Acts 5:12-16
During the seven weeks of the Easter Season, the first reading is always from the Acts of the Apostles. Its author, Luke, saw the history of salvation in three great stages: In the first stage, found in the Old Testament, God's Spirit raises up leaders and prophets to guide the people; in the second stage, found in Luke's Gospel, the Spirit anoints Jesus as God's holy one; and in the third stage, described in the Book of Acts, the Spirit works in the Church, fulfilling Christ's promise to be with us until the end of time.
Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
This year during the Easter season, the second reading each Sunday is from the Book of Revelation. Revelation is an Easter book because it focuses on the Risen Jesus and our final victory over sin and death. Today's passage describes the call that the author received to convey God's message of hope to Christians toward the end of the first century who were being persecuted.
John 20:19-31
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 nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."<
Bishop Untener's Homily
First Part of Homily
Before we continue on with the rest of today's Gospel, I'd like to say something. There's a remarkable thing that happens next, and I want you to tune in to it beforehand.
The event described so far took place on Easter Sunday evening. The next scene which we're about to hear took place a week later - which is today, the Sunday after Easter. You know the story of Jesus speaking to the doubting Thomas when he appears a week later, but there is part of that scene I want you to catch.
First of all, this scene is the ending of John's Gospel. (Another ending was added by the early community of John, and it's part of the Gospel, but what you are about to hear is the first ending, and you are about to hear the last words of Jesus in this first ending.)
Now, you're familiar with the scene. Jesus talks to Thomas and tells him not to be unbelieving but believing, and then suddenly Jesus turns and he talks not to Thomas, but to us! He really does. Keep in mind that the Gospel proclaimed at liturgy is always "live." Jesus is speaking the words… and so these are words Jesus speaks "live" to us. His last words are a blessing upon us.
Also, right after that, another remarkable thing happens. It's as though we're watching a play, and the play ends, and the curtain comes down, and the house lights go on... and the author comes out and speaks to us. And he speaks some very beautiful words to us. Let's listen now to the rest of this Gospel passage.
Continuation of the Gospel
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 they 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 Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. (John 20:19-31)
Continuation of the Homily
Those are beautiful words that Jesus speaks about us: "Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed."
Those are beautiful words that the author speaks to us: "All these words are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name."
Not to be lost in this whole Gospel passage is that the very first thing Jesus does after dying, rising, ascending to the Father, and returning to his disciples in a new way, is to breathe the Spirit upon his disciples: "He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the holy Spirit.'"
The work of Jesus did not end with his resurrection. It's not as though he died, then rose from the dead, and returned to make a cameo appearance. We need to picture a trajectory that goes beyond the resurrection: Jesus died, rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, and now, because of His transformed human existence, He is able to return to us and give his Spirit upon us, and continue to do this every single second of every day. Through the Spirit he is within us - Spirit to spirit... next to us - at our side, on our side... all around us. He is there to guide us, to comfort us, strengthen us, give us peace.
We can experience his presence if we open ourselves to it. If we stopped right now and had utter silence, and let ourselves sense the presence of the Lord within us, we would experience his presence. It's something we all can do, and should do. It's one of the most beautiful ways to pray.
But here's the problem. I know that if I take some time for prayer at the beginning of the day and truly experience the Lord's presence... the hard part is to take that sense of the Lord's presence with me into the rest of the day. I get caught up in this, and this, and this… and it's as though I were going it on my own. It's hard, in the course of a day, to stay tuned in to the Lord's presence.
We need to find ways to do that. I suppose this is a bit personal, but I'm always looking for ways to do that and not so long ago I got a small wooden cross and put it in the same pocket as my car keys. It's supposed to help remind me that I'm not going it alone, that the Lord is with me, and the Lord is helping me to do whatever it is he put me on earth to do. I reach for my car keys and feel that little cross and it triggers an awareness of the Lord's presence within me through his Spirit. Even when I'm not reaching for my car keys I notice that the cross is there, and I remember that the Lord is with me. And I think, when I'm not sure how to solve a problem, "Be not afraid." The Lord is with me.
Having listened to the words of this Gospel, and having come together to celebrate Confirmation and First Eucharist, I pray first of all that these youngsters will carry a sense of the Spirit into the rest of their lives. And I pray that all of us can find ways to enjoy that gift and be aware of it all day, every day. Believe me, it can change a day. It can change a life.
God bless you
Originally given on April 22, 2001