Reading of the holy Gospel according to Saint John (20,19-31):
On the evening of that day, the first of the week, the disciples were in a house, with the doors closed for fear of the Jews. And in this Jesus entered, stood in the middle and said to them: «Peace to you». And saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. And the disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord.
Jesus repeated: «Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And having said this, he exhaled his breath on them and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive! they are forgiven; whoever you hold back, they are held back.”
Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. And the other disciples said to him: «We have seen the Lord».
But he answered them: “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, if I don’t put my finger in the hole of the nails and I don’t put my hand in his side, I don’t believe it.”
Eight days later, the disciples were inside again, and Thomas with them. Jesus arrived, the doors being closed, he stood in the middle and said: «Peace to you». Then he said to Thomas: «Bring your finger, here are my hands; bring your hand and put it in my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believer». Thomas answered: “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are those who believe without seeing”.
Many other signs, which are not written in this book, Jesus did in the sight of the disciples. These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that by believing you may have life in his name. Lord’s word.
Those who know that Jesus is alive know that they have forgiveness as a mission and the Spirit of Jesus as a gift. Those terrified men, locked up in their fears and in their home, are visited by the risen Jesus and the encounter fills them with joy and peace. They did not expect it and the surprise increases their joy.
But Jesus does not give them time to waste it in vain consolations: he gives them peace and a task, he infuses them with joy and sends them to the world, so that they fill it with his Spirit and his forgiveness. Fear of the world, withdrawal and loneliness are not attitudes worthy of someone who has rejoiced in knowing that Christ, his Lord, truly lives.
The witness of Jesus is not a timid man who, in order not to bother anyone with his faith, does not exercise it publicly or allows it to be stolen or denied. He does not seclude himself among those who share his belief in order to better distribute the weight of his complexes and to better be able to bear them. Living at peace with ourselves is the first task of those who know that Jesus lives today: if being able to count on Him alive does not pacify us, minimizing enemies or difficulties and freeing us from complexes and fears, it is because we are not yet, like Thomas, sure of that Jesus has really risen and lives for us. For who or what can take away the peace that Christ has brought us?
The truth is that many of us are reflected a little in Thomas: we would like to believe as God wishes, but we want proof that makes our faith more bearable, less insecure. There are many today who tell us that He is dead, many others try to convince us to consider him dead or missing; How difficult it is for us to believe that he is alive!… The happiest faith is the one that does not require proof.
Enjoy the presence of God at mass and with family!
#Sunday #April #Cycle