Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus (ie the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came.” That’s one of the more intriguing verses in this morning’s Gospel. Where was Thomas on Easter? Why wasn’t Thomas with the rest of the disciples in that upper room on that first Easter evening? Was he with his twin brother? Was he in hiding somewhere?

In the gospels, Thomas is always buried in the middle of the pack when the disciples names are listed, usually lumped in with Philip, Bartholomew, and Matthew the tax collector. In John’s gospel, Thomas is the disciple who always seems to say the wrong thing for all the right reasons. When Jesus set out to Bethany to attend to his friend Lazarus who had died, it was Thomas who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” When, in the upper room, Jesus told his disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, Thomas piped in with, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Thomas was the C-student of the disciples, always trying but never quite getting and whenever he chimed in, he seemed to be a sentence or two behind the action.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

So goes the cry throughout the world on this most holy of Sundays. The angel proclaims the good news. “He is not here; He is risen.” Eyewitnesses see Him. Not just one but many, over 500, to the women including Mary Magdalene, to Cephas, to James, to the apostles. Not just for a moment bur for forty days. Not simply in a vision, but visibly and touchably. He was seen, heard, touched. He ate fish with them. It is simply a matter of fact. Historical fact. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

Passion. Intense zeal, emotion, anger, love. The original meaning: suffering and death. This is the Passion of our Lord to save you.

The day begins in triumph. Hosannas and palm branches. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Kind of fun, isn’t it? Who doesn’t love a parade? The King is coming! Hosanna to the Son of David!