Gospel Reflection April 27 – Kim VanHuffel
Sunday, April 27
Second Sunday of Easter
John 20: 19-31
Gospel:
On the evening of that first day of the week,
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.
Gospel Reflection:
Today is the 2nd Sunday of Easter, and fittingly, it is Divine Mercy Sunday. I say fittingly because this is the first Sunday since the death of Pope Francis, who was a pope who led with mercy in everything he did. May he rest in peace with the risen Lord.
In our gospel reading today, many people focus on Thomas and Jesus’ question about Thomas having to see to believe. We call him doubting Thomas for this reason. However, Jesus did not condemn Thomas, he only noted that for Thomas, seeing helped his belief. Jesus was merciful to Thomas, allowing him what he needed — to touch his wounds — so that Thomas’ faith would become strong. Because the whole purpose of Jesus’ visit was to send the disciples to the rest of the world so they might come to believe that Jesus is the Christ and so we might have life in his name. It is with Jesus’ wounds that he shows mercy to Thomas, just as “with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). But what does it mean that we might “have life” in his name? What is our life supposed to be here on earth? What does Jesus call us to do with our lives?
I will end with a reflection by Pope Francis given on July 14, 2022: “Dear friends, each of your families has a mission to carry out in our world, a testimony to give. We the baptized are especially called to be “a message that the Holy Spirit takes from the riches of Jesus Christ and gives to his people”. For this reason, I would like you to ask yourselves this question: What is the word that the Lord wants to speak through our life to all those whom we meet? What “step forward” is he asking of our family, my family, today? Everyone should ask this. Stop and listen. Let yourselves be changed by him, so that you too can change the world and make it “home” for all those who need to feel welcomed and accepted, for all those who need to encounter Christ and to know that they are loved. We need to live with our eyes raised to heaven.”
And with Pope Francis, let us keep the College of Cardinals also in our prayers, that the Holy Spirit might lead them to select a new pope who continues Pope Francis’ legacy of mercy and love.
Kim VanHuffel
Pastoral Associate
