Sunday, April 7, 2002
2nd Sunday of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 2:42-47
The brothers were faithful to the teaching of the apostles, the common
life of sharing, the breaking of bread and the prayers.
A holy fear came upon all the people, for many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Now all the believers lived together and shared all their belongings. They would sell their property and all they had and distribute the proceeds to others according to their need. Each day they met together in the Temple area; they broke bread in their homes; they shared their food with great joy and simplicity of heart; they praised God and won the people's favor. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
2nd Reading: 1 P 1:3-9
Let us praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for his great
mercy. In raising Jesus Christ from the dead he has given us new life
and a living hope. The inheritance which does not corrupt nor goes bad
nor passes away was reserved to you in heavens, since God's power shall
keep you faithful until salvation is revealed in the last days.
There is cause for joy, then, even though you may, for a time, have to
suffer many trials. Thus will your faith be tested, like gold in a furnace.
Gold, however, passes away but faith, worth so much more, will bring you
in the end praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ appears.
You have not yet seen him and yet you love him; even without seeing him,
you believe in him and experience a heavenly joy beyond all words, for
you are reaching the goal of your faith: the salvation of your souls.
Gospel: Jn 20:19-31
On
the evening of that day, the first day after the sabbath, the doors were
locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews, but
Jesus came and stood in their midst. He said to them, "Peace be with
you"; then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept
looking at the Lord and were full of joy.
Again Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, so I send you." After saying this he breathed on them and
said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you
forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are
retained."
Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he
replied, "Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I
will not believe."
Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with
them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and
said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put
your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into
my side. Resist no longer and be a believer."
Thomas then said, "You are my Lord and my God." Jesus replied,
"You believe because you see me, don't you? Happy are those who have
not seen and believe."
There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of his disciples,
but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; believe and you
will have life through his Name.
Commentary
"In raising Jesus Christ from the dead, God has given us new life and the hope of sharing life beyond death." (2nd reading) We yearn to believe in life eternal. Hope in a new dawn after our personal sunset is a cause of joy, wisdom and serenity. Growing old is then a matter for excitement rather than fear, like going a little higher up the mountain and seeing the distant horizon. Would you like to live forever in this world? In the end we would tire of it, for this is not what we are made for. This life matters immensely. But it remains a journey, not a destination. Today's readings are a meditation on faith in eternal life. At times we struggle to sustain this faith; it seem too good to be true. Use Thomas' prayer. It is powerful. Faith comes to us as we pray it.