Daily Readings - Sun Apr 24 2022

¹²Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.¹³None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.¹⁴And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,¹⁵so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.¹⁶The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Revelation

Chapter 1

⁹I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet¹¹saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."¹²Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,¹³and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,¹⁸and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.¹⁹Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.

John

Chapter 20

¹⁹On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."²⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.²¹Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.²³If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld."²⁴Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."²⁸Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;³¹but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful narratives that weave together themes of faith, mission, and the eternal presence of God. The first reading from Acts 5:12-16 portrays the early Christian community's vibrant faith, where the Apostles perform miracles, attracting many to the growing church. Despite fear, the people's belief leads them to seek healing, highlighting the transformative power of faith. The second reading from Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 shifts our gaze to John's vision on Patmos. Jesus, the First and the Last, who holds the keys of death and Hades, commissions John to write His message to the churches. This vision underscores Jesus' eternal sovereignty and the urgency of sharing the Gospel, a mission that transcends time and circumstance. In the Gospel, John 20:19-31, Jesus appears to His disciples post-resurrection, bestowing peace and the Holy Spirit. The narrative of Thomas's doubt serves as a poignant reminder that faith often requires overcoming skepticism. Thomas's eventual profession of faith illustrates that true belief can emerge from doubt when we seek a deeper encounter with Christ. These readings collectively call us to embrace our mission as disciples, trusting in God's power and presence. Just as the early church and John were commissioned, we too are called to share the Gospel with courage. Let us draw strength from these narratives, cultivating faith that overcomes doubt and compels us to live as witnesses of Christ's love and redemption in our daily lives.