LIVING in a tourist town you notice the need people have to take photos and buy souvenirs to prove they have visited our little corner of the world. These accoutrements act as tangible proof of their experiences while touring.
 
This is an expression of the universal human need for the visible, the concrete, the tangible. So I think we can sympathise with Thomas when he declared that he would not believe the Lord had risen unless he actually touched him. He was merely echoing the human cry for certainty.

IN  Matthew’s account of the resurrection it almost seems he is working at cross purposes.

On the one hand, the message delivered by the angels is clear, succinct, and compelling:

This week we have had the heartache of saying goodbye to one of our much loved community members.

As we come to terms with the reality of a loved ones death, with all its pain and sense of loss, we are not only united in our sorrow, we are also united in our hope, for just as we are confronted with the reality of death so to we must allow ourselves to be confronted with the reality of our faith.