John 20:19-31

Acts 5:12-16

Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,

for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

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.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,

was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples said to 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 into the nailmarks

and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside

and Thomas was with them.

Jesus came, although the doors were locked,

and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,

and bring your hand and put it into my side,

and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples

that are not written in this book.

But these are written that you may come to believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I truly desire eternal life in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. As I make my way through this passing world, keep my eyes fixed on heaven so that I may be an instrument of your merciful love. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief!

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Gift of Peace: In the Gospel of John, the first words of the Risen Christ to his disciples are: “Peace be with you.” This brings one of the major themes of the Bible to a close. In the beginning, in Genesis, we learned about how humanity became estranged from God through the sin of our first parents and how the original peace and harmony of the original covenant of creation was lost and broken. Through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a new covenant has been forged and a new and restored peace has been gifted to humanity. God and humanity have been reconciled. Peace will accompany the disciples in their mission. “The paradigm for the commissioning in John is the Father’s sending of Jesus with all that implies by way of purpose, e.g., to bring life, light, truth. Just as the Father was present in the Son during the Son’s mission (12:45: ‘Whoever sees me is seeing him who sent me’), so now must the disciples in their mission manifest the presence of Jesus to the point that whoever sees the disciples sees Jesus who sent them” (Brown, Christ in the Gospels of the Liturgical Year, 250).

2. The Gift of the Spirit: The second gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit, is connected to the blessing of the forgiveness of sins. This was the blessing promised to Abraham back in Genesis 22. It is an anticipation of the Pentecost of the Spirit, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection. The number 49, which is 7 times 7, is associated with the Jubilee Year in which debt was forgiven, slaves were released, and ancestral land was restored. The unleashing of the Spirit on the 50^th day in the New Creation brings the Jubilee to fulfillment: the debt incurred through sin is forgiven, the slavery to sin is overcome, and the paradise we lost through sin is attainable. 

3. The Gift of Faith: The story of Thomas is filled with irony. The one who doubted the most gives expression to the highest praise of Jesus uttered in any Gospel. “The final praise for belief, however, is extended by Jesus to those who have believed without seeing garments of bodily presence. In the Johannine portrait no greater praise can be given to Jesus than ‘My Lord and my God;’ no greater praise can be given to Jesus’ followers than ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.’ Through that faith the prophecy of Hosea 2:25 is fulfilled: A people that was formerly not a people has said, ‘You are my God.’ Or, in the words the evangelist uses to describe the purpose of his Gospel, through that faith the followers of Jesus ‘have life in his name’ (John 20:31)” (Brown, Christ in the Gospels of the Liturgical Year, 254).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, pour out your gifts of peace, faith, and the Holy Spirit into my heart. Fill me with your love and charity so that I may care for my brothers and sisters in need today. Inspire me to be generous and use my time and resources well.

Living the Word of God: Seeing the Apostle Thomas overcome his doubt with great faith comforts us in our insecurity. The words Jesus addresses to Thomas remind us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere in our journey of faith. Are there any doubts I need to overcome in my life of faith? Has my faith been rocked or weakened by the sins and crimes of members of the Church’s hierarchy? How is God calling me today to deepen in my faith and work to eradicate evil from our society and the Church?