2nd Sunday of Easter

Commentary
John 20: 19-31

Having Seen the Lord

The Trinity are all involved in the sending of the disciples.

The disciples are sent with the same authority with which Jesus was sent, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

The once afraid disciples are now sent because they have received the gift of peace from the Risen Christ.

And they are sent after they have received the Holy Spirit.

All of these they received when they see the Risen Lord.

Yet, ironically, they failed at their very first attempt of doing what they were sent to do. They could not convince Thomas, one of their own, to believe that they "have seen the Lord."

It is never sufficient for us, messengers of the Risen Christ, to share with words our experience of an encounter with the Lord.

We must lead people to their own encounter with the Risen Christ.

That was true in the case of Thomas.

We will not likely meet Jesus in the flesh as did Thomas and the disciples. Yet, the Risen Christ is with us in his words and in the Eucharist.

He is also present to us in the community of believers, which is his Body.

May we become the presence of the Risen Christ to one another and to those we are sent to proclaim God's love and forgiveness.

To us and to those who will meet the Risen Christ in us, the Lord says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."