Daily Readings - Sun Apr 27 2025

¹²And through the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were accomplished among the people. And they all met with one accord at Solomon’s portico¹³And among the others, no one dared to join himself to them. But the people magnified them¹⁴Now the multitude of men and women who believed in the Lord was ever increasing¹⁵so much so that they laid the infirm in the streets, placing them on beds and stretchers, so that, as Peter arrived, at least his shadow might fall upon any one of them, and they would be freed from their infirmities¹⁶But a multitude also hurried to Jerusalem from the neighboring cities, carrying the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, who were all healed

Revelation

Chapter 1

⁹I, John, your brother, and a sharer in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in patient endurance for Christ Jesus, was on the island which is called Patmos, because of the Word of God and the testimony to Jesus¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, like that of a trumpet¹¹saying, "What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven Churches, which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.¹²And I turned around, so as to see the voice which was speaking with me. And having turned around, I saw seven golden lampstands¹³And in the midst of the seven golden lampstands was one resembling the Son of man, clothed to the feet with a vestment, and wrapped to the breast with a wide belt of gold¹⁷And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet, like one who is dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last¹⁸And I am alive, though I was dead. And, behold, I live forever and ever. And I hold the keys of death and of Hell¹⁹Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and which are, and which must occur afterward

John

Chapter 20

¹⁹Then, when it was late on the same day, on the first of the Sabbaths, and the doors were closed where the disciples were gathered, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and he said to them: "Peace to you.²⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and side. And the disciples were gladdened when they saw the Lord²¹Therefore, he said to them again: "Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.²²When he had said this, he breathed on them. And he said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit²³Those whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and those whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.²⁴Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus arrived²⁵Therefore, the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I will see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the place of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will not believe.²⁶And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas was with them. Jesus arrived, though the doors had been closed, and he stood in their midst and said, "Peace to you.²⁷Next, he said to Thomas: "Look at my hands, and place your finger here; and bring your hand close, and place it at my side. And do not choose to be unbelieving, but faithful.²⁸Thomas responded and said to him, "My Lord and my God.²⁹Jesus said to him: "You have seen me, Thomas, so you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.³⁰Jesus also accomplished many other signs in the sight of his disciples. These have not been written in this book³¹But these things have been written, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so that, in believing, you may have life in his name

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful expressions of faith, doubt, and the enduring presence of Christ. The First Reading from Acts describes the vibrant early Christian community, where the apostles performed miracles and drew people to the faith. The Second Reading from Revelation offers a glimpse of John’s vision, where Christ stands victorious, holding the keys of death and Hades, a reminder of His eternal power. The Gospel from John presents us with the doubting Thomas, who, despite his initial skepticism, comes to a profound confession of faith when he encounters the risen Lord. These readings are deeply connected. The early church in Acts is the fruit of the resurrection, as the disciples, having received the Holy Spirit, go out to spread the Good News. John’s vision in Revelation underscores the ultimate triumph of Christ, which gives meaning to the struggles and persecutions faced by the early church. The story of Thomas, meanwhile, humanizes the experience of faith. Like Thomas, we may struggle with doubt, but Christ’s patience and love can transform our uncertainty into unwavering belief. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on how we encounter Christ. Do we, like the early Christians, trust in His power to heal and transform? Do we, like John, find strength in the vision of Christ’s eternal victory? Or do we, like Thomas, need to touch the wounds of Christ to believe? Whatever our struggles, Christ meets us where we are, offering us peace and the gift of faith. Let us, then, live as people who have seen the Lord, even if only through the eyes of others, and may our lives bear witness to the risen Christ.