Daily Readings - Sun Apr 08 2018

³²All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.³³With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.³⁴There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales³⁵and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

1 John

Chapter 5

¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.²This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.³This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,⁴for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.⁵Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.⁶This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

John

Chapter 20

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.²¹Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."²²And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.²³If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."²⁴Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."²⁶A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."²⁸Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"²⁹Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."³⁰Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.³¹But these are written 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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the unity of faith, the power of love, and the triumph of belief over doubt. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community living in harmony, sharing their possessions, and caring for one another. This unity was not accidental; it flowed from their shared faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and their commitment to living as his disciples. The Apostles, filled with grace, testified to the power of the Risen Lord, and the community responded with generosity and trust. This passage reminds us that faith is not a solitary act but a communal way of life. In the Gospel, we encounter Thomas, who struggles with doubt after the Resurrection. While the other disciples had seen the Lord, Thomas was absent, and his skepticism led him to demand physical proof of Jesus' presence. When Jesus appears to him, he gently invites Thomas to touch his wounds, saying, "Do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas's response, "My Lord and my God," is a profound declaration of faith. Jesus then blesses those who believe without seeing, which includes us. This story teaches us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God's love and presence, even when we face uncertainty. The second reading from 1 John ties these themes together. It tells us that love for God and love for others are inseparable. To love God is to keep his commandments, and to love others is to live as children of God. John reminds us that our faith overcomes the world, not through our own strength, but through the power of God. The readings today call us to live with generosity, trust, and love, just like the early Christian community. They remind us that faith is not about avoiding doubt but about growing deeper in our relationship with God, even when the road is uncertain. Let us ask for the grace to believe without seeing and to love without reserve, that we might truly live as children of God.