Today we are invited to remain in Christ as branches in a vine.  We do this by recognizing that God is at work in everyone and by striving to keep His commands and to do what is pleasing to God.  Always the Christian life sounds easy and yet is a challenge for us all.

Easter is about the death of Jesus and then His Resurrection.  Each of us is invited to share in that death and resurrection and to die to ourselves so that we can live in Christ Jesus and live the way that He lived.  His followers did not believe at first that He was raised from the dead.  Instead, they had fled from the whole situation and only after a few brave women began to visit the tomb did the word go out:  He is not there!  Do you think that…..
We are invited in this time of Easter to deepen our faith in the risen Christ by renewing again the promises of our Baptism:  to die to self and to live in the Lord.  Words are easy and actions can be costly.  Once we actually understand and believe, however, that Christ is truly risen, then our lives can change.  There is no one else who has ever done this.  There is no one else who has invited us to share in the divine life.  There is no one else who promises to be with us always.

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!  Jesus is clear in his words to Saint Thomas.  On the other hand, he accepts the doubts of Thomas, allows Thomas to touch Him and continues to be the friend of Thomas.

There are so many ways in which we could be closer to our Lord Jesus.  We cannot do everything at once.  Like Thomas, we must accept our defects and also acknowledge them before the Lord.