Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)
Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel John 20:19-31 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the
doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus
came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he
had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the
disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am
sending you.” And
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 withhold forgiveness
from any, it is withheld.”
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called
the Twin, 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 in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my
finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will
never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was
with them. Although the doors were locked, 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;
and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, 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 believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the
presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but
these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have
life in his name.
I carry a scar on one of my hips from surgery when I was 17. I can't
even remember which hip, without checking. But the scar is there, along with a couple of smaller
scars from accidents when I was young. I hardly ever think about them. But they
are there.
St Thomas's instinct was right: Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. He knew that if the Lord was truly
risen he would carry the scars of his suffering. And he carries them for all
eternity.
Scars are reminders of wounds that were. The Risen Body of
Christ carries the scars of his Passion and Crucifixion but they are no longer
wounds.
But the Body of Christ that is the Church is being wounded
daily. The world that God created is being wounded daily. In the first reading
during the Easter Vigil (Genesis 1:27,31)
we heard these words: So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them . . . God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
But today we see much that he had made and
that was very good destroyed or being destroyed. We see
countless persons created in his image, in the image of God, being
killed in endless conflicts.
In 1 Cointhians 6:19-20 we
read: Or do you
not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you
have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in
your body.
On
Easter Monday 2017 four
members of a Catholic family were shot dead in
Quetta, Pakistan, by members of the so-called Islamic State. The victims
were Pervaiz Masih, Tariq Masih, Imran Masih and Firdous Bibi. They were killed because
each was a temple of the
Holy Spirit, a follower of Jesus, a Christian.
Pope Francis: Easter Sunday, Mass and Urbi et Orbi
In his Urbi et Orbi message last Sunday Pope Francis said [my emphases], The witnesses report an important detail: the risen Jesus bears the marks of the wounds in his hands, feet and side. These wounds are the everlasting seal of his love for us. All those who experience a painful trial in body or spirit can find refuge in these wounds and, through them, receive the grace of the hope that does not disappoint.
In his message Pope Francis spoke to a world deeply affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic that has turned our world upside-down in so many ways. Here, for example, are his words to young people: The risen Jesus is also hope for all those young people forced to go long periods without attending school or university, or spending time with their friends. Experiencing real human relationships, not just virtual relationships, is something that everyone needs, especially at an age when a person’s character and personality is being formed. We realized this clearly last Friday, in the Stations of the Cross composed by the children. I express my closeness to young people throughout the world and, in these days, especially to the young people of Myanmar committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, in the knowledge that hatred can be dispelled only by love.
These words about the importance of experiencing real human relationships resonates very strongly with me. A good friend who read these Sunday Reflections every week and occasionally posted a comment died unexpectedly on Holy Saturday. His name was Liam Hayden and we first met when we started in O'Connell Schools, Dublin, in 1951, in Second Class (Grade Two). We were both in the B section.
Liam and I were in different sections for most of the ten years we were in the school, and were friendly with each other, but not pals. I really came to know him as a friend after an unexpected encounter with him and his wife Moira in 1976 while home from the Philippines. I had spent a week with the Legion of Mary in Pewsey, Wiltshire, England, in the summer of 1966, when I was still in the seminary, and Moira was in our group. Liam and Moira met some years later through their involvement with the Legion of Mary and were utterly dedicated to the work of the Legion in Dublin, especially in the two hostels of the Legion in Dublin for people who are basically homeless, Morning Star Hostel for men and Regina Coeli Hostel for women.
Though Liam and I became close friends only as adults, the foundation of that friendship was our being classmates at the age of 8. So many youngsters throughout the world today are missing out on that experience, being wounded by that lack. Yet the scars that Jesus carries for all eternity are the everlasting seal of his love for us, as Pope Francis put it. And the pain of loss that Liam's wife, his six children and 30 grandchildren - and so many others - are now feeling will become in time scars which will be a reminder of the love of Jesus for them in this life through Liam as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather and as a friend especially of those on the fringes of society. Please remember Liam and his family in your prayers.
Perhaps we can consciously unite the wounds we presently carry with the wounded Jesus on the Cross and unite the scars we carry from previous wounds with the Risen Lord Jesus whom Thomas recognised by those very scars. And we can join St Thomas in that great act of faith, My Lord and my God.
Extraordinary Form of the Mass
Traditional Latin Mass (TLM)
The Octave Day of Easter (Low Sunday)
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 4-11-2021 if necessary).
Epistle: 1 John 5:4-10. Gospel: John 20:19-31.
Authentic Beauty
Authentic beauty, however, unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond.
Pope
Benedict XVI meeting with artists in
the Sistine Chapel, 21 November 2009.
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