Daily Readings - Sun Apr 11 2021

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 gift of the Holy Spirit. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community living in harmony, sharing their possessions, and caring for one another. This was not just a social experiment but a spiritual reality rooted in their shared faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, testified to the power of God’s love, and the community responded with generosity and trust. This passage reminds us that true unity comes from living as one in Christ, where love transcends individualism and materialism. The second reading from 1 John deepens this theme by emphasizing that love is not just a feeling but a commitment to living according to God’s commandments. John writes that faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God overcomes the world. This victory is not through power or might but through the humble, selfless love that flows from God. The reading reminds us that our faith is not just intellectual assent but a way of life that reflects God’s love in the world. When we keep God’s commandments, we demonstrate that we are born of God and that His love dwells in us. In the Gospel, Jesus appears to His disciples after the Resurrection, offering them peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This scene is both a moment of reassurance and a call to mission. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on the disciples, empowering them to forgive sins and to continue His work in the world. The story of Thomas, who doubts until he sees and touches Jesus’ wounds, reminds us that faith often requires us to move beyond our fears and uncertainties. Jesus’ words to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” challenge us to trust in God’s presence even when we cannot see or fully understand. These readings together call us to live as people of faith and love. Like the early Christian community, we are to share our resources and care for one another. Like the disciples, we are to receive the Holy Spirit and be bold in witnessing to the Resurrection. And like Thomas, we are to move beyond doubt to a deeper trust in God’s plan. Let us ask for the grace to live in unity, to love without condition, and to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us. May we, like the disciples, be transformed by the Risen Christ and bear witness to His love in the world.