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2nd Sunday of Easter Year C - 3/4/2016 - Gospel: Jn 20:19-31
Being sent
The resurrection of Jesus made the tomb empty, the tomb three days before it claimed His body and now His body was there no more. The other sign was the large stone that used to cover the entrance had been removed. Jesus has risen and had appeared to the women but they thought He was a gardener. Jesus has begun a new life on the first day of the week and known as 'The Risen Christ', His new name. He has left the tomb behind and was about looking for His friends scattered out of fear. His friends, however, knew not of his resurrection. They lived in fear and in isolation and trembled and hid themselves behind the locked door. The Risen Christ came to their rescue and freed them from fear. Christ came to meet them and stood among them. He then consoled them and gave them peace which they were needed and showed them His hands and feet and side. The disciples were completely healed when they saw and heard and touched Jesus' wounds. Every physical wound no matter how worse it was would be healed. The disciples touched the wounds of Christ and that restored their confident. They were filled with great joy and that transformed their lives forever. Christ empowered the disciples by giving them His own Spirit. The spirit of the Risen Christ has the power to restore, to heal spiritually and to transform them to be Christ bearers when He breathed in them.

'Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven'. v.

This confirms that Christ has already forgiven their sin and they need to forgive themselves before they can be true witnesses for the Risen Christ and in His name they learn to forgive others. The healing touch of Christ is much more powerful than any sin, including the sin of betrayal of love.  Christ breathed on the disciples that freed them from fear and healed the wounds and that filled them with joy. Their joy was multiplied when Christ mentioned nothing about their lost of faith in Him during His Passion but instead He showed them that He fully forgave and trusted them by commissioning them to do something for Him. By sending them out as the living witnesses Christ brought them into the open. They left the locked door behind starting a new life and the new journey with the Risen Christ. Their mission was telling to the world that they had seen in The Risen Christ who stood amongst them and gave them peace and showed them His hands and His side. Equipped with the Spirit of Christ the disciples journeyed out not alone but with the Spirit of Christ who accompanied them always in a mysterious way. The Spirit helps the disciples to grow into the mystery of the resurrection and the immensity of God's love for us and those who believe in Christ through their preaching would be blessed by Christ as He said to Thomas

You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. v.

Let us believe and be loved and share of that love.

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