By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Acts 5:12-16; Response: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; Second Reading: Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19; Gospel: John 20:19-31
“Signs and wonders” are repeatedly performed by the apostles in the aptly named “Acts of the Apostles.” These signs and wonders are always done in the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter quotes the prophet Joel in Acts 2:17-19: “It will come to pass in the last days … upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and … I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below.” Peter indicates that God’s words (in Joel’s prophecy) are now fulfilled among the followers of Christ Jesus.
Thus God pours out his Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples, enabling them to perform signs and wonders. These signs are testimony to the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus. In our reading, the first emphasized phrase (in Greek) is “by the hands of the apostles.” Peter and the other apostles are healing the sick in large numbers. This shows that the apostles are acting by the power of Jesus, who healed numerous sick people. Tradition tells us that the Acts of the Apostles was composed by St. Luke as “part 2” to complement his Gospel (part 1). Jesus performs signs and wonders in the Gospel of Luke. In the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles are given God’s Spirit to continue Jesus’ acts of healing.
Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 118) repeatedly uses the famous Hebrew word “hesed” — which appears in many psalms. “Hesed” is sometimes translated as “love” — “his love is everlasting” (today’s refrain). Other times “hesed” is translated as “mercy” — “his mercy endures forever” (in today’s first verse). “Hesed” describes God’s faithful love for his people — with whom God has formed a covenant relationship. St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translated “hesed” as “mercy” (Latin: misericordia). Jerome was following the example of the older Greek Septuagint, which had likewise translated “hesed” as “mercy” (Greek: eleos). Psalm 118 repeatedly emphasizes that God is eternally faithful to his covenant promises to his people. Thus, we can trust that God will help us in our distress, for he is our savior.
Our second reading (Revelation 1) describes how John was commanded by Jesus to write down a series of prophetic visions. John “heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, ‘Write on a scroll what you see.’” John sees Jesus (the loud voice) when “I turned to see.” John sees “one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest.” This is an image of Jesus in priestly clothing.
John falls “down at (Jesus’) feet as though dead.” But Jesus tells John not to be afraid, because he has conquered death. Jesus again commands John to write down the visions that he is being given. The purpose of these visions is to strengthen Christians in faith as they await Jesus’ second coming.
The first two verses (Revelation 1:9-10) describe the context in which John receives this prophetic commissioning from Jesus. John has been exiled to Patmos as a punishment for giving “testimony to Jesus.” John’s vision of Jesus occurs “on the Lord’s day” (Sunday) when “I was caught up in spirit.”
John says “I found myself on the island called Patmos because I proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus.” Patmos is an island in the “Aegean Sea” — a section of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Patmos is near the coast of modern-day Turkey. But when Revelation was written, people spoke Greek (not Turkish) on both the island and the mainland. John is directed by Jesus to send his written visions to seven Christian communities on the mainland.
Today’s gospel recounts Jesus’ repeated appearances to his disciples after his resurrection. In his first appearance, Jesus twice says to them: “Peace be with you.” Jesus calms the disciples’ fears and anxieties. Note that “the doors were locked” where they were meeting. The second time Jesus says “Peace be with you,” he adds: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit.” This is accompanied by Jesus breathing on his disciples, and by his promise that if his disciples forgive sins, then they are truly forgiven.
The second half of today’s gospel focuses on Thomas as an example of slowness in belief in Christ’s resurrection. Since Thomas was absent during Jesus’ first appearance to the disciples, he refuses to accept the testimony of his fellow disciples, who say “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas questions the credibility of their claim that Jesus is risen from the dead with his insistence of seeing and touching Jesus’ wounds of crucifixion.
Fortunately Thomas is present when Jesus appears a second time to his disciples. Note that both of Jesus’ appearances are on the “first day of the week” — that is, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Again the disciples have locked the doors because of their fears, and again Jesus’ calms their fears by saying: “Peace be with you.”
Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds of crucifixion, and then Jesus says: “do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas responds with words of belief: “My Lord and my God!” The gospel does not indicate that Thomas actually touched Jesus’ wounds, although Jesus’ offered him this. Jesus’ encounter with Thomas ends with Jesus’ words: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” These words speak to our situation as Jesus’ followers who have not personally witnessed his bodily resurrection. Nonetheless, we have received testimony of the truth of his resurrection.
The final verses of today’s gospel (20:30-31) appear to be the original ending of John’s Gospel. Shortly after, an additional section was added, which we call John 21. Today’s passage tells us the reason that John’s Gospel has described Jesus’ signs for us – “these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” Those who believe will have life in Jesus’ name, the narrator reminds us.