The biblical readings for this second Sunday of Easter cause us to delve more deeply into the concrete effects of the Resurrection of Jesus.  There is an interesting comparison between what the first reading tells us and the very simple and human witness in the gospel story.   This kind of comparison has a definite purpose, if we think about the gradual path that the disciples had to travel to reach a deeper and more mature faith in the resurrection of Jesus.  We could say that faith is something that enters gradually into the consciousness of the believer, or in other words, our awareness opens itself gradually to the growth of faith.

The Acts of the Apostles tells us of the attitudes toward life of a community that, little by little, reaches this maturity of faith.  A maturity that is manifested not only in the conviction and acceptance, though sincere, of the new dynamic of the Spirit, but also in the concrete actions of life: putting everything at the service of all; divesting myself of what is "mine" and being open to share what is "ours.

Quickly the community discovers that it must root its being in a lifestyle that harmonizes with its beliefs.  Becoming a community that is "of one heart" implies not only believing and being convinced of the same things, but also acting and feeling the same way, assuming as our own the joys, pains and human limitations (including economic ones) of all.  But we must not confuse this "having one heart and soul" with a simple and naive uniformity that is more hurtful than helpful.  The determination and effort of everyone, oriented to common objectives, is what really counts; the means may be diverse, just as the gifts and charisms given by the Spirit are diverse.

This witness, a little summary of the lifestyle of the early community, is far from the ideals and lifestyles of our current world.  With great hesitation we claim to be Christians, and perhaps we don't even doubt the "maturity" of our own faith.  In twenty centuries, much about the mystery of Christ has been able to be "deepened" and "clarified."   But at what point do we actually find ourselves?  If we honestly examine our Christian conscience, it's possible that we may find ourselves - after twenty-one centuries - still at the level of Thomas! Or generally at the level of the apostles: locked away, with perhaps healthy attitudes of contemplation and hope, but completely disconnected from the practical application of our faith.

 

The description of the apostolic community that evening is the other side of the coin presented to us in the first reading; we are still not "of one heart and soul", because we lag behind in our faith. However, we won't view this fact with a negative lens; let's look at it from the most positive angle possible.

The most beautiful pages of the Bible are surely those in which the biblical characters are shown with their very human attitudes, however limited.

Sometimes we think that because we're speaking of Holy Scripture, the Word of God, we'll always find therein complete perfection and maturity.  But no. The Old as well as the New Testament are full of situations and characters in which the very human is seen, the hardness of heart, the mistakes, the dark and gloomy nights; situations that we can find ourselves in at any moment.  Today's gospel is an example of this.

 

We can easily criticize the unbelieving Thomas:  wasn't the witness of his ten companions enough for him?  Didn't he believe the words of the Master himself, who in at least three instances had announced his own passion, death and resurrection?

There are two things in today's gospel that we must keep sight of: How the apostles locked themselves up for fear of the Jewish authorities, and the case of Thomas.  The first situation is a barricading of the entire community, totally contrary to what should be the life of a community encouraged and moved by the Spirit; it is the antithesis of what the Acts tells us.  It's obvious that the community needs its periods of intimacy, of "enclosing" itself to nourish, confront and strengthen itself; however, St. John speaks of a community that still doesn't understand that it must also face up to itself and fulfill itself outside its enclosure: it was evening (v 20).

 

The second situation is a barricading of personal faith.  My faith, your faith cannot simply dissolve into "our" faith; it makes no sense to speak of community faith when there is no firm conviction of personal faith.  The apparent lack of faith on the part of Thomas is the very honest attitude of a believer who follows the impulse of the Spirit to open himself to new dimensions of faith. Surely Thomas wasn't that incredulous.   Like the rest of his companions, he followed, believed and had faith in Jesus.  Now it became necessary to remeasure his faith, to conquer another step, to renounce the old way of understanding the faith and to undertake another stretch of the road; and what is more difficult still: now the disciple has to open himself to a new awareness of the presence of the Lord.  If Thomas has to "see to believe", it is not because deep down he is small-minded, but because he wants to give authentic breadth to his faith. Authentic faith is surely not what is based on the old definition in Father Astete's catechism: "faith is believing what we don't see, because God has revealed it to us." Jesus is right to praise those who have believed without seeing, but who said that all the roads are equal in the process of arriving at faith?  One very significant point is the fact that Thomas, despite his "incredulity" continues to be part of the Eleven.  Jesus continues to count him in and Thomas continues to count on Jesus.  Jesus will no longer be present; therefore, the new challenge is to accept him as present, and even more, accept him as Lord, source and basis of all, despite his failure before the Jewish authorities.

Surely this would not be easy.  It looks easy to us because, unfortunately, we live a "learned" faith, which in the greater part of the Christian world, is put to the test rarely or not at all.

The starting point of the early Christian community has to be the experience of the disciples, including Thomas, that evening.  Let us honestly try to feel like the disciples did that evening and see if we are capable of approaching the lifestyle of the early community as it is described later on in the Acts of the Apostles.

For the revision of life

It doesn't make sense to speak of a "common faith" if within the community there is no awareness of the faith process of each person.  What is my faith process and what is the lifestyle to which my faith leads me?

Does my faith have anything to do with my lifestyle?  Are my attitudes and lifestyle a reflection of my faith?

How do we accomplish in the community the necessary balance between contemplation and action?

How do I define myself: with a group of disciples who believe, but who stay locked up and hidden; or with Thomas, who dares to leave the hiding place, but who must "see to believe"?

 

For bible groups

Let's take the passages from Acts and the gospel again and analyze the gospel story as the departure point and the story from the Acts as the arrival point of the essential process of faith and action.  In the light of these two passages, let's analyze the experience of faith and life of our community.

 

Prayers of the Faithful

With sincere hearts open to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit let us direct our prayers to God.  (The response is, Fill us with your Spirit, O Lord.)

Let us pray for the universal Church, that it may each day feel the need to be filled, enlightened and moved by the Spirit who raised Jesus...

For those who guide the destiny of our people, that they may feel the need to walk according to God's plan, which is the happiness and fulfillment of all men and women of every race and nation...

For our Christian communities, that every day, with greater strength, we may strive to live with one heart, banishing from our midst whatever divides us and struggling to keep alive what unites us...

For every one of us, that with a sincere and humble personal attitude, we may be open to the very new and real experience of faith in the Risen Jesus, which moves us to grow and mature in our faith...

For those who have abandoned the faith or whose faith is weak, that they may come to understand their present situation as a process of seeking and consolidating their relationship with God and with others...

Community Prayer

Good and merciful God, take our hearts divided by so many fears and doubts; transform them into whole and undivided hearts, able to feel as our own the pains and joys of our brothers and sisters.  Through Jesus Christ, our brother, your Son.  Amen.