Tag: gospel reflection

Year C | 4/28/19 | John 20:19-31

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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 to 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 Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

John 20:19-31 (NABRE)

A fitting reading for this Feast of Divine Mercy.

Each “block” of text here will be treated separately. There is so much to chew and savor in this account of one of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances.

First, we see two effects of the mission and ministry of the Apostles: forgiveness of sins and the peace of Christ, which are bonded with an intimate connection. Jesus makes his disciples ministers of mercy in expressly giving them the authority to forgive sins on earth. To this day, the successors to the Apostles in the episcopacy and their collaborators in the presbyterate forgive the sins of penitents through the Sacrament of Confession. As a Catholic, I am overly appreciative of this wonderful sacrament that Jesus Christ gave to his Holy Catholic Church. Jesus institutes a “tribunal of mercy,” as He describes it to St. Faustina Kowalska, that is such a tangible and concrete way to experience the forgiveness of sins that is granted so generously by our Savior. With the graces that come from this sacrament is the peace of Christ. This is a peace that gives us a preview of what is to come in Heaven. A peace that reminds us of the love with which Jesus showers us constantly. A peace from the Prince of Peace who gives to us abundantly and draws us to blissful communion with Him in his Kingdom. How generous is our Lord and God!

Next, we see the the beautiful patience of the risen Jesus. Thomas is also called “Didymus,” which means “the twin” in Greek. How often do we feel like “twins” of Thomas in our struggle to keep the faith? Jesus is patient with us, just as He was so patient with Thomas, approaching him not with words of condemnation, but with a greeting of peace. Jesus invites Thomas to have faith and helps him come to believe by putting on display his wounds for examination. Our Lord addresses both Thomas and his “twins” in inviting him and those who come to believe in the future to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Finally, we see another plain invitation to come to believe and accept a life lived in gratitude for and reliance on the grace and peace of our God.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 4/7/19 | John 8:1-11

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Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

John 8:1-11 (NABRE)

What did Jesus write on the ground?

Mercy is something we both give and receive. It can be rather difficult to do either, but without mercy, this would be a sad world.

This passage reads like a parable in a way. Jesus’ real-life interactions are teaching moments for us, too. Given this passage’s theme of mercy, it is especially interesting that it starts off with a brief note that before he came to the temple area, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. We are given no reason as to why he did this, and immediately after the trip is mentioned, the scene shifts. It is worth remembering that the Mount of Olives* is where Jesus experienced immense agony before his arrest and eventual death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. The inclusion of this note is fitting given what happens between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.

To the scene at the temple area. The unmerciful scribes and Pharisees intend to take up stones with which to execute the adulterous woman. The refusal to forgive (or even to have the willingness to do so) opens chasms between people, and from a distant vantage point, we see that each of our grudges makes up a lot of the cracks that fragment society. Plainly speaking, to not be merciful, especially in close relationships, is to drive people apart. This also comes from a place of ingratitude. What does it say about us when we refuse to have a merciful outlook after we have received such an abundance of mercy from God? Our experiences of being forgiven both by God and our fellow man should challenge us to be merciful to others because we need forgiveness just like any other sinner! Out of joyful gratitude and an honest view of ourselves we should forgive.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

*A special thanks to the maps section of my copy of the Bible (The Catholic Study Bible, 3rd Edition) for helping me to clarify that the Garden of Gethsemane is located on the Mount of Olives.