January 28, 2021
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Regarding Wooden Nickels

Regarding Wooden Nickels

Sometimes these days we arenโ€™t sure what to believe.ย For instance, weโ€™ve been told many things about the corona-virus and the proper response to it.ย Some experts say the worst has passed; others say a spike in new cases can occur at any time if weโ€™re not careful.ย Weโ€™re told to wear masks when going out in publicโ€”except weโ€™re also told the masks really donโ€™t offer much protection.ย Some claim itโ€™s necessary, regardless of the effects on our economy, to keep everyone at home in order to halt the spread of the epidemic, but a few commentators insist weโ€™d actually be better off if weโ€™d allowed life to continue along as normal, with more people catching the virus and then building up an immunity. Weโ€™ve been told that children and young people really arenโ€™t at riskโ€”except thereโ€™s data suggesting they can be as vulnerable as anyone else.ย Different states are taking different approaches regarding who qualifies as an essential worker, and we receive conflicting advice from the federal government.ย What are we to believe?

Even before the corona-virus, our society had been undergoing a crisis of credibilityโ€”with people becoming increasingly doubtful of or cynical toward politicians, the news media, religious leaders, and other public figures or institutions.ย Moreover, there are always scam artists trying to take advantage of gullible persons through devious and clever schemes.ย I once read a story by a newspaper columnist whose friend was victimized.ย The manโ€™s battery was stolen from his car in a parking lot, but he found a note stuck to his engine which said, โ€œMister, I was desperateโ€”my battery was dead and I had to get my wife to the hospital immediately.ย  Iโ€™m sorry, and Iโ€™ll pay you back soon.โ€ย The man didnโ€™t believe a word of itโ€”but a week later, to his amazement, he found a new battery on his front porch, with a note:ย โ€œI really am sorry about taking your battery, so I tracked down your address by using your license plate number.ย  Hereโ€™s a replacement battery, and an extra little gift.โ€ย The extra gift turned out to be two tickets to a football game, with prime seats on the fifty-yard line.ย The man and his wife had fun at the gameโ€”and when they returned home, they found their house had been robbed of everything of any value.ย The whole thing had been a set-up to get them out of the house.

Sometimes we donโ€™t know what to believe.ย Itโ€™s sad to say, but quite often we have to be suspicious.ย There are people, of course, who genuinely need our help, and we shouldnโ€™t be so suspicious that we completely ignore those in need, but at the same time, we must realize that we canโ€™t believe everything we hear.ย This is especially true when someone seemingly offers us something for nothing. Thereโ€™s a lot of truth in the saying:ย โ€œIf it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.โ€ย Fortunately, there is one major exception to this:ย the Word of God.ย Scripture tells us that God offers us salvation through Jesus Christ.ย We donโ€™t have to purchase it; Jesus has already paid the price.ย We donโ€™t have to earn it; we merely have to accept it by following the Risen Lord.ย God never lies, misleads, or deceives; He is never mistaken or irresponsible, and He never gives with one hand while taking away with the other.ย Because His promises are absolutely trustworthy, believing in God is always the right choice.

Thomas didnโ€™t believe at first that Christ was risenโ€”and to a certain extent, thatโ€™s understandable.ย It was his nature to doubt, and besides, he had only the word of the other apostlesโ€”and they hadnโ€™t exactly shown a lot of reliability and courage when Jesus was arrested.ย Thomas said heโ€™d believe only when he personally saw the risen Lordโ€”and, from his point of view, that was an entirely reasonable position.ย He insisted on divine proofโ€”and one week after Easter, he received it.ย Upon seeing Jesus for himself, Thomas exclaimed, โ€œMy Lord and my God!โ€ย Christ responded, โ€œHave you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.โ€ย Jesus is speaking of all of us; we have not seen Him personally, but we do believeโ€”and we are blessed because of this faith.

Through faith, we have the chance for eternal life with God in Heavenโ€”despite our sinfulness and unworthiness.ย The Lord emphasizes His willingness to forgive, so that we may be cleansed of our sins and be made worthy of eternal life.ย This idea is emphasized in a special way on Divine Mercy Sunday.ย Just as Jesus forgave Thomas his doubts and stubbornness, so He forgives all who turn to Him in a spirit of genuine contrition. Our Lord said to the apostles, including Thomas, โ€œPeace be with you.โ€ย He also gives us His mercy and His peace, promising that if we are sorry for our sins, we are forgiven, and assuring us that when life is difficult, we can find consolation and security through His presence. Jesus said to the apostles, and to us, โ€œAs the Father has sent Me, so I send you.โ€ย  In other words, we are given a mission, or purpose in life; the Lord promises that our lives will always be full of meaning as long as we center them around Him.

These are the promises Jesus makes if we follow Him:ย everlasting life in the world to come, and inner peace and meaning here on earth.ย Can we take the risk of believing in Him?ย Can we afford to put Him at the center of our lives?ย Yes, we can.ย However, there is a risk:ย following Jesus and living according to His teachings isnโ€™t always safe or easy.ย Loving our enemies, praying for our persecutors, forgiving those who wrong us, thinking of others first, and placing Godโ€™s will ahead of our own, all go against our natural tendencies; these things can make us look foolish or naรฏve in the eyes of the world, and we ourselves might be taken advantage of or experience discouragement or doubts from time to time.ย Nevertheless, this risk is worth taking because Jesus fulfills His promises.

Earthly advertisers and salespersons make all sorts of claims to get us to try their products; many times these promises fall short.ย Political and cultural leaders will seemingly say almost anything to win our allegiance; experience shows itโ€™s good to listen with a healthy amount of skepticism.ย Some people deliberately try to deceive us, and come up with elaborate schemes for this purpose; itโ€™s up to us to beware.ย Jesus Christ, however, is completely deserving of our trust; it always makes sense to hope in Him. I think that if St. Thomas were alive today, heโ€™d say something like, โ€œDonโ€™t take any wooden nickels or fall for any con jobs, but do believe in the promises of Jesus.โ€

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Fr Joseph Esper
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Fr Joseph Esper