Gospel: John 20:19-31
On 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.” When
he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced
when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the
Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on
them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are
forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was
not with them when Jesus came. So 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.”
Now 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.” Then 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.” Thomas answered and said to him,
“My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you
have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence
of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that
you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
through this belief you may have life in his name.
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Reflection:
Do you want to have a personal encounter with
the risen Lord Jesus Christ?
Thomas in the gospel wanted very much to have
an up close and personal encounter with his lord and master. He was yearning
for it like a parched land longing for water. Therefore, when Thomas was
told by his fellow disciples that the risen Jesus appeared to them. He
pretended not to believe but perhaps deep inside his heart he already believed
what his fellow disciples told him.
He believed already however he still yearned
for physical evidence and encounter. He wants to see the Risen Christ in the
flesh and he wants to touch the very wounds of Jesus.
Thomas desire to encounter Jesus came to
fruition after a week when they were all in that upper room where Jesus first
appeared. While all of them were inside the upper room, lo and behold Jesus
suddenly appeared before them all!
Right after His appearance Jesus singled out
Thomas. He inviting him to see the wounds on His hands and by touching the
wound on the side of His body which was pierced by a lance by a roman soldier
while He was dying on the cross.
If you want to have a personal encounter with
the risen Lord it’s ok to doubt first. Then after doubting feed the same doubt
with curiosity by asking the Lord to let you discover more about Him. Feed
it some more by talking and praying to Him.
Sooner you will discover and feel for yourself that Jesus is real. That Jesus is alive and that Jesus is just a prayer or even a whisper away from you. Why? Because Jesus has never failed anyone who yearned for a personal encounter with Him.
Do you want to have a personal encounter with
the Risen Lord? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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