SAINT NICHOLAS

Byzantine Catholic Church
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23300 King Drive, Clinton Township, MI 48035   *   +1-586-791-1052   *   stnicksbyzantine@yahoo.com

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

      On the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors of the house where the disciples had gathered were locked because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus then came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side.

      The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. “Peace be with you,” Jesus said to them again. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”

      Now Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with the rest when Jesus came. When the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord,” he replied, “Unless I see the mark of the nails on his hands and put my finger into the place where the nails pierced and insert my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

      Eight days later, the disciples were again in the house, and on this occasion Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and he said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Do not doubt any longer, but believe.” Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus said to him, “You have come to believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this work. But those written here have been recorded so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through your belief you may have life in his name.

      This is the first “Sunday” of the Church, the day on which the risen Lord meets his disciples. The season of joy has come. He who comes, alive, into the midst of his followers is the same one who took on himself the suffering of the cross. He will now make them preachers of his mystery and ministers of his forgiveness.

      He sends the Spirit upon them as the Spirit had been sent on him by the Father at his Baptism, when he was beginning his mission; this marks the beginning of the apostolic mission, which is a continuation of the work of Jesus Christ.

      The true happiness of the disciples was not to have seen the Lord but to have understood the meaning of his Passion. The Passion makes known God’s love. Blessed are they who believe in this love. Christian generations who have not known the visible Christ will meet him in faith.