I love watching Disney movies, even as adult, because the writers know that young people are only part of their audience. They must entertain the adults, too.
Perhaps the best thing about them is the fact that every movie has a lesson to be learned, even for the older ones among us. For example, how many of us have seen the movie, Frozen?
You may remember I preached on the theme song Let It Go a few weeks ago. Today I’d like to revisit that movie, but make a different point.
Do you remember what happened to Queen Elsa? After she discovers that she has uncontrollable super powers, she runs away from home and builds herself a castle of ice, where she remains in isolation for many, many years.
Sadly, Elsa’s village of Arendelle remains in an eternal winter until she returns home and allows herself to be loved.
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In today’s Gospel, the Apostle Thomas acts a bit like Queen Elsa. He withdraws himself from the Christian community because he’s distraught over the death of Jesus. Thomas wants to wrestle with his feelings and his future alone.
This proves to be a big mistake.
Meanwhile, the other disciples are just as heartbroken as Thomas is. But their sorrow does not tear them apart; rather, they share their feelings and their pain with one another.
As it says in our first reading, this “community of believers was of one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). This is why Jesus appears to them – and not to Thomas – because they remained together.
Thus Jesus teaches them a very important lesson: they should not live in isolation. When pain or sorrow strikes, the worst thing they can do is run away from their community; rather, being together is always better than being alone.
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So what does this mean for us?
Jesus is not present in the isolation. He does not want us to build walls or separate ourselves from those whom we should trust, especially our family and our closest friends.
Teenagers can do this just as much as adults. Think of those times when we put on our headphones and lock ourselves in our room, shutting our family out.
We may feel connected to other people online or through video games in a “virtual world,” but Jesus wants us to stay connected – above all else – to those who live under our roof. Family, our own flesh and blood, comes first.
And to we adults: how often do we put up walls against our spouse, our friends, our co-workers, or even our own parents when we’re frustrated, stressed out, or when things don’t go our way?
Whenever there is a breakdown in communication, we, too, can metaphorically put on our “headphones” and block others out.
But Jesus reminds us today that he is not present in that self-imposed isolation. Rather, he wants us to live in harmony. As he himself says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
To be “gathered in his name” means to be of one mind and one heart. In a word, it means to communicate.
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Think of Queen Elsa. She can only be healed by true love, which she can’t find on her own. She has to leave her frozen castle and rejoin her village. She needs her friends, and above all, her sister, Anna.
In the same way, Thomas needs the other disciples. He needs to share his doubts and his pain with them. They, too, are sad. But they shouldn’t mourn alone.
Similarly, we need one another. We need our parish, our family, and our friends for love, for support, and ultimately, for human happiness.
What burdens, or hopes, or feelings, or dreams do I need to share with others??
How might we grow together as one community of faith?