Daily Readings - Sun Apr 27 2025
Acts
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
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
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 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.