Secrets are stressful

Jesus, teach me not to keep secrets from my family! Amen.

After Jesus died, the Apostles stayed in a room to talk about it. They locked the door, but Jesus came in anyway! "Peace be with you," He said, and gave them the power to forgive sins. One Apostle, Thomas, wasn't there -- and didn't believe the others saw Jesus. Later, Jesus came back when Thomas was there. "Peace be with you -- and Thomas, believe in me," He said. So Thomas did!

Some kids are always trying to keep secrets from their parents. They hide tests with low grades, lie about doing something bad so they won't get in trouble and "forget" to mention they got detention at school.

If you've ever tried that, you know that the problem is that your parents usually figure out what you're doing! Whether they can see that you're lying or someone else tells them what you tried to hide, they learn the truth -- and then you're in more trouble.

In this week's Gospel (John 20:19-31), the Apostles are like kids with a secret: They're supposed to be Jesus' closest friends; but when He dies, they don't really believe His promise that He'll come back to life! They even hide in a locked room to talk about it.

Most parents can figure out when you're keeping something from them -- and so could Jesus. A locked door didn't stop Him; He came right into the room and caught the Apostles doubting what He'd told them.

Often, when a secret finally slips out, it's a relief. You don't have to worry about what will happen when your parents find out any more; you can just deal with the problem and move on.

The Apostles must have been relieved to see Jesus, too. Now, He knew that they'd doubted Him; they could see that He really had come back to life; and everyone could be happy again -- even Thomas, who doubted most of all!