GOSPEL REFLECTIONS
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John 15:1–8. This passage contains another one of the famous “I AM” statements of Jesus in which He identifies Himself as the Vine and defines the disciples as the Branches. This image, as well as the actions and relationships associated with it, offers an important instruction for us as disciples.
One of the first images Jesus uses in this passage is that of pruning the vine. Pruning was done for various reasons. First, pruning was a way in which the vine grower could direct the growth of the plant by allowing new sprouts to develop only in certain areas. This image of pruning is especially important in interpreting the movement of the Holy Spirit directing the life of the Early Church. The experience of being pruned or cut back is rarely pleasant but is intended to promote and direct new growth. It is only when the Church in Jerusalem experienced persecution that the apostles were motivated to initiate their great missionary journeys to the larger world—and the Church began to grow in new directions as a result of the pruning that had occurred (see Acts 8:1). Sometimes God wants our lives to develop in new and specific directions, and one of the ways the Lord can motivate that growth within us is by blocking growth in our existing direction. There is a common expression that captures this meaning of pruning that says, “When God closes one door, He opens another one.” Branches that are full of life are not deterred in their growth by obstacles or setbacks; rather, living branches are constantly seeking ways to burst forth with new life in new directions. The challenge for a disciple is to seek that new direction in which God wants to direct our efforts for the good of the Gospel.
When have you experienced this pruning that blocked one direction in your life and motivated you to pursue new directions of growth?
Why do some people respond only with frustration, self-pity, or anger when they experience this pruning while others respond with motivation for growth, hope, and creativity?
How can we as a Church help people better understand frustrating or painful situations as a motivation for new growth?
How is God pruning the Church today, and what do you think is the new growth the Lord wants to motivate?
Second, additional pruning occurred at two different times. One pruning occurred in late winter (February or March) and involved cutting off the “dead” branches that could not bear fruit. This winter pruning was to ensure the health of the vine and to provide as much space as possible for the living branches to develop. Jesus speaks to this pruning in vs. 2 and 6. In the life of the Early Church, there were some disciples who were in the Christian community but were actually “dead branches”. Judas would be such an example because we were told that he belonged to the realm of Satan but was still sitting at table with the disciples (see Jn 13:2). Jesus specifically tells us that such disciples become dead branches because they fail to abide in Him. As disciples, it is important for us to remember that we are the ones who have the responsibility to accept the life of God offered to us or not to accept it. Accepting the gift of God’s life means participating in grace-filled opportunities of prayer, the Sacraments, and actions of selfless love for others. When we take advantage of these opportunities, we are abiding in Christ. When we fail to take advantage of these opportunities, we are cutting ourselves off from grace. Our physical presence in the Church does not necessarily mean that we are living members of the Body of Christ. We have to be spiritually united with Jesus in order to be living members of His Body; otherwise, we are just dead branches taking up room and obstructing others in their growth.
How do dead branches damage the overall health of the vine (both in the literal sense of a plant and in the analogous sense of the Church)?
How does this understanding of pruning motivate you to pursue additional sources of grace in your life?
How can we as a faith community revitalize the dead branches to make them alive in Christ?
When have you been a dead branch, and what led you to renew your life-giving relationship with Jesus (“abiding in Him”) so as to become a living branch?
Sometimes disciples can allow themselves to become complacent with sinful situations or habits. These parts of their lives become dead branches that occupy time and energy but are not united with Christ. How does this image of pruning speak to these situations?
Third, another pruning took place in the late summer months (usually August). This pruning involved removing the smaller shoots on the vine so that the nutrients could be directed to the main fruit-bearing branches. This focused concentration of nutrients would allow the vine to produce the most abundant fruit. If the smaller shoots were not pruned away then the nutrients would be directed in a variety of different ways that might create more foliage but would not produce more fruit. This is an important lesson for disciples because there is no shortage of ways in which we can spend our time and energy. However, we cannot do everything, and in order to do some things well we must necessarily limit and focus our involvements. To use the image of the Gospel, we need to “prune” away those things that have become distractions in our lives so that we can focus our time and energy in the direction God wants. Jesus’ Word helps us accomplish this important pruning of life because the Lord reveals to us the values of the Gospel that can help prioritize and focus our efforts.
What are the principle values and priorities Jesus gives us through His teaching?
When have you had to prune away otherwise good efforts and involvements because they were distracting you from the “main thing” you needed to pursue?
Where might people find themselves if they don’t prune away their distractions?
In which ways can we remain fruitless by not accomplishing the “main thing”?
What keeps people from wanting to prune away distractions in their lives?
How can a faith community help people tell the difference between what is a priority and what is a distraction?
Jesus ends this passage with the very important statement of verse 8 when He says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.” Jesus was entrusted with the mission to glorify the Father (see Jn 12:27–28). Our Lord accomplished this mission by manifesting the love of God on Calvary. Jesus tells us in this passage that we will continue to glorify the Father when we bear “fruit”. “Fruit”, then, refers to the love a disciple shows in laying down his life for a friend (see Jn 15:13). In doing so, disciples are fulfilling the command of Jesus to “love one another as I have loved you” (see Jn 15:9, 12, 17). The love of Jesus that we receive from our communion with Him must flow through us and be manifested in our relationships with others. This visible manifestation of God’s love in the life of a faithful Christian draws others into that communion and creates additional disciples. When others are touched by the love of God through us then we are “bearing fruit”, and the Father is glorified because God, who is love, is being made manifest in the world. When we become this conduit of God’s love affecting the lives of others then, Jesus says, we prove that we are His disciples. What a challenging definition of discipleship! Disciples are not just recipients of God’s grace and love; to be a disciple means that we are active conduits of that grace and love to others. If we are not bearing fruit, we are not disciples according to this definition given by Jesus. It is important for us to remember that this teaching is given in the context of the Last Supper, which is a Eucharistic setting. The expectation to “bear fruit” and to be a conduit of God’s grace becomes particularly daunting when we realize the necessity of passing on to others the presence of Jesus whom we have received in the Eucharist. If we are only receiving the Lord, but not actively sharing the Lord, then we are not bearing fruit and we are not disciples.
How does Jesus’ definition of discipleship challenge you?
How does the context of this teaching within the Last Supper change the way you approach the Eucharist?
What is the “fruit” you have produced this past week as a result of sharing in the life of Christ in the Eucharist?
Who has become a disciple because of your Christian witness?
What leads a person to think they can be a disciple without bearing fruit?
Christ the Vine. Angelos Akotantos. Egg tempera on wood, 1425-1457.
Monastery of the Virgin Hodegetria, Heraklion, Crete.
John 15:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Eucharistic Revival
Please use the link below to access all of our Eucharistic Revival resources, including the Meaning of the Mass Study Guide available in both English and Spanish!
Eucharistic Revival Resources
Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John 10:11–18. This is the famous passage in which Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd and for this reason this Sunday is always referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday”. As disciples who desire to follow the Lord’s lead, this passage offers us some important insights and challenges for our faith. It should be noted that the term “good” really means “model” or “true” and so Jesus is presenting to us a definition of who we should be as we fulfill our shepherding responsibilities as disciples.
Describing God’s care for His people with the image of a shepherd is nothing new in the Scriptures. Psalm 23 and others introduced this image into the religious view of the Jewish people centuries before Jesus. The most extensive and important Old Testament passage that speaks about God’s shepherding care for His people is found in Ezekiel chapter 34 (God cares for the sheep, rescues them, gathers them, feeds them, and tends them). Examples of bad shepherds are also presented in the Old Testament (see Jer 23; Zec 13:7–9). These passages tell us that Jesus is drawing on a rich image when He identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd as opposed to the bad shepherd (hired hand).
Before explaining the qualifications that make Him the Good Shepherd, Jesus first defines the activities and motivations of the bad shepherd. The bad shepherd is primarily concerned for his own well-being at the expense of the flock’s well-being. The bad shepherd’s lack of protective action allows the flock to be scattered and devoured by aggressive and hostile forces. The bad shepherd is more concerned about being paid than relationship with the flock. Jesus, on the other hand, is willing to lay down His life for the sheep. This is a significant statement because nowhere in the Old Testament does it ever imply that God (as shepherd), or the Messiah, would go to the extent of laying down His life for the flock. That is the most radical part of this passage: Jesus is so committed to us and in love with us that He would die for us and so He did. We all have influences that try to guide our lives and values. These influences are the “shepherding” forces. They may be members of our family and friends or even messages from the media. These influences may also be cultural expectations or even civic, corporate, or religious leaders.
How does the contrast between the qualities of the Good Shepherd and the characteristics of the bad shepherd help you to sort out the various influences in your life?
Who exemplifies for you the qualities of the Good Shepherd?
Who or what are some of the bad shepherds that try to influence you every day?
Whose lives do you influence and how does the contrast between the Good Shepherd and bad shepherd challenge you?
In the second part of this passage Jesus goes on to explain how He is the Good Shepherd, but this time the explanation is in reference to the Father and the flock rather than in contrast with the bad shepherd. There are four primary factors that make Jesus the Good (model or true) Shepherd. Let’s look at each of these four and reflect on each one.
● First, Jesus is the Good Shepherd because of His relationship with the Father. This relationship is expressed in terms of “knowing”. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus has repeatedly expressed His deep communion with the Father and has clearly stated that He speaks the Father’s Word (see Jn 7:16, 8:42, 12:49, and 14:10) and carries out the Father’s works (see Jn 4:34, 5:30, and 6:38–39). This deep and intimate knowledge of the Father is essential in order for Jesus to be the Good Shepherd. The prophecy of Ezekiel is fulfilled in the person of Jesus because through him God is indeed shepherding His people! The knowledge of which Jesus speaks isn’t so much conceptual as it is experiential. Jesus knows the Father’s joy and sorrow. He knows the Father’s hopes and concerns. He knows what pleases the Father and what disappoints the Father. It is this knowledge that allows Jesus to manifest the challenging, comforting, encouraging, and inspiring presence of God. As disciples, we are each entrusted with shepherding roles of one kind or another. Perhaps it is our responsibility for a younger sibling or a subordinate employee. Perhaps it is in our marriage, friendship, or position of civic leadership. In order to be a true shepherd, we must have that same deep communion with the Father from which Jesus lived His life.
How can you come to know more clearly the heart of God?
When have you found yourself influencing others because you knew it was something God wanted?
How can a faith community help people grow deeper in their desire and ability to hear the Father’s Word and know the Father’s will?
● Second, Jesus is the Good Shepherd because of His relationship with the sheep. Again, this relationship is expressed in terms of personal and intimate knowledge. In John 10 verse 14, Jesus says, “I know mine and mine know me”. This is a reference to the mutual sharing of life that exists between Jesus and disciples. Sometimes it can be easy for us to feel anonymous in the world of humanity or to think that God has a generic love for people rather than a specific and personal love for each one of us. This passage stresses that Jesus doesn’t care solely about the flock as a whole; rather, the Lord seeks an intimate and personal relationship with each disciple. As disciples, this action of Jesus challenges us in two ways. First, it challenges us to accept and enter into that deep personal relationship with Jesus so that we know the Lord and we allow the Lord to know us. It is that personal and life-changing relationship with God that is the foundation of our Christian identity. Second, as disciples who are called to bring the presence of Christ into the world, this passage challenges us to seek a personal and caring relationship with all those in our care. It can be easy to treat people in a generic way but it can also be de-humanizing to do so. Jesus wants the Christian community to be formed as an extension of His loving relationship with the Father and that relationship is deeply personal.
How have you come to know the personal presence and care of Jesus in your life?
How do you express intimacy with God in Jesus?
When are you tempted to treat people in a generic sense rather than caring for their needs personally?
Who is an example of the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep?
Who needs to be dignified by your personal attention and care today?
● Third, Jesus is the Good Shepherd because His love will bring about communion between God and us. This communion should not be confused with mere social gatherings or organizational unity. Jesus tells us in John 10:16 that there are other sheep He wants to bring into the fold so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. Those who are united in this one flock are those who “hear his voice”. The theme of gathering the lost sheep was a central part of Ezekiel 34, but Jesus re-defines the flock to refer to something more than Ezekiel had envisioned. For Jesus, the flock isn’t just the Jewish people who were dispersed in exile; rather, the flock refers to all who hear His voice—even the Gentiles, sinners, and tax collectors. Our Lord desires that those who respond to His voice calling them to faith may be welcomed by all others who have come to Him as well. This is an important instruction on the nature of our communion and community as a Church. The Church is not primarily a social gathering of like-minded people and neither is it primarily an organization of self-defined values and structure. Instead, the Church is first and foremost those “called by Christ” who gather in His Spirit and among whom our Lord dwells. This is a challenging message for us because it requires us to welcome and love all those whom Christ is calling into His flock. It also means that we have the responsibility to help others hear, recognize, and respond to the voice of the Lord calling them to faith. Sometimes it is easy for us to see the Church like a religious country club or to be selective of those with whom we will associate. This passage reminds us that the Church belongs to Jesus and that it is our communion with God that defines and allows our communion with others.
When are you tempted to be selective in your associations with others in the context of the Church?
How are you challenged by the understanding of the Church as primarily a spiritual reality rather than a social or organizational entity?
Who helped you to hear the voice of the Lord in your life?
Who needs your help so they can recognize and respond to the voice of the Lord calling them?
For whom does the Lord want you to be more authentically welcoming as a brother or sister in Christ in your faith community?
● Fourth, Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He provides the model of true love that reveals the Father through our Lord’s generous and sacrificial self-giving in the laying down of His life. It should be noted that this passage is the first time in John’s Gospel that love has been explicitly given as the reason for the Cross! God’s love for the world and for Jesus was already introduced in John’s Gospel (see 3:16, 3:35, and 17:24). Verse 17 of this passage indicates that the Father loves the Son because Jesus lives out God’s will completely, which is later identified as the laying down of His life for the disciples (see Jn 13:1, 15:13). Jesus will even command His disciples to manifest this same love in their lives (see Jn 13:34). Our Lord’s action of laying down His life on the Cross was not an attempt to gain the Father’s love, but rather an expression of the loving relationship that already existed. In His sacrifice, Jesus manifested the Father’s love and so the Cross becomes the revelation of God, who is Love. This final quality of the Good Shepherd is striking because nowhere in the ancient world or in the Old Testament did divine beings lay down their lives for people. The action of Jesus is singular and shocking. When we think about the Crucifixion of Jesus, we can understand it as a tragedy, an injustice, or an act of hatred. It requires the eyes of faith and the revelation of the Son for us to see the Cross as the ultimate sign of God’s love—and then to live that same love in our lives as disciples. Jesus is the model for us to follow.
How does this understanding of the death of Jesus as a manifestation of love change the way you look at a Crucifix?
Who lays down their lives today in witness to God’s love?
How can your daily actions be a better witness of the Father’s love for others to see? How does this teaching change the way you understand the commandment of Jesus, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another”?
Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio.
Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”
Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Luke 24:35–48. In this reading, we heard of the two disciples returning from Emmaus and relating their encounter of the Risen Lord to the others gathered in Jerusalem. It is in this context that Jesus appears, opens their minds to the Scriptures, and commissions them to preach repentance to the nations. We continue to experience these same effects of the Risen Christ in our lives. As disciples, it is important for us to study this passage so as to better understand our encounter of the Risen Lord as well.
It is interesting to note that the two disciples specifically relate how Jesus was made known to them in the “Breaking of the Bread” (see Acts 2:46 where the “Breaking of the Bread” was the ritual meal for the early Christian community). This is a reference to the Eucharist. The passage then goes to state that it was, “…while they were still speaking about this, He [Jesus] stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’”. Luke is telling us something by connecting the actions of sharing one’s faith experience with the manifestation of the Risen Lord. Something happens when people talk honestly and openly about their experience of God. Suddenly others begin to realize how God has been active in their lives as well and then they acknowledge that presence as an authentic faith encounter. In short, when we share our stories of faith it helps build the faith of others. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus told His disciples, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I in their midst.”
In this Sunday’s passage from Luke we see similarly how disciples who share their faith suddenly do experience the Lord in their midst. Sharing our faith experiences can bring about other beneficial effects as well. It can help clarify for us how God has acted in a particular way and become the opportunity for us to express our gratitude. It can help encourage people to persevere when they are wavering in their commitment. It can even offer consolation when someone is going through a period of spiritual dryness or doubting God’s presence in their life. God always reveals Himself for the common good—even when that revelation takes place in individual lives and personal circumstances. When we share our personal experiences of God, we are contributing to the spiritual good of others. Sometimes we can mistakenly think that it is prideful or arrogant to let others know how God has worked in our lives, but those are mistaken thoughts. It is an act of faithful and humble witness when we share stories of God’s presence. This experience of faith awakening happened in the context of the “Breaking of the Bread” and it should happen in the context of our celebration of the Eucharist as well.
How has someone’s sharing of their experience of God brought about a spiritual awakening in your life?
When have you felt deep peace while in the context of faith sharing?
In what distinctive way do you experience the presence of the Risen Lord in the “Breaking of the Bread” of the Eucharist?
What are some of the fears or concerns that can prevent people from sharing their experience of God with others?
Who in your life is still waiting to experience Jesus in a personal way, and how can your experience of God help open their hearts and minds to the Lord?
The disciples were gathered in Jerusalem when they started sharing their stories. What are ministry contexts today that provide great opportunities for faith sharing and faith witness in your faith community?
When Jesus stood in the midst of the disciples, our Lord first “opened their minds” to the meaning of His words and to the Scriptures. It is significant that this appearance of Jesus to the disciples occurs in the midst of a meal (note that Jesus asked for something to eat and they provided Him with a piece of fish) while they were discussing their experience. The combination of Jesus’ words, the Scriptures, a meal, and the Breaking of the Bread are all elements of our current Eucharistic Liturgy (Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist). Luke is giving us an insight into what should be happening every time we gather to experience the Risen Lord in our community prayer: We should recognize Him both in the Word of God proclaimed in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist celebrated on the altar. The Real Presence of Jesus in the context of the Mass is one of the significant teachings of Luke’s Gospel because he is trying to encourage his community to find Jesus in the present, rather than only remembering Him as he was during His earthly ministry or how He will be when He comes again.
Luke wants us to realize that we can hear the Lord speaking to us every time the Scriptures are proclaimed, and we can experience deep communion with Jesus every time we break bread in the liturgy. It is important to note that the disciples could not grasp the meaning of Scripture on their own. Rather, understanding required that the Lord interpret the Scripture for them through the lens of His Death and Resurrection. Only from the perspective of Jesus’ Passion can the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament) be properly understood. With Jesus’ instruction, the disciples are now able to see how the words of the prophets were fulfilled in Him. As disciples, we are called to continue using the interpretative lens of Jesus’ Suffering, Death, and Resurrection any time we read the Old Testament or the New Testament. Such a clearly defined perspective protects us from taking Jesus’ words out of context or interpreting other passages of Scripture in ways that are not divinely intended. This is an important message for us as disciples because it helps us properly unlock the Scriptures and properly teachings of the Lord for our lives.
How can the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus change the way you will read or understand your favorite passages of Scripture?
What principles or interpretative lens other than the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus can people be tempted to use when interpreting Scripture?
What is the danger of reading Scripture through the lens of only one part of Jesus’ Paschal Mystery? For example only viewing Scripture through His Suffering, Death, or
Resurrection, but not all of it?
How do you experience the presence of Jesus in the Liturgy of the Word?
What can we, as a faith community, do to help “open the minds” of people to understand the meaning of the Scriptures for their lives?
How do you think the disciples were trying to interpret the Scriptures and Jesus’ words before our Lord opened their minds to the correct way?
How do we know when someone is quoting or interpreting Scripture in a way that goes against the divine intention?
After the Risen Lord revealed Himself to His disciples and opened their minds to the meaning of the Scriptures, He then simply says to them, “You are my witnesses”. This is a very powerful statement for three reasons. First, we usually understand “witness” in a passive sense meaning that a witness is someone who sees something occur. While it is true that the disciples did “see” Jesus teach, heal, lead, forgive, suffer, die, and rise, there is more to being a disciple than just being a spectator. Being a witness means communicating to others the reality of Jesus that we have been blessed to experience. It is an active role, not a passive role. Eyewitnesses must become Ministers of the Word for others (see Lk 1:2). Second, being a witness of Jesus means that we live out the same radical love and trust in our lives that Jesus demonstrated in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The word for “witnesses” in Greek is martyres that gives us the English word “martyr”. Indeed, martyrs are people who witnessed their faith in Jesus’ Death and Resurrection at the cost of their own lives. Virtually all of the disciples who encountered the Lord in this Scripture passage were put to death because of their faith. By remaining faithful and being united to Jesus in a death like His, they manifested their hope to share in His Resurrection as well. We may not be called to physically die because of our faith, but there are lots of ways in which we are called to be courageous witnesses of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection each day. Third, Jesus tells His disciples that they are witnesses and that their witnessing is to have a practical effect in other people’s lives. Namely, Jesus is commissioning the disciples and sending them forth with the great task of proclaiming the Gospel to all nations so that the nations might repent and share in the forgiveness of sins.
The message of Jesus has a purpose and that purpose is to change our lives (repentance) and lead us to holiness (forgiveness of sins). This Great Commission is not an invention of early Christians, as some contemporary adversaries of the Church claim. This Great Commission of Jesus is actually part of the fulfillment of Scripture just as much as the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture (see Is 52:13–53:12 foretells the suffering Messiah; Hos 6:2 foretells the Resurrection on the third day; Is 49:6 foretells the message of Salvation and Repentance to all nations). With Jesus’ Commission, the early Christians understood that being a disciple required three things: that we share with others what we ourselves have received, that we live out in our lives the mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, and that we show the world what a life conformed to Christ looks like so others can be inspired and invited to become disciples as well.
How does this understanding of being a “witness” change your reading of this passage?
How can people witness the Death and Resurrection of Jesus?
What would it mean for you to move from being an
eyewitness to becoming a Minister of the Word?
If Jesus told you in your prayer that He wanted you to be His “witness”, what would your first thought be?
When have you been inspired to grow deeper in your faith life because of another person’s lived example of faith?
Why do you think Luke connects the forgiveness of sins to the experience of repentance (change of life) and what does that require of you?
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena.
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John 20:19–31. The Church provides this same reading for us each year on this Sunday and so we have ample opportunities to reflect on the many rich aspects of this passage.
It is interesting to note how much attention is given to the wounds of Jesus.[1] In John 20:20 we are told that Jesus showed the disciples His hands and His side. When Thomas enters into the scene, he insists to probe the physical wounds of Jesus (see Jn 20:25), and Jesus later offers Thomas such an experience (see Jn 20:27). The attention given to the physical wounds of the Crucifixion serves a variety of purposes. First, the presence of the wounds leaves no doubt whatsoever that the person who is appearing to the disciples in the upper room is indeed the same person whom they saw die on the Cross just a few days earlier. The wounds serve as attestation of identity. Second, the wounds serve as proof that the Resurrection of Jesus was not just a spiritual phenomenon or apparition of a non-physical being. Rather, the wounds serve to provide physical evidence that Jesus has risen in His very body yet His corporeal reality is no longer bound by time and space; Jesus is able to physically pass through locked doors. This second purpose is important because some disciples thought Jesus might have been a “ghost” in His Resurrection; the invitation to probe His physical wounds proves that He is flesh and blood and not a ghost (see Lk 24:37). Third, Jesus chose to keep the marks of His Crucifixion for a reason—because they are a sign of His triumph and not of His defeat. Jesus proudly bears the marks of the Crucifixion because it was the means by which He accomplished His mission and manifested the love of God to the world on Calvary. In doing so, Jesus made God known. The wounds of His Crucifixion are the trophies our Lord bears in eternity that show all the powers of heaven and earth how great God’s love is for humanity. Lastly, Jesus bears the marks of the Crucifixion as a reminder of the great price He paid for our sin as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (see Jn 1:29). Jesus bears His wounds as a reminder and invitation to us that we might turn away from sin and choose life (Salvation) by believing and being drawn to in the Crucified One who was lifted up (see Jn 3:14, 8:28, 12:32).
The wounds of Jesus, then, are an enduring reminder to us that He has been given the power of judgment, and our response to Him is the basis of that judgment (see Jn 5:21–29). It is interesting how these last two purposes have been expressed in Christian iconography over the centuries. If you study carefully Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, you will note that Jesus prominently bears the marks of His Crucifixion as He comes in power to judge the world. You will also note that the great saints who surround the Lord in heaven are depicted holding the instruments of their martyrdom and the marks of their persecution. Like Jesus, the great saints and martyrs proudly display their wounds and the instruments of their torture, like trophies of their triumph over the forces of sin and death that tried to destroy them. By their faithful perseverance they were victorious, and the marks of their persecutions now serve as the sign of how great their love was for God. Lastly, Jesus bears the marks of His Crucifixion to give the disciples courage to face the suffering and persecution that will come into their lives as well. The disciples are locked in the upper room because they are afraid; they need to overcome their fear and know that nothing is more powerful than Jesus who has triumphed even over the forces of death. This message gives the disciples courage to go out and become fearless witnesses of the Gospel. They can face death themselves knowing that the Lord has gone before them, knows their suffering, and will not turn away anyone the Father has given Him. Finally, He will raise them on the last day (see Jn 6:37–40).
How do the above reflections help you better appreciate the marks of Jesus’ Crucifixion?
Sometimes Christians today must pay a price for their faith. What are some of the “trophies” we should celebrate as signs of faithful triumph rather than indications of defeat?
There are few realizations more dramatic than when we become conscious of the injury we have caused another person by our actions. How do the wounds of Jesus, by which our sins are forgiven, help you desire to turn away from sin?
Jesus was no longer bound by time and space; He could be present to the disciples by passing through doors in his physical body. How is the crucified and risen presence of Jesus offered to you? (hint: It is on the First Day of the week!)
How does the suffering of Jesus give you consolation, confidence, and courage when you are facing rejection or persecution?
Another interesting point about this passage is how disciples take different routes in the process of coming to faith in the Resurrection of Jesus. We see this process in the experience of Mary Magdalene in John 20:11–18 when Jesus must call her by name to awaken the realization that He is risen. Peter goes to the tomb in John 20:6 but there is no indication that he believes. The Beloved Disciple is the only one who does believe as a result of his visit to the tomb (see Jn 20:7). The disciples in the upper room obviously did not believe the news of the Resurrection as related to them by Mary Magdalene. Jesus reached out to them and offered them signs of His Resurrection in order to elicit their faith and overcome their fear. Thomas is really no different from the others. He, too, is in a state of disbelief and places basically the same conditions on what is necessary for him to accept the message of the Resurrection (as the other disciples received during our Lord’s first appearance to them in the upper room).
As Jesus did for Mary Magdalene and the other disciples, our Lord now does for Thomas. Thomas does indeed come to believe and even makes the greatest profession of Jesus’ identity in the Gospel of John when he exclaims, “My Lord and My God.” It’s important to note that we are never informed of Thomas actually touching Jesus. Rather, the implication is that Jesus’ gracious offer and invitation was sufficient to elicit Thomas’ faith. Jesus so desires that we believe in Him that the Lord reaches out to each of us like the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep by name and cares for their weaknesses. The Lord cares for us in the same way. Jesus continues to invite us into a relationship of trusting surrender, and He leads us by giving us what we need even if it is not what we want. We experience the presence of Jesus, the Risen One, in various ways including the quiet of prayer, the Sacraments, the lives of faithful Christians, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. All of these are means the Lord uses to help us believe in and be conformed to His living presence in our lives.
What have been some of the events or means that God has used to help you believe?
What are some of the common conditions people put on their faith today?
When the disciples believed in the Risen Jesus they were filled with peace and joy, and were no longer afraid.
How does the experience of coming to faith change people today in a visible way?
Why do you think John provides several examples of people who had to pursue their own personal and unique journey of faith?
The scene ends with Jesus pronouncing a blessing on those who can believe without the necessity of “seeing”. This beatitude is both consoling and challenging. It is consoling because it assures us that Christians of subsequent generations are at no disadvantage when it comes to faith. Rather, Jesus cares for us without limit and our faith can be just as great if not greater than that of the disciples in the upper room. Each of Jesus’ closest disciples required some sign to confirm their faith. Not only can our faith be as great as that of the early disciples, but John is also telling us that our faith can be even greater than theirs! That may surprise us, but throughout the Gospel of John we have been called to believe in Jesus’ Word rather than demanding signs to convince us. We encounter the Word of Jesus in Scripture and prayer as well as in the living experience of faith passed on through the centuries (Tradition). When our hearts are attuned to the voice of God then we can hear the Lord guiding and challenging our lives. John wants us to do more than just hear Jesus; John wants us to listen, to believe, and to do whatever the Lord tells us (see Jn 2:5). When God does bless us with signs or external confirmation of our faith, it is not because we are somehow privileged or more special than others. Rather, it is because our faith is weaker than others and Jesus is caring for us as the Good Shepherd who is helping His wayward sheep! More blessed than those who have received external confirmation of their faith are those who have faith without having received external confirmation.
Who is an example for you of someone who has great faith in the Word of Jesus?
How can the experience of signs and external confirmation falsely lead someone to consider themselves “privileged” in their discipleship?
What happens when someone puts great emphasis on a particular sign of faith they have experienced?
Sometimes it is in the midst of difficult situations that our faith is weakest (tragedy, terminal illness, or broken relationships). Do you know someone who has been a witness of unwavering faith in the midst of hardship?
What would your life be like if you acted on every inspiration in prayer without requiring
confirming signs of God’s direction?
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp.
John 20:19-31On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
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.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“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 a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”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.
Eucharistic Revival
|
| ||||||||||||||
|
