2nd Easter - Fr. Leo
Today’s Gospel from John (20:19-31) tells of a couple of the first appearances of the Risen Christ to the disciples. In both visits, the Lord begins by saying, “Peace be with you.” Every time we pause to pray, the first words for us to hear from God are, “Peace be with you.” In that wordless ‘peace’, we become aware of God entering our hearts as we enter His.
The second grace of these stories is that God will go out of his way to bring us to faith. Jesus makes a second visit for Thomas so that his doubt can be turned into faith. Thus, Thomas makes the crowning Christological stamens in the gospel: “My Lord, and my God.”
The third significant gift of these appearances happens when Christ breathed on them and says, “Whose sins you forgive, are forgiven them.” Jesus breathes his spirit into us so that we may share his most important gift: forgiveness. We too, are to minister this same forgiveness to others. We are to love and forgive all who sin, and who sin against us as we pray in the Our Father.
Only The Holy Spirit can accomplish this love in our hearts. So as we pray in this Easter Season, we pray for the gift of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost, that Saint Paul’s words may become our own, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”