Gospel – John 20: 19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then 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.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told 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 in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass is for Dermott D’s Intentions- Our Lady’s
Holy Cross – People of the Parish
Reflection:
The Gospel today is action packed! We have locked doors, fear, peace, doubt, gift of the Holy Spirit, and then to sum up, we are told Jesus worked many other signs in the presence of his disciples and all of this kicking off to the backdrop of Jesus’ Resurrection from the Dead! This is pow-wow stuff!!
All this stuff is in your face, there is no time to breath, relax, digest and take it in. Jesus’ disciples are, always having to think on their feet and try and work out what is going on around them? Because Jesus’ interventions are challenging and stretch his disciples thinking, just like you and I!
Jesus came to the disciples at the time of their great fear and doubt. He came to them although the doors were locked. And notice what he says; ‘Peace be with you’ He comes to you and me too, whenever we are locked in by fear, and he gives us his ‘Peace’. In all of the chaos Jesus brings peace.
I think now of those areas in my life where I am afraid, doubt sets in, fear takes over I imagine Jesus coming and standing before me and saying ‘Peace be with you ……………………….. put your name here and hear the Risen Jesus speak your name’. Stay there for a little while, looking at Jesus, hearing his words of peace, feeling calm return to your heart.
Jesus breathes upon you and gives you the Gift of His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of peace and truth that only Jesus can give. My friends remember you can turn to the Holy Spirit for help whenever fear or doubt threatens to overwhelm your in my life.
The moral of the story is to see Jesus in the every event moments of our lives and not just in the spiritual and cosiness of life
- Having encountered Jesus Peace, how did it leave you feeling today?
