| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acts 2:42-47 | Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 | 1 Pt 1:3-9 | Jn 20:19-31 |
Moving from darkness to unconditional faith
During the Easter season the readings ask the believing community to examine the meaning of Jesus through his teachings and post-resurrection appearances. This week’s readings focus on the many paths to faith.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles follows immediately after Peter’s Pentecost speech. This pericope describes four features of the early believing community: the apostles’ teaching, a common life (koinonia), the breaking of bread (Eucharist), and prayer. Luke’s ekklesia portrait is highly idealized. Greek hearers would recognize this description as a type of “foundation story,” widespread in Hellenistic literature. Luke’s point is that the gift of the Spirit created a community that achieved the highest aspirations of human longing: unity, peace, joy, and the praise of God. The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it shows the ideal Christian believing community, engendered by the Spirit.
The second reading from the first letter of Peter. Internal linguistic evidence suggests a “Petrine group” in Rome wrote this letter in the latter part of the first century, and sent it to a series of Christian communities located north of the Taurus mountains in Asia Minor. Hope is a fundamental virtue in this letter: Jesus’ resurrection reveals God’s merciful act of salvation. Through baptism (“new birth”) a believer now receives a share of this hope. Through baptism, the believer is adopted by God; as God’s child, a believer is also promised (“receives an inheritance”) a place with God in “the final time.” Testing (“trials”) purifies and prepares a believer for the attributes of salvation (“praise, glory, honor”), which at present belong to God or Christ, but will be bestowed on disciples at the end time. The Lectionary editors chose this reading because of its baptismal language and themes.
John’s gospel continues his Easter story, concluding with descriptions of how disciples come to faith in different ways.
- The disciples in the house. Although Mary Magdalene tells the disciples she “has seen the Lord” (Jn 20:17), they are still afraid. Only when the risen Jesus stands among them and greets them, and those disciples see his wounds, do they believe and rejoice. Jesus transfers his mission to the disciples, and strengthens them with the Spirit so they can continue his words and works.
- Thomas. Although the disciples in the house tell Thomas they “have seen the Lord” (Jn 20:25), he does not believe. Thomas even puts conditions on his faith: he has to see the marks and to probe Jesus’ wounds. When Jesus next appears to the disciples, he offers to fulfill Thomas’ conditions, but commands Thomas to move to an unconditional faith (“do not be an unbeliever, but a believer”). The text does not tell us if Thomas examined Jesus’ wounds; but it does tell us that Thomas accepted Jesus’ challenge to unconditional faith.
- Disciples in Jesus’ absence (us). The disciples in the house and Thomas come to faith when they see Jesus physically present. Jesus now addresses disciples who must journey to faith in Jesus’ absence (Jn 20:29). Jesus’ blessing shows that faith-without-seeing surpasses the disciples’ and Thomas’ faith-by-seeing. Our journey to faith begins with hearing Jesus’ good news; with the Spirit’s gifts of holiness, peace, joy, and discernment; and with personal encounters with the risen Jesus in word, in sacrament, in the believing community, and in the world. Like the first disciples, our journey to faith begins in darkness and lurches toward unconditional belief.
Jesus’ resurrection has many meanings and many implications. The Easter season lasts six weeks, allowing us time to reflect on this cosmos-changing event. Luke describes what a perfect Christian community can be. Peter’s letter tells us our journey to faith begins at baptism. John shows how uncertain and challenging the journey can be. What is blocking our unconditional faith? Do we need to have all the answers before we commit? Are we mourning the absence of people or promises we can’t see? Are we waiting for a better world to arrive?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 