But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came (John 20:24 nrsv)

When I was a young boy, I loved this time of the year when Little League baseball practices began. Each year I would work harder and be more hopeful that my fielding would improve along with my batting. Unfortunately, I had several factors that cut against my performance. First, I had poor hand-eye coordination. Second, I was a skinny kid, so the necessary shifting of weight to drive a baseball didn't occur. So, at the end of our "spring training," I ended up toward the bottom of the batting order and being positioned in right field where few balls were ever hit. To make a long story short, I was a fringe player. I never ended up at the heart of the action.

I'm thinking Thomas, during the days following Christ's resurrection, felt like a fringe player. He was absent when Christ first appeared to the other disciples. It required a great degree of pastoral care, persistence, and show-and-tell on Jesus' part to bring Thomas in from the fringe. Christ's efforts to bring Thomas into the heart of new life were consistent with his ministry to reach out to the least, last, and lost prior to his crucifixion and resurrection. This Jesus always sees it as his mission to embrace those on the fringe and bring them into the heart of the good news and warm fellowship.

Let us pray. . . Our Lord and our God, when we feel like we are on the fringe out in right field, gather us in and give us life. Then, send us out with a compassionate heart for those others who find themselves on the fringe. Amen

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Monday April 8, 2013
Liturgical Year C: Week 19
Liturgical Color: White
Sunday Gospel reading:
Second Sunday of Easter