Seeing with Easter Eyes 

We all experience doubt at some point in our lives. We might question whether the public transport will arrive on time or be sceptical about the details of an unlikely story. Sometimes, we even doubt our own abilities. Doubt brings a sense of uncertainty, but it can also be a powerful pathway to deeper growth and self-awareness, especially when we take time to  explore where our doubts come from, or sometimes, simply when our doubts are honestly confronted and answered. Like when the disciple Thomas finally saw the risen Jesus, his earlier doubt gave way to one of the greatest declarations of faith in John’s Gospel:

“My Lord and my God!”

It is only in Christ that we see with Easter Eyes – with eyes of faith. Like Thomas we are called to explore the mysteries of life through the lens of Christ. Inviting Christ’s light into our doubts is valuable because it reveals our internal belief systems and illuminates what is important to us.

John’s Gospel condenses the Resurrection and Pentecost into a single day, “the first day of the week”. When Jesus breathed on his disciples and imparted the Holy Spirit on them it was to mirror the  creation story in Genesis which breathed new life into humankind. This breath of life empowered Jesus’ disciples back into mission and continues to strengthen us on our pilgrim way now. This is exactly what it means to be a Christian – to be continually equipped and enlivened by the Holy Spirit to follow in the footsteps of Jesus who challenges us to observe the world with Easter Eyes and to offer hope as the antidote to doubt.

We don’t need to see Jesus physically to know He is real and risen. History, testimony, and transformed lives all bear witness to the truth. Jesus is the most written-about figure in all of history; even our calendar revolves around His birth. Millions have chosen (and still choose) to die for Him rather than renounce their faith. And in a culture where women’s testimony held little legal weight, the Gospels’ bold claim that women were the first witnesses to the empty tomb is unlikely to be fabricated unless it truly happened.

Easter Sunday is so large that it cannot be contained in one day, it goes for 8 days and is known as the Easter Octave whereby every single day within the octave is as if it were Easter Sunday! This Sunday, the  final day of the octave is also Divine Mercy Sunday. In 1931, our Lord appeared in a vision to a Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska and instructed her to paint his image. Additionally, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, given through St Faustina’s dialogue with Jesus, is a powerful devotional prayer traditionally prayed using rosary beads.

The two rays in the image denote blood and water; the substances which came out from Jesus’ side   after he was crucified and pierced with a lance. The red ray represents blood and symbolises the Eucharist which sustains us in our spiritual journey, and the pale ray represents water symbolising the merciful and cleansing nature of Baptism and Reconciliation where our souls are washed clean.  The whole image is a symbol of charity, forgiveness and love of God, referred to as the “Fountain of Mercy” of Mercy” or the “Divine Mercy”.

On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we behold with Easter Eyes that the tomb was found empty and with trust that Jesus rose from the dead – the greatest miracle of them all. May our faith in the God of infinite love and mercy, revealed through the Risen Lord, inspire us to echo St Faustina’s words: “Jesus, I trust in you.”       

Enjoy your new Easter Eyes! May you observe well this week!   

Fr Gerard.