My question for today is for kids and, perhaps, for a few adults. It’s this: Have you finished eating all of the chocolate candy in your Easter basket? You’ve had a whole week to do it. It’s been a week since Easter Sunday. For many of us of a certain age, today is the “First Sunday AFTER Easter.” For those who are post-Vatican II Catholics, this is the “Second Sunday OF Easter.” It depends upon how you look at it. Is Easter done with, completed for another year? Or is it still Easter? Today and for the weeks to come.
In the Gospel reading for today, it’s still the day of the Resurrection. It’s “the evening of that first day of the week.” The disciples are gathered in the room where, three long nights ago, they ate a final supper with their Lord and Master, their friend who suffered and died on a cross before a jeering mob. And this morning, news came to them from several of the woman in their company, and from Peter and another disciple, that the tomb where they had laid his body was found to be empty.
Another one of his followers, Thomas, is not with them. Has he been captured by the Romans? Or worse yet, has he joined the enemies of Jesus? Would he betray them as Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus, himself? It’s no wonder the doors to the room are bolted shut.
And then Jesus stands among them! He says: “Shalom. Peace be with you.” At this they rejoice. They know he has kept his promise to them. He has returned. He has returned with a gift and with a command. He offers first his gift. He gives them his Peace. And then he gives them his command. He gives them their mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” But he does not send them forth without another gift. He gives them a gift to assist them in their mission. He gives them the gift of his breath, of his new life. He breathes on them and says: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Empowering them with the gift of the breath of the Holy Spirit, he gives them yet another command: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them …”
On that Easter evening two thousand years ago, he brought them his Peace and his forgiveness. He asked them to share that Peace, that forgiveness, with others. The mission he had been given by the Father, to bring forgiveness to humankind, to bring redemption and salvation to all men and women, he now gives to his followers. They had seen him; they had experienced him. They were now to bring the fulness of his forgiveness to others who had not yet seen him or experienced his presence.
The fruits of that mission are reported in the first reading we heard today from the Acts of the Apostles: “The community of believers was of one heart and mind … With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them …” It was through their acts, their actions, that these once fearful followers of Jesus gave to others the power to experience the risen Christ directly.
Our gospel reading goes on to report that when Jesus appears a week later to his followers, and this time to Thomas, he reminds them, and he reminds us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Yes, there are those who did not see the risen Christ directly. They, too, are blessed because they have believed the testimony of those who saw him after his Resurrection.
And of equal importance, they are blessed because they have seen and experienced the risen Christ through the actions of others.
● Blessed are they who have not seen Jesus, himself, but see and experience the Christ who lives and resides within those who are living members of his mystical body, the Body of Christ.
● Blessed are those who have not seen the vulnerability of Jesus himself but see the vulnerability of those who give of themselves in the name of Christ.
● Blessed are those who have not witnessed the courage of Jesus directly, but who see how Christians courageously stand up for the principles he taught.
● Blessed are those who have not seen the suffering Jesus endured but see the suffering with dignity exhibited by fellow Christians who are ill or dying.
And even more blessed are they who, themselves, are vulnerable with others, who are courageous in following his principles, and who suffer with dignity in the name of Christ. They are the followers who are sent by Christ to be examples of what it means to accept and share the Peace of Christ; and to carry out the mission on which he sends them.
The beloved disciple in his letter in our second reading for today reminds us: “In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome …”
We have received the breath of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments conferred upon us. It is through our cooperation with the Holy Spirit – our own willingness to use these sacramental gifts on behalf of others – that we participate directly in the mission upon which he sends us. There is no need for us to huddle behind locked doors, hiding from the world. We are challenged to step forth into the world and bring with us the Peace and Forgiveness of Christ, himself.
The troubling times in which we live remind us we are all in need of the Peace of Christ and in need of forgiveness. We realize we have either given offense to others or we harbor resentment for the offenses of others towards us. Now is the time to forgive and to be forgiven. Now is the time for Easter to be celebrated not just on one Sunday of the year, but every moment of our lives. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad.
Second Sunday of Easter; April 19. 2009 (Revision of April 23, 2006)
Acts: 4:32-35; 1 Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20:19-31