John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
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Even though the disciples should have known Jesus was alive, Jesus appeared to them anyway. In His goodness, He allowed them to see Him and touch Him and be with Him. They longed to be with their Lord whom they loved, so He went to them. Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples, but He also reveals Himself to us. Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” We might not get to see or touch Jesus like the Twelve did, but we still encounter Him. We might find Him in a friend who does a random act of kindness for us or gives us someone to talk to when we’re upset. We might see Him in someone in need which prompts us to help. We encounter Him in the Eucharist when we receive His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised His disciples that He would be with them always. If we believe in Him and take a look around, we’ll find Him everywhere we look.
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