Appearance to the Disciples

Today's Reflections

Appearance to the Disciples 

 grace and space

Jn 20:19-31

¹⁹On 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.” ²⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. ²³Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

²⁴Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So 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.”

²⁶Now 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.” ²⁷Then 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.” ²⁸Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. ³¹But 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.

 

Reflection:
 

My Lord and my God! The risen Jesus appears to his apostles, and they believe. But Thomas doubts it. 

He wants to be sure and demands proof.

Thomas missed the first appearance of the risen Jesus because he wanted to be alone and separated himself from the community of the apostles. When we withdraw from our community, we miss great relationships and opportunities.

Yet, Thomas’ honesty is admirable. He is not playing with words just to impress people or win their sympathy. He does not say only what people want to hear. He is truthful. He wants to be certain and speaks his mind. But when he is sure, because the risen Jesus deigns to grant his request, Thomas surrenders himself to Jesus, going all the way for him and expressing his profound faith in a remarkable formulation: “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus offers his peace to us, his gift of friendship, and the restoration of the relationship between God and us. 

We can now go to God and call God our Father.

Whatever happens, I will always say,“My Lord and my God!”