grace: our deepest questions, when brought honestly to Jesus, lead to the deepest confessions.

But Jesus adds a blessing for us: "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." This is our beatitude, the beatitude of every Christian who lives after the age of appearances. We have not touched his wounds, but we have been touched by his Spirit. We have not seen his face, but we have recognized him in the breaking of bread, in the testimony of the Scriptures, in the community that loves as he loved.

The Acts reading shows us what this believing community looks like: they share, they pray, they break bread, they live with glad hearts. The Resurrection produces not just individual faith but a new way of being together.

Living It

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. If you can, pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which focuses on trusting in Jesus's mercy. Bring your doubts to prayer honestly. Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for asking hard questions; he showed up and answered them. What question have you been afraid to ask God? Ask it today. Look for opportunities to live like the Acts community: share something with someone in need, invite someone to break bread with you, devote time to learning and prayer. If you know someone who is struggling with doubt, do not judge them. Remind them that the greatest confession of faith in the Gospels came from the greatest doubter.

Prayer

My Lord and my God, we come to you today with Thomas's honesty and Thomas's hunger. We have not seen your wounds, but we believe. We have not touched your side, but we trust in your mercy. Strengthen the faith that is more precious than gold, especially when it is tested by trial. Help us build communities like the first believers: generous, prayerful, joyful, and devoted to your word and to one another. Blessed are we who have not seen and yet believe. Alleluia. Amen.