From the Gospel according to John20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midstand said to them, “Peace be with you.”When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”But he said to them,“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his handsand put my finger into the nailmarksand put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again insideand Thomas was with them.Jesus came, although the doors were locked,and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,and bring your hand and put it into my side,and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciplesthat are not written in this book.But these are written that you may come to believethat Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord

Mercy, our God

It is striking to see how, just a few days earlier, the disciples entered Jerusalem full of excitement and human expectations, following a “triumphant” Messiah and feeling part of a “successful project.” The Cross shatters all of that.
Now they are locked away, afraid, confused… and confronted with their own weakness. They have gone from expecting things from God to needing God Himself. What a great blessing! Yes, it is now that they are ready to receive the Love that comes to meet them in their misery.
Today we celebrate the Mercy of our God—His “Plan of Love” in our history.

Applied to married life

A prayer of a married couple before the Blessed Sacrament:
Lord, today we come to You as husband and wife, in the midst of this cross that we struggle to understand.It weighs on us, it hurts… and so often we don’t know how to carry it.
We recognize that we have tried to sustain our marriage with our own strength, demanding from each other what only You can give.And today we see that we cannot do it on our own.
So we ask for Your help, our Lord.Come and stand between us.Hold together what is breaking, heal what is wounded, and bring light to what we do not understand.
Teach us to look more at You than at our difficulties, and to walk together toward You—even in the midst of pain.
We surrender our need to “fix things” so that You may act within us.Lord, in You we trust!

Mother,

Teach us to trust in the plan of your Son.Forever blessed and praised be He who redeemed us with His Blood.