主題：建立自己的經驗
很多人對多默宗徒的經驗，很有共鳴。雖然最後，耶穌好像怪責多默，我們仍會同情他。理由很簡單，我們和多默宗徒一樣，沒有親眼看見到復活了的耶穌基督，我們不敢輕信。那麼，耶穌所說的「那些沒有看見而相信的，纔是有福的！」是否過份理想化呢？
讓我們嘗試從多默的角度，把案情重組。
瑪達肋納向我們報告後，折返墳墓。伯多祿和若望已看過空的墳墓，回來了。後來，她再回來報告，耶穌顯現給她，並要求她回來向他的兄弟（即我們）傳話。這一次可能是耶穌復活後的第一個顯現，主耶穌基督祗顯現給她一個，沒有第三者在場。之前他們所見的，祗是一個空墳。現在是親眼看見復活了的耶穌。始終，婦道人家的說話，不能盡信，可能是她憶主成狂，產生幻覺。
結果白走一趟，回到秘密聚會地點，有兩個失望地返回厄瑪烏鄉下的門徒，在路上遇上耶穌，卻認不出他來。要在晚飯擘餅時纔認出，於是匆忙趕回耶路撒冷，向其他十個兄弟報告。現在越來越多人看到復活了的耶穌。然後，他們十二個人異口同聲說，當我多默在外面打探消息的時候，主耶穌在屋內顯現給他們。我可以怎樣接受這個消息呢？大家不能怪責我，甚至天主也不能怪責我，要親眼看到，親手摸到耶穌的傷口纔相信。
我不是在試探天主。祗不過我不能單憑別人的經驗去相信。我需要親身經歴。天主，祢是明白的。
的確，我們領洗成為天主教徒，是聽了慕道班導師、是聽了神父、主教甚至教宗的經驗。請問大家有多少自己的經驗，去支持你們對耶穌基督的信念呢？耶穌說：「不要作無信的人，但要作個有信德的人。」（若20:27）試問誰敢說自己是個有信德的人呢？我們欣賞多默，是他那努力鞏固和保護信德的態度。
當然，多默也有他的局限。如果耶穌顯現給他，還不夠嗎？還要伸手去驗証嗎？這種做法，很容易變成對天主的試探。天主所作的一切都是出於愛我們，如果祂恩待我們，出於愛，願意顯現給我們，我們還可以用手指，量度天主對我們的愛嗎？
另一方面，有一個技術性問題，不可不知。耶穌對多默說：「因為你看見了我，纔相信嗎？那些沒有看見而相信的，纔是有福的！」（20:29）在希臘原文，第一個「看見ὁράω」和第二個「看見εἴδω」是兩個不同的字。從拉丁文翻譯開始，這個分別就消失了。若望福音使用第一個「看見」時，多指用眼看見的，但在使用第二個「看見」時，多引申為「認識」（1:26, 31, 33; 2:9; 3:2等）對多默來說，他和其他的門徒一樣，有幸可以和耶穌一起生活三年，可以親眼看見耶穌。為後世的我們，我們祗能透過別人的見証，別人的經驗來「認識/看見」和相信耶穌。
今天，我們還可以親眼看見耶穌嗎？可以，特別在這慈悲禧年，在實行形哀矜的時候。耶穌曾在瑪竇福音二十五章清楚許下，當我們服侍那些生活困難的兄弟時，我們服侍耶穌。因此，我們一樣可以透過服務被社會邊緣化的人、難民、探望病人和囚犯，接觸耶穌，建立自己的經驗，做個有信德的人。
耶穌死後已是第三天了，安息日過後，我們因害怕猶太宗教領袖會採取行動，剿滅我們。所以我們躲在秘密的集會地方，有如驚弓之鳥。有些失望的門徒，決定儘快離開耶路撒冷，以免招至殺身之禍。天亮後不久，陸續聽到來自不同的人所作的見証。首先是幾個婦女，她們大清早便來報告，耶穌的屍體失蹤了。我們不是不相信婦女的証言，始終在我們的時代，女性的說話是不能作實的。於是，我們派伯多祿和若望，前往墳墓，查看究竟，看一看事情是否真的有如這幾個婦女所說的一樣。伯多祿和若望一起走，是因為按我們的法律，兩個見証人的作証纔有效。墳墓的確是空的了，婦女的作証得到了伯多祿和若望的支持，是可信的了。
話分兩頭，按路加福音的記載，伯多祿在回來的路上，耶穌也顯現給他。雖然伯多祿回到我們秘密聚會地點，支持瑪達肋納的見証，但是祗有他一個男人，和一個女人親眼看見復活了的耶穌，仍不足以在猶太人面前作証。於是，我多默自告奮勇，到外面走一趟。一方面探聽猶太宗教領袖有何動靜；另一方面，如果耶穌向我顯現，就有多一個男性的見証人了。
天主保祐。
Second Easter Sunday (Year C)
Theme: Building up our own experience
Many people agree with the experience of Thomas the Apostle. Though in the end, Jesus seemed to criticize Thomas, we are sympathetic. The reason is simple, like Thomas, we don't believe too easily if we have not seen with our own eyes the risen Jesus Christ. Then, was Jesus' teaching that "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" too idealistic?
Let us reconstruct the case from the perspective of Thomas.
After reporting to us, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb once more. Peter and John had already seen the empty tomb and returned. Later, she came and claimed further that Jesus had appeared to her and told her to carry message to his brethren (i.e. us). This probably was the first appearance of Jesus after his resurrection. But Jesus appeared to her only. There was not a third party. What they had seen was an empty tomb. Now, she claimed she had seen the risen Jesus with her own eyes. However, at the end of the day, she was only a woman. Her words were not credible. Perhaps she suffered from illusion.
Just then, according to the gospel of Luke, Peter returned and reported that he had met Jesus on his way. Although Peter returned to support Magdalene's claim, one man and one woman were not enough to bear witness in front of the Jews. Therefore, I Thomas volunteered to venture out, firstly to find out about the movements of the Jewish authority. Furthermore, if Jesus appeared to me, there would be one more male witness.
The effort was fruitless. When I returned, two disillusioned disciples, who had previously decided to return home to Emmaus, reported that they had met Jesus but could not recognize him until he broke bread at supper. So, they rushed back to Jerusalem to report to the ten. Now, more and more people claimed that they had seen Jesus. The twelve claimed in one voice that when I Thomas had gone out to scout, Lord Jesus appeared to them inside the house. How could I accept such a piece of news? Don't blame me. Even God could not blame me for believing only after I saw with my own eyes and touched Jesus' wounds with my own hands. I was not testing God. I did not want to base my belief on other people's experiences. I needed to experience it myself. God, you understand.
In fact, we were baptized to become a Catholic. We based our belief on hearing the catechists, the priests, bishops and even the Pope. Tell me, how much experience do you have to support your belief in Jesus Christ? Jesus said, "Do not be faithless, but believing" (John 20:27). Who among you dare to say that they have faith? We support Thomas for his effort to consolidate and to protect his faith.
Of course, Thomas had his limitations. Was it not enough for Jesus just to appear to him? Was it necessary to verify with his hands? In so doing, we easily fall into the trap of testing God. God had done all these out of His love for us. If He so wished, out of love, to appear to us, did we need to use our fingers to measure God's love for us?
On the other hand, there is a technicality you cannot ignore. Jesus told Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (20:29) In the Greek original, the first "see ὁράω" and the second "see εἴδω" are two different words. This difference had been lost since the Latin translation. Most of the time, the gospel of John uses "ὁράω" to mean "seeing with eyes". But when John uses "εἴδω", many times it carries the extended meaning of "knowing" (1:26, 31, 33; 2:9; 3:2 etc.) For Thomas and the rest of the disciples, they were blessed to have lived with Jesus for three years. They could see Jesus with their own eyes. For us who live in modern times, we have to rely on other people's witness, other people's experiences to "know/see" and believe in Jesus.
Today, can we see Jesus with our own eyes? Affirmative, especially in this Jubilee of Mercy when we perform corporal works of mercy. Jesus has clearly promised in Matthew 25 that when we serve the needy, we are serving him. Therefore, we can get in touch with Jesus and actually touch him when we serve the socially marginalized, refugees and when we visit the sick and the imprisoned. We can build up our own experience and become believing.
It was already the third day after Jesus' death. Sabbath had passed. We feared that the Jewish authority would take action to eliminate us. We hid in our secret meeting place like sitting ducks. Some disillusioned disciples started going home lest they would get killed in Jerusalem. Soon after dawn, news came in one after another. Firstly, early in the morning, several women reported that Jesus' corpse was missing. It was not that we did not believe in our women. After all, in our times, testimony from women was not admissible. So, we sent Peter and John to the tomb to verify what the women claimed. Peter and John went together because according to our laws, we needed two witnesses to make a valid claim. Now that the tomb was really empty. The women's testimony was supported by Peter and John and thus was credible.
God bless.
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