Scripture:
Acts 4:32-25
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31
Reflection:
The power of the death and resurrection continues to unfold for us in this Sunday’s readings. As Ps 118 repeats again and again, "His mercy endures forever." What is more amazing than that "the stone which the builder rejected has become cornerstone." The Resurrection is the great reversal.
Defeat has become victory, not only for Jesus, but also for us. We need to remind ourselves day after day that "the victory that conquers the world is our faith". What is the core of our faith? It is that "Jesus is the Son of God".
In the Acts of the Apostles we see the amazing effects of this faith. "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common." This is the garden of Eden time for the church. It couldn’t last. Soon enough the widows of the Greek speaking converts would complain about the unequal distribution of the food. Maybe what we have to hold on to today is the possibility of such an unselfish community.
Finally in John’s gospel we have the account of the first two Sundays after the death of Jesus, Easter and the following first day of the week. Jesus appears to the disciples as he had earlier promised: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Mt 18:20). Whenever Jesus comes he imparts his Spirit, "he breathed on them". Lord, may I not be like Thomas who missed this experience of meeting you. May I always come to the community gathering on the first day of the week. Thomas had a second chance. "His mercy endures forever."
Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.