Divine Mercy Sunday
Catechism Links
CCC 448, 641-646: Appearances of the risen Christ
CCC 1084-1089: Sanctifying presence of the risen Christ in the liturgy
CCC 2177-2178, 1342: The Sunday Eucharist
CCC 654-655, 1988: Our new birth in the Resurrection of Christ
CCC 926-984, 1441-1442: “I believe in the forgiveness of sins”
CCC 949-953, 1329, 1342, 2624, 2790: Communion in spiritual goods
CCC Cross Reference:
Acts 2:42-46 2178; Acts 2:42 3, 857, 949, 1329, 1342, 2624; Acts 2:46 584,1329,1342; Acts 2:47 2640
Ps 118:14 1808; Ps 118:22 587, 756; Ps 118:26 559
1 Pt 1:3-9 2627; 1 Pt 1:3 654; 1 Pt 1:7 1031
Jn 20:19 575, 643, 645, 659; Jn 20:20 645; Jn 20:21-23 1087, 1120, 1441; Jn 20:21 730, 858; Jn 20:22-23 976, 1485; Jn 20:22 730, 788, 1287; Jn 20:23 1461, 2839; Jn 20:24-27 644; Jn 20:26 645, 659; Jn 20:27 645; Jn 20:28 448; Jn 20:30 514; Jn 20:31 442, 514
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Reading 1
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves
to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one’s need.
Every day they devoted themselves
to meeting together in the temple area
and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
1 Pt 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel
Jn 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.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Acts 2:42 - 47
They remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.
The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.
They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.
Psalm: Psalm 117(118):2-4,13-15,22-24
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let the sons of Aaron say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
‘His love has no end.’
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,
but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Second reading 1 Peter 1:3 - 9
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honor. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel John 20:19 - 31
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’
After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’
Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe’. Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’
Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:
‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
2nd Sunday of Easter (of the Divine Mercy)
From: Acts 2:42-47
The Baptisms (Continuation)
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[42] And they (the brethren) devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The Early Christians
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[43] And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the Apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common; [45] and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
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Commentary:
42-47. This is the first of the three summaries contained in the early chapters of Acts (cf. 4:32-35 and 5:12-16).. In simple words it describes the key elements in the ascetical and liturgical-sacramental life of the first Christians. It gives a vivid spiritual profile of the community which now--after Pentecost--extends beyond the Cenacle, a contemplative community, more and more involved in the world around it.
42. "The sacred writer", St. John Chrysostom observes, "draws attention to two virtues in particular--perseverance and fellowship and tells us that the Apostles spent a long period instructing the disciples" ("Hom. on Acts", 7).
"The Apostles' teaching": the instruction normally given new converts. This is not the proclamation of the Gospel to non-Christians but a type of "catechesis" (which became more structured and systematic as time went on) aimed at explaining to the disciples the Christian meaning of Sacred Scripture and the basic truths of faith (out of this grew the credal statements of the Church) which they had to believe and practise in order to attain salvation.
Catechesis--an ongoing preaching and explanation of the Gospel within the Church--is a phenomenon to be found even in the very early days of Christianity. "An evangelizer, the Church begins by evangelizing itself. A community of believers, a community of hope practised and transmitted, a community of fraternal love, it has a need to listen unceasingly to what it must believe, to the reasons for its hope, to the new commandment of love" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 15).
If catechesis is something which converts and in general all Christians need, obviously pastors have a grave duty to provide it. "The whole of the book of the Acts of the Apostles is a witness that they were faithful to their vocation and to the mission they had received. The members of the first Christian community are seen in it as 'devoted to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers'. Without any doubt we find in that a lasting image of the Church being born of and continually nourished by the word of the Lord, thanks to the teaching of the Apostles, celebrating that word in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and bearing witness to it before the world in the sign of charity" (John Paul II, "Catechesi Tradendae", 10).
The "fellowship" referred to in this verse is that union of hearts brought about by the Holy Spirit. This profound solidarity among the disciples resulted from their practice of the faith and their appreciation of it as a peerless treasure which they all shared, a gift to them from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Their mutual affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give up their possessions to help those in need.
The "breaking of bread" refers to the Blessed Eucharist and not just to an ordinary meal. This was a special way the early Christians had of referring to the making and distribution of the Sacrament containing the Lord's Body. This expression, connected with the idea of banquet, was soon replaced by that of the "Eucharist", which emphasizes the idea of thanksgiving (cf. "Didache", IX, 1). From Pentecost onwards the Mass and Eucharistic communion form the center of Christian worship. 'From that time onwards the Church has never failed to come together to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, reading those things 'which were in all the Scriptures concerning Him' (Luke 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist in which 'the victory and triumph of His death are again made present' (Council of Trent, "De SS. Eucharista", Chapter 5), and at the same time giving thanks to God" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6).
By receiving the Eucharist with a pure heart and clear conscience the disciples obtain the nourishment needed to follow the new life of the Gospel and to be in the world without being worldly. This connection between the Eucharist and Christian living was something Pope John Paul II vigorously reminded Catholics about when he said in Dublin, "It is from the Eucharist that all of us receive the grace and strength for daily living--to live real Christian lives, in the joy of knowing that God loves us, that Christ died for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
"Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social or scientific fields--no matter what our occupation is--the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives..
"Our union with Christ in the Eucharist must be expressed in the truth of our lives today--in our actions, in our behavior, in our lifestyle, and in our relationships with others. For each one of us the Eucharist is a call to ever greater effort, so that we may live as true followers of Jesus: truthful in our speech, generous in our deeds, concerned, respectful of the dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their rank or income, self-sacrificing, fair and just, kind, considerate, compassionate and self-controlled. [...] The truth of our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is tested by whether or not we really love our fellow men and women; it is tested by how we treat others, especially our families. [...] It is tested by whether or not we try to be reconciled with our enemies, on whether or not we forgive those who hurt us or offend us" ("Homily in Phoenix Park", 29 September 1979).
43. The fear referred to here is the religious awe the disciples felt when they saw the miracles and other supernatural signs which the Lord worked through His Apostles. A healthy type of fear, denoting respect and reverence for holy things, it can cause a great change of attitude and behavior in those who experience it.
An outstanding example of this sense of awe is St. Peter's reaction at the miraculous catch of fish: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord": as St. Luke explains, "he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fish they had taken" (Luke 5:9).
44. Charity and union of hearts lead the disciples to sacrifice their own interest to meet the material needs of their poorer brothers and sisters. The sharing of possessions referred to here was not a permanent, "communistic" kind of system. The more well-to-do Christians freely provided for those in need. Each of the disciples retained ownership of such property as he or she had: by handing it over to the community they showed their charity.
"This voluntary poverty and detachment", Chrysostom comments, "cut at the selfish root of many evils, and the new disciples showed that they had understood the Gospel teaching.
"This was not recklessness of the kind shown by certain philosophers, of whom some gave up their inheritance and others cast their gold into the sea: that was no contempt of riches, but folly and madness. For the devil has always made it his endeavor to disparage the things God has created, as if it were impossible to make good use of riches" ("Hom. on Acts", 7).
A spendthrift who wastes his resources does not have the virtue of detachment; nor can someone be called selfish because he retains his property, provided that he uses it generously when the need arises. "Rather than in not having, true poverty consists in being detached, in voluntarily renouncing one's dominion over things.
"That is why there are poor who are really rich. And vice-versa" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 632).
46. In the early days of the Church the temple was a center of Christian prayer and liturgy. The first Christians regarded it as God's house, the House of the Father of Jesus Christ. Although Christianity involved obvious differences from Judaism, they also realized that Christ's message was an extension of Judaism; for a while, it was quite natural for them to maintain certain external aspects of the religion of their forefathers.
In addition to this legitimate religious instinct to venerate the one, true, loving God, whom Jews and Christians adore, St. Jerome suggests that prudence may have dictated this practice: "Because the early Church was made up of Jews," he says, "the Apostles were very careful not to introduce any innovations, in order to avoid any possible scandal to believers" ("Epistle", 26, 2).
However, the temple was not the only place in the holy city where Christians met for prayer and worship. The reference to "breaking bread in their homes" reminds us that the Christian community in Jerusalem, as also the communities later founded by St. Paul, did not yet have a building specially reserved for liturgical functions. They met in private houses--presumably in suitable rooms specially prepared. For financial as well as policy reasons (persecutions, etc.) it was not until the third century that buildings designed solely for liturgical purposes began to be erected.
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From: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Praise and Thanksgiving to God
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[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, [7] so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [8] Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. [9] As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.
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Commentary:
3-12. This passage, a hymn of praise and gratitude to God, developing what is proclaimed in v. 2, is more explicit about the action of each Person of the Blessed Trinity: by making his choice of Christians, God the Father has destined us to a marvellous heritage in heaven (vv. 3-5); to attain this we need to love and believe in Jesus Christ our Lord (vv. 6-9); the Holy Spirit, who earlier proclaimed salvation by the mouth of the Old Testament prophets, is now, through those who preach the Gospel, announcing that salvation has arrived (vv. 10-12).
3-5. When the fruits of the Redemption are applied to us, a kind of rebirth takes place. St Peter is the only New Testament writer to use the Greek term translated here "we have been born anew" (cf. also 1:23). However, the same idea occurs elsewhere: St John speaks of the action of the Holy Spirit at Baptism as causing one to be born again (cf. Jn 3:1ff; also, e.g., 1:12-13; 1 Jn 2:29; 3:9); St Paul refers to "a new creation" to describe the effects of Redemption (cf., e.g., Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17); and St James calls Christians the "first fruits of his creatures"(Jas 1:16-18).
Through this being born again, God destines us "to a living hope", which centers on the inheritance of heaven, here described as "imperishable" (it is eternal), "undefiled" (it contains no evil) and "unfading" (it will never grow o Id). The sacred writer uses these adjectives of negation to show that heavenly things are not subject to any of the imperfections and defects of earthly things.
For those Christians who stay true to their calling, their inheritance is "kept in heaven". This key theme will be addressed in various parts of the letter (cf. 2:18-25; 3:13-17; 4:12-19; 5:5-11); the letter is very much aimed at encouraging the faithful to bear sufferings with joy, knowing that they are a means to and a guarantee of heaven.
3. God brought about the work of Redemption "by his great mercy". For God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:4-5). And just as the work of Creation is a manifestation of God's omnipotence, so his new Creation is an expression of his mercy (cf. "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 30, a. 4; cf. note on 2 Cor 5:17).
"Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead": the resurrection of our Lord marks the climax of his salvific work, for it assures men of their redemption and their own resurrection. In its Easter liturgy the Church joyfully reminds of this: "He is the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life" ("Easter Preface", I).
6-9. Hope of obtaining the inheritance of heaven gives Christians joy in the midst of trials which test their faith. At the center of that faith is Jesus, whom they strive to love above all, thereby attaining "unutterable and exalted joy", a foretaste of the joy of heaven itself.
Exhortations to be joyful in the midst of affliction occur often in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Mt 5:11-12; 2 Cor 1:3-7; Jas 1:2) and reflect a deep Christian conviction, which St. Bede refers to in his commentary: "St Peter says that it is good to suffer trials because eternal joys cannot be obtained except through the afflictions and sorrows of this passing world. 'For a little while', he says, however, because when one receives an eternal reward, the afflictions of this world—which appeared so heavy and bitter--seem then to have been very short-lived and slight" ("Super 1 Pet. Expositio, ad loc.").
Christian joy is the fruit of faith, hope and love. "You should realize that God wants us to be happy and that, if you do all you can, you will be happy, very, very happy, although you will never be a moment without the Cross. But that Cross s no longer a gallows. It is the throne from which Christ reigns" (St J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 141).
7. The refining of gold by fire is often referred to in Scripture (cf., e.g., Ps 66:10; Prov 17:3; 1 Cor 3:12-13; Rev 3:18) to explain that the sufferings of this life help to improve the quality of one's faith. "If I experience pain," St Augustine teaches, "relief will come in due course. If I am offered tribulation, it will serve for my purification. Does gold shine in the craftsman's furnace? It will shine later, when it forms part of the collar, when it is part of the jewelry. But, for the time being, it puts up with being in the fire because when it sheds its impurities it will acquire its brilliant shine" ("Enarrationes in Psalmos", 61, 11).
The thought of Christ coming in glory (cf. 1:5-13; 4:13) should greatly encourage the Christian to bear trials cheerfully.
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From: John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
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[19] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20] When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
[24] Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe."
[26] Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." [27] Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." [28] Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!" [29] Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
[30] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
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Commentary:
19-20. Jesus appears to the Apostles on the evening of the day of which He rose. He presents Himself in their midst without any need for the doors to be opened, by using the qualities of His glorified body; but in order to dispel any impression that He is only a spirit He shows them His hands and His side: there is no longer any doubt about its being Jesus Himself, about His being truly risen from the dead. He greets them twice using the words of greeting customary among the Jews, with the same tenderness as He previously used put into this salutation. These friendly words dispel the fear and shame the Apostles must have been feeling at behaving so disloyally during His passion: He has created the normal atmosphere of intimacy, and now He will endow them with transcendental powers.
21. Pope Leo XIII explained how Christ transferred His own mission to the Apostles: "What did He wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be founded? This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He clearly resolved to do: this He actually did. 'As the Father hath sent Me, even so I send you' (John 20:21). 'As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world' (John 17:18). [...] When about to ascend into Heaven, He sends His Apostles in virtue of the same power by which He had been sent from the Father; and He charges them to spread abroad and propagate His teachings (cf. Matthew 28:18), so that those obeying the Apostles might be saved, and those disobeying should perish (cf. Mark 16:16). [...] Hence He commands that the teaching of the Apostles should be religiously accepted and piously kept as if it were His own: 'He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me' (Luke 10:16). Wherefore the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ as He is the ambassador of the Father" ([Pope] Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum"). In this mission the bishops are the successors of the Apostles: "Christ sent the Apostles as He Himself had been sent by the Father, and then through the Apostles made their successors, the bishops, sharers in His consecration and mission. The function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 2).
22-23. The Church has always understood--and has in fact defined--that Jesus Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. "The Lord then especially instituted the Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit...' The consensus of all the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism" (Council of Trent, "De Paenitentia", Chapter 1).
The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime expression of God's love and mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open, waiting for us to repent--and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity of being His sons.
The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse to this Sacrament: "For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted, spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself" ([Pope] Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis").
24-28. Thomas' doubting moves our Lord to give him special proof that His risen body is quite real. By so doing He bolsters the faith of those who would later on find faith in Him. "Surely you do not think", [Pope] St. Gregory the Great comments, "that is was a pure accident that the chosen disciple was missing; who on his return was told about the appearance and on hearing about it doubted; doubting, so that he might touch and believe by touching? It was not an accident; God arranged that it should happen. His clemency acted in this wonderful way so that through the doubting disciple touching the wounds in His Master's body, our own wounds of incredulity might be healed. [...] And so the disciple, doubting and touching, was changed into a witness of the truth of the Resurrection" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 7).
Thomas' reply is not simply an exclamation: it is an assertion, an admirable act of faith in the divinity of Christ: "My Lord and my God!" These words are an ejaculatory prayer often used by Christians, especially as an act of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist.
29. [Pope] St. Gregory the Great explains these words of our Lord as follows: "By St. Paul saying 'faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen' (Hebrews 11:1), it becomes clear that faith has to do with things which are not seen, for those which are seen are no longer the object of faith, but rather of experience. Well then, why is Thomas told, when he saw and touched, 'Because you have seen, you have believed?' Because he saw one thing, and believed another. It is certain that mortal man cannot see divinity; therefore, he saw the man and recognized Him as God, saying, 'My Lord and my God.' In conclusion: seeing, he believed, because contemplating that real man he exclaimed that He was God, whom he could not see" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 27, 8).
Like everyone else Thomas needed the grace of God to believe, but in addition to this grace he was given an exceptional proof; his faith would have had more merit had he accepted the testimony of the other Apostles. Revealed truths are normally transmitted by word, by the testimony of other people who, sent by Christ and aided by the Holy Spirit, preach the deposit of faith (cf. Mark 16:15-16). "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The preaching of the Gospel, therefore, carries with it sufficient guarantees of credibility, and by accepting that preaching man "offers the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, willingly assenting to the revelation given" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 5).
"What follows pleases us greatly: 'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.' For undoubtedly it is we who are meant, who confess with our soul Him whom we have not seen in the flesh. It refers to us, provided we live in accordance with the faith, for only he truly believes who practices what the believes" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 9).
30-31. This is a kind of first epilogue or conclusion to the Gospel of St. John. The more common opinion is that he added Chapter 21 later, which covers such important events as the triple confession of St. Peter, confirmation of his primacy and our Lord's prophecy about the death of the beloved disciple. These verses sum up the inspired writer's whole purpose in writing his Gospel -- to have men believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ announced by the prophets in the Old Testament, the Son of God, so that by believing this saving truth, which is the core of Revelation, they might already begin to partake of eternal life (cf. John 1:12, 2:23; 3:18; 14:13; 15:16; 16:23-26).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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