Gospel – John 20:19-31
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.
Reflection on the Gospel
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.
Today’s readings present a picture of the early church at three different points in its development. In the reading from the Acts we find the third of three descriptions of the Jerusalem church found in the early chapters of Acts. The Apostles now are a unified group, capable of defying the orders given by the Sanhedrin “…not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” Gone is the fear that immobilized the Eleven immediately following the death of Jesus, when they hid themselves in the upper room. Instead, they are publicly gathered in Solomon’s Portico, presumably to teach and speak of Jesus, the risen Messiah, certainly to fulfill their obligations as Jews. There is a sizable population of believers in Jerusalem but those early followers remain apart from the Apostles, at least in the temple. Outside, on the streets of the city, they are not so frightened of the Jewish (Judean?) authorities and line the streets, putting their sick family members in a place where “…at least (Peter’s) shadow might fall on one or another of them.” Each of the Apostles, strong in their faith in the risen Jesus, has been granted great power and works “…many signs and wonders”. We followers of De La Salle are called upon the touch the hearts of those confided to our care. We need great faith in the risen Jesus in order to effectively carry out our mission.
In the reading from Revelation we encounter the Apostle John, approximately seventy years after the first Easter Sunday, exiled to Patmos. He is writing to local churches riven by problems that have plagued the church since its earliest days. In Acts we read about Ananias and Sapphira, who kept some of their income from the goods held in common by the early church. The story of Stephen and the Greek speaking members of the community indicates an ethnic division in the church as well. A few pages beyond today’s reading of Revelation we find the words written to the church in Laodicea, whose people have become lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, because of their great wealth. Not so long ago (March 21, 2016), Timothy Cardinal Dolan asked in his blog, “Have we lost it?” He speaks of Sandy Koufax, who refused to pitch on a Jewish high holyday, Yom Kippur. He cites Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner and committed Christian whose story is told
in the movie Chariots of Fire, who would not compete on the Sabbath. He mentions the Jewish members of the senior class at Baruch University, who asked that their Friday evening graduation be scheduled a few hours earlier so that the Sabbath could be properly celebrated. The Cardinal goes on to speak of Catholic organizations that seem to overlook the importance of our traditional Catholic practices for various reasons. He mentions, for example, the Catholic colleges “…that will compete in ‘March Madness’ even on Good Friday.” There are several other examples as well. Have we, in fact, lost it? Have we become lukewarm? It is a question that has to be answered.
We have all heard of Doubting Thomas, a name and an accusation that have been around for many centuries. That Thomas reputedly established the church in India and died a martyr is overlooked by those who use that name. In today’s gospel account, Thomas, who was absent on that astonishing first Easter when the Lord appeared to the Apostles, and who said that he would not believe till he put his fingers into the wounds of Jesus and his hand into the wound on His side, meets Jesus and is immediately filled with faith. He says then, “My Lord and my God! “ Jesus responds. “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Those words are surely about the many believers of the early church who never saw Jesus and they apply to modern day Christians as well. Our Lord is a hidden God, whom we do not see in person. Nevertheless, there are many ways we encounter Jesus, even on a daily basis. First and foremost are the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. As we read Scripture Jesus reveals Himself to us. And De La Salle tells us that in our students we see “…living images of Jesus.” We are indeed blessed with the same faith that filled the heart of Thomas on that second Sunday of Easter. Lord, “…I do believe; help my unbelief.” (Mk 9:24)
Brother Stephen Caplice, F.S.C.
Saint Peter’s Boys High School – Staten Island, NY
Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.