St. Maria Goretti

One of my favorite TV shows this year is the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe”. I don’t know how many of you have seen it. But each week, the fearless host takes the show’s audience into what they call, “the dirtiest jobs in America”. I should probably point out that the show is about physically dirty jobs, jobs with dirt, and slime, and other gross things too nasty to mention in a homily. The show is NOT about morally “dirty” jobs. Those kinds of shows are on other channels. But whether it’s mopping up the mess on the kill floor of a packing plant, or cleaning out and replacing septic tanks, or cleaning up after a murder, these fascinating stories really make you appreciate the people who do these things every day for the rest of us. The show also makes you appreciate your own job a whole lot more. Believe me, cleaning up sin in the Confessional is a whole lot easier than cleaning out the filters at a wastewater treatment plant.

As we read our Gospel today, and the Apostle Thomas probes the wounds of the Risen Christ, I wonder what it would be like if Mike Rowe did a story on Thomas. St. Thomas wasn’t content to just hear about the resurrection story. He wanted to get his hands dirty. He wanted to put his finger into the nail holes. He wanted to put his hand into the wound in Jesus’ side. St. Thomas was the Apostle with the dirty job. If Mike Rowe didn’t want to do a program on it, maybe the “C.S.I.” people could. “CSI: Jerusalem!” That could be a big hit. After all, Thomas’ probing of the wounds of Jesus was probably as close of an examination of Christ’s risen body as we will ever get. It wasn’t an autopsy, but Jesus wasn’t dead any more either. What was it like for Thomas? What did the wounds look like? How did they feel? There are many things that we won’t know until we get to Heaven and can ask St. Thomas. What we do know is that Thomas saw, and touched, and believed. St. Thomas was convinced because of his examination, because he got his hands dirty. What’s it going to take for the rest of us?

Most of us, probably all of us, will never get the chance to put our fingers into the wounds on Jesus’ hands, or the chance to put our hand into his wounded side. And for many of us, that’s OK. This is especially true for those who are a little squeamish about B-L-O-O-D. And yet all of us want to experience the Risen Jesus. We CAN experience the Risen Jesus, especially through His Holy Spirit. We don’t all need to see, or touch, or get our hands dirty in the same way that Thomas did. But we do all have to get busy building the Kingdom of God and busy getting our hands dirty in ministering to others. Jesus is not dead. We don’t have to touch a risen, formerly dead, body to know that. But we do have to know it. We do have to be convinced of it. We do have to be committed to that Risen One, in order to keep moving on in our own Faith. St. Thomas needed to do what he needed to do. What do you need to do, or see, or touch, or experience? Our God is waiting for us to be His new Apostles in the world today. What’s holding you back? What would it really take for you to believe and be committed? Maybe you too need to get your hands dirty. We’ve got opportunities for that too. Check out this week’s bulletin. No matter what it is that we need to do, the important thing is that we do it. Jesus tells us today, “Do not be unbelieving, but believe!” There’s an urgency to what Jesus says. The time for Faith is now. Our world, our Church, needs to true Faith more than ever. Do whatever it takes. Get your hands dirty. Go out on a limb. Take a leap of Faith. Go on a Christ Renews His Parish weekend. Come pray with us today for Divine Mercy Sunday. The possibilities are endless. So are the opportunities. Jesus is alive. St. Thomas found that out. You and me, well, we just need to give Him the chance to prove it.

May God bless us on this Divine Mercy Sunday, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… AMEN !!!

St. Maria Goretti… Pray for us !!!