2nd Sunday of Easter (C)

Inspire in Us the Practice of Good (2011-2013):

Sunday Reflections for Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

2nd Sunday of Easter (C), April 7, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118
Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:19-31

"These [signs] have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah."



On the evening


of that first day of the week,
    even though the disciples had locked the doors
    of the place where they were
        for fear of the Jews,


Jesus
    came and stood
    before them,


"Peace be with you,"
    he said.


When he had said this,
    he showed them
    his hands and his side.


At the sight of the Lord
the disciples rejoiced.


"Peace be with you,"
    he said again.


"As the Father has sent me
so I send you."


Then


he breathed on them
    and said:


"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive men's sins,
they are forgiven them;
if you hold them bound,
they are held bound."


It happened that one of the TWelve,
    Thomas
    (the name means "Twin"),
was absent
when Jesus came.


The other disciples
kept telling him:
    "We have seen the Lord!"


His answer was,
"I'll never believe it
without probing the nail-prints
in his hands,
without putting my finger
in the nail-marks
and my hand into his side."


A week later,


the disciples were once more
in the room,


and this time
    Thomas
    was with them.


Despite the locked doors,
Jesus
    came and stood
    before them,


"Peace be with you,"
    he said;


then,


to Thomas:


"Take your finger
    and examine my hands
Put your hand
    into my side.


Do not persist
in your unbelief,
    but believe!"


Thomas said in response,


"My Lord and my God!"


Jesus then said to him:


"You became a believer
because you saw me.
    Blest are they
        who have not seen
        and have believed."


Jesus performed
many other signs as well
    - signs not recorded here
    - in the presence of his disciples.


But these
have been recorded
to help you believe


that Jesus
is the Messiah,
the Son of God,


so that through this faith
you may have life
in his name.



Points for reflection and prayer:
"Through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders occurred among the people." (Acts 5)
"My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior." (Psalm 118)
"I saw seven lampstands of gold and among the lampstands One like a Son of Man." (Revelation 9)