Peace Be With You. (John 20,19-31)

Antoni BigCuore*

Date: 28.04.2019, Sunday, at 10:11 am
Location: São Paulo, SP.

                          Announcement of the Gospel (John 20, 19-31)

19 And it came to pass on the evening of that day, the first day of the week, when the doors of the place where the disciples were about to be shut up for fear of the Jews, Jesus went in and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20After these words he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced to see the Lord.

21 Again, Jesus said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. "
22And after he had said this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23To whomsoever you pardon sins, they will be forgiven you; to whom you will not forgive, they will be withheld. "

24Tome, called Didymus, who was one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples later told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But Thomas said to them, "If I do not see the nail-mark in your hands, if I do not put my finger on the nail-marks and do not put my hand on your side, I will not believe it."

26After a few days, the disciples were gathered together again, and Thomas was with them. When the doors were closed, Jesus went in and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it on my side. And do not be disbelieving, but faithful. "

28Tomé answered, "My Lord and my God!" 29Jesus said to him, "You believed, why did you see me? Blessed are those who have not seen. "
30Jesus performed many other signs before the disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these were written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life in his name.

A. BIGCUORE´S REFLECTION. On Sunday, the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church celebrates the Day of Mercy, instituted by Pope John Paul II, on the occasion of the canonization of Saint Faustina Kowalska of Poland.

As for the Gospel of today, it leads us to reflect on the lack of faith of the apostle St. Thomas, who he only believed after having seen. Jesus gives you a rebuke. "Be not faithless, but faithful."
Blessed are those who BELIEVE without ever having seen! All of us Christians, in a way, have a bit of Thomas. In our walk through this life, at certain moments we falter in faith. We doubt. We were discouraged. But fortunately the Master left us the Sacraments, especially that of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, to give us strength, because he already knew our weaknesses and that we would need these remedies.

The sacraments are remedies for soul and body. Notice in the gesture of Jesus, the institution of the sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation, when he says to the disciples: "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. " 22 Having said this, Jesus BLOWED about them, saying, "Receive the HOLY SPIRIT. 23The sins of those you forgive will be forgiven. The sins of those you do not forgive will not be forgiven. " (Pauline Bible, ed.pastoral pg.1.385)

Thinking well, today's Christians, we are even very "believers", since after more than 2,000 years, that Jesus instituted His Petrine Church, and we do not live directly with Jesus, to believe, nowadays, (2019) would be much more difficult than for people contemporary with the Master.
May the risen Christ, through the action of the Holy Spirit of God, continue to guide us, illuminate our steps, protect us from the foolishness of our adversaries and, above all, RENEW our faith to continue the mission begun by Him until the consummation of ages, amen!

(John, in the Book of Revelation, in the first reading of today.) 17And when I saw him, I fell as dead at his feet: and he laid his right hand upon me, and encouraged me, saying, Fear not: I am the First and the Last. I have the keys of death and the dwelling place of the dead. "(Revelation 1: 13-18) (Paulinas p.1.590 / 91)).

John tells the vision he had of Jesus himself !!! One more strong reason to believe in the Resurrection of the Master.
A holy and happy Sunday to all! Peace and good!

(*) author is Friend of Good and communicator of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole planet. Access his BLOG BEM VIVER BRAZIL - antonibigcuore.blogspot.com (self-knowledge, spirituality and healthy life).