St. Pius X Roman Catholic Parish

In the Gospel today, the risen Jesus appears to his apostles, shows them his wounds and bestows peace on them. Then he inaugurates the mission of the Church. This mission is the exact same mission he received from the Father, a mission accomplished by his death and resurrection: the reconciliation of people with the Father, through the forgiveness of sins.  To carry out this mission  he gives them the gift of the Spirit and the power to forgive sin.  And although Catholics see this as justifying the sacrament of reconciliation, the power over sin is exercised first in baptism and also in the Eucharist.  The various Gospels mention doubt when Jesus appears to his followers after the resurrection.  But John dramatizes that doubt in an individual.  Paradoxically, however, from  the lips of this ‘doubting Thomas’ comes the highest  profession of faith in all of the Gospels: ‘My Lord and my  God.’  When the evangelist adds the comment: ‘Blessed  are those who have not seen and yet believe,’ he is  telling these later disciples and us, that they share the  same blessedness as those who actually saw the risen  Lord.  May we rejoice in the Lord’s presence in our day to  day living.