Some of us remember when we spoke of the Sundays ‘after’ Easter. The terminology has changed and we now speak of the Sundays ‘of’ Easter. In other words, we now recognise that the liturgical readings and prayers for each Sunday between Easter and Pentecost invite us into a different movement of the one great symphony of resurrection faith.
Acts 2:32-35 In this passage, Luke presents an idealised picture of the post resurrection Jerusalem community – all things in common and the gospel received with great respect. This picture has a particular resonance in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires and the Queensland floods. We respond with love and generosity in times of crisis. How can we continue to live this gospel message in ‘ordinary time’?
John 20:19-3 The first scene in today’s gospel has the disciples hiding behind closed doors ‘for fear’ of those who had handed Jesus over to be executed by the Roman authorities. Jesus appears among them, offers a greeting of peace, and tells them that he has been sent by God, his ‘Father’. They receive from him the gift of the Holy Spirit.
He sends them in turn to bring peace and to mediate the forgiveness of God through the power of the Spirit. The story invites us as believers to place ourselves in the shoes of the earliest disciples. It invites us to receive the gift of the Spirit, to emerge from behind the doors that close us in on ourselves, and that prevent us from rising above the fear of reprisals in the pursuit of justice and peace.
The second and third scenes in today’s gospel focus on Thomas who is not with the other disciples when Jesus first appears in their midst. Thomas is not exactly the trusting type. He seems to trust only his own first-hand experience. We all know people like Thomas. They test our patience because they seem to lack imagination. Then they make big statements when they come around to understanding what everyone else has known for a while.
If we think, however, that those who hear in the first place are any better than Thomas, we need to note that the doors are still closed eight days down the track! The simple fact of knowing has not dispelled the fears. Even those who do believe and trust need a bit of time to take the gospel message to heart.