This week’s Gospel message for Sunday, April 24th is from John 20:19–31.
“…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. . . ‘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 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.”
“When Jesus appeared to the disciples after his death and resurrection, a
single disciple was missing: Thomas. While John’s Gospel doesn’t
specifically mention that Jesus noticed, but undoubtedly he realized his
absence. And so the Good Shepherd is intent on finding Thomas, whose
doubts had led him astray, to restore him to the fold. And Thomas,
perhaps realizing that the Lord had returned just for him, just to relieve his
doubts, just to convince him ‘do not be unbelieving, but believe,’ makes the
most definitive confession possible: ‘My Lord and my God!’ (John 20:27–
28).” SOURCE: Pastoral Patterns, Summer 2022
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday 1 Peter 5:5b–14; Mark 16:15–20
Saint Mark, Evangelist (Feast) – Mark is the author of the earliest and
shortest gospel account in the Bible. Tradition identifies him with the
scriptural person who was a member of the first Christian community in
Jerusalem.
Tuesday Acts of the Apostles 4:32–37; John 3:7b–15
Wednesday Acts of the Apostles 5:17–26; John 3:16–21
Thursday Acts of the Apostles 5:27–33; John 3:31–36
Friday Acts of the Apostles 5:34–42; John 6:1–15
Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – At
the age of six, Catherine experienced a vision and dedicated herself to God.
She joined the Dominican Third Order. Around age twenty–one, she felt
called to become more active in the world, caring for the poor and tending
the sick. She is especially remembered for her spiritual reflections, The
Dialogue.