On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath,

But Jesus came, and stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!”

And when he had so said in the most kind, tender, and affectionate manner:

and to put them out of all pain, and that they might know certainly who he was.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

  Acts 2:42-47

They were

Faithful To the teaching of the apostles,

the common life of sharing,

the breaking of bread and the prayers.

A holy fear came upon all the people,

for many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

Now, all the believers lived together, and shared all their belongings.

They would sell their property, and all they had,

and distribute the proceeds to others, according to their need.

 

Each day, they met together, in the temple area;

they broke bread in their homes;

they shared their food, with great joy and simplicity of heart;

they praised God and won the people's favor.

And every day, the Lord added to their number,

those who were being saved.

 

Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

1 Peter 1:3-9

Let us praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for his great mercy.

In raising Jesus Christ from the dead, he has given us new life, and a living hope.

The inheritance that does not corrupt, nor goes bad, nor passes away, was reserved for you,

in heaven, since God's power shall keep you faithful, until salvation is revealed, in the last days.

There is cause for joy, then, even though you may, for a time, have to suffer many trials.

 

Thus will your faith be tested, like gold in a furnace. Gold, however, passes away,

but faith, worth so much more, will bring you, in the end, praise, glory and honor,

when Jesus Christ appears. You have not, yet, seen him, and, yet, you love him;

even without seeing him, you believe in him, and experience a heavenly joy beyond all words,

for you are reaching the goal of your faith: the salvation of your souls.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊       

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath,

the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews.

But Jesus came, and stood among them, and said to them, "Peace be with you!"

Then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples, seeing the Lord, were full of joy.

Again Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

After saying this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit!

Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they are retained."

 

Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he replied, "

Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails,

and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side,

I will not believe." Eight days later, the disciples were again inside the house

and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked,

Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you!"

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands;

 

stretch out your hand, and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe!"

Thomas said, "You are my Lord and my God." Jesus replied, "You believe because you see me, don't you?

Happy are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of his disciples,

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. Believe, and you will have life through his name!

 

Gospel Reflection ：

 Our Lord, and our God.

 Read: The early Christian community was dedicated to living out their faith in the Lord,

fostering a common life of sharing and prayer. Through them, the Lord continued His works of wonders and salvation.

In the second reading, Peter urged his fellow believers to remain steadfast in their faith until the Lord's return.

This is complemented by the Gospel, where the Risen Lord rebuked Thomas for not believing in Him unless he saw Him.

Jesus declared blessedness for those who have not seen and yet believe.

 

Reflect: Thomas said, "My Lord and My God" as his praise to the Lord.

As he touched the wounds of Christ,

he must have realized the great love Christ had for us

that he was willing to go through all those sufferings.

The human Jesus is no longer with us but continues to journey with the Church through

His Spirit and the Sacraments. Through the Church and the sacraments, we continue to encounter

 

Christ and are reminded of God's great love for us. Let us hold firm to our faith in him

and allow this faith to make us vessels of his love and goodness to others

so that they may also encounter the Risen Lord and come to believe in him, our Lord, and our God.

 

Pray: Lord, strengthen my faith in you, especially in moments of doubt and difficulty.

 

Act: Touch the wounds of the Lord by reaching out to the poor and the needy.