Keep Calm and Carry On

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, April 12th, 2026:
Divine Mercy Sunday

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John
​20.19-31

It was evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas, who was called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

After eight days his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name..

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Keep calm and carry on. 

This slogan appeared in a series of propaganda posters designed as morale boosters by the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Their goal was to help the British people persevere in the midst of war and to encourage the believe that things would get better, despite the adversity surrounding them. Three such slogans were developed. Interestingly, “Keep Calm” was produced on a poster but never officially used or even seen by the public until a copy of the poster was rediscovered in a British bookshop in 2000. Now we find “Keep Calm and insert-action-here” slogans everywhere – from memes and framed prints to journal covers, pens, aprons, tea towels and coasters. 

Why is that? 

Well, while those of us born and raised in North America might find the realities of war hard to imagine, life here is nonetheless complicated and often messy, so sometimes it really helps to be reminded to take a breath, calm down, and keep going.  

It seems to me that this is the sentiment Jesus is trying to get across in this Sunday’s Gospel passage each time He says, “Peace be with you.” Not only have the disciples witnessed the brutal death of their friend and Messiah, they now have to contend with the backlash of being His followers – surely the authorities, the Pharisees, and others complicit in Jesus’ death will come after them next. Were it me, I would have hid away and locked the door as well!

But Jesus, risen from the dead, comes back to them –  as he said he would – to encourage and give courage. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Keep calm and carry on, lads! You’ve got this!” Yet instead of just bolstering their spirits, as the Keep Calm slogan intends, Jesus does much more. He gives them His Spirit. Even after surrendering His life for their sakes, Jesus still has more to give them. He does not promise to take away the hardships or challenges they will face, but He promises that they will not face these difficulties alone. But, first, they must take a breath, calm down, and keep going.

In my day to day, I would do well to remember this. My head and my heart can be easily overwhelmed by the wars of my own making. When I doubt my faith and am grasping like Thomas to feel the reality of Christ present, it helps to stop, take a breath and calm down. In the space created by calm, I can root and strengthen my faltering faith in the belief of the disciples who came before me. Just as Jesus gave them His peace and His Spirit, He has given the same to me, so that I too can keep calm and carry on. 




Aurea Sadi
(Originally published on April 16, 2023)

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