A college student was in a philosophy class where class discussion about whether or not God exists was in progress. The professor had the following logic, “Has anyone in this class ever seen God?” Nobody spoke. “Has anyone in this class ever touched God?” Again, nobody spoke. “Has anyone in this class ever heard God?” When nobody spoke for the third time, he simply stated, “Well there is no God.”

And one of the students, who did not like the sound of this asked for permission to speak. The professor said yes. The student stood up and asked, “Has anyone in this class seen our professor’s brain?” Folks, you’re allowed to laugh, all right?

I was having dinner recently with someone who said something I think we’ve all heard before. Someone maybe from our own family. This person said, “I don’t go to church, I can worship God in my own way.” There’s a story of a wild old priest, very wise man, who was told the same thing by a middle-aged man. They were sitting in a study, there was a fire going because it was a cold, blustery winter day. All the priest did was to get up, take a coal from the blazing fire, he placed it on the stone hearth away from the rest of the fire and sat down.

As they both watched, the coal went out in a very short time and the priest said, “For the coal to maintain itself, it needed the companionship of the other coals.” This was Thomas’s mistake. Even though he was depressed, withdrawn and shattered, he should never have left the group, because he could not find his way himself. He had faith, but faith is gained and shared and grows in community. And we all have doubts, we need each other to grow. The times we do waiver, we doubt, we struggle, we ask why, we seek proof. We sometimes say, “God where are you?”

Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player has this carved on his gravestone: “A person’s life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” On this Divine Mercy Sunday, please remember this, sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.