Receive the Holy Spirit, 2nd Sunday of Easter

Jesus was sent into the world to do the Father’s will. And the Father’s will was to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, by the forgiveness of sins, setting captives free, bringing good news to the poor and healing the sick and broken hearted. But the world denied the kingdom. The darkness hated the light. Jesus was handed over in the darkness to the darkness. He was falsely accused by those who did not know him. He was unjustly tried and sentenced to death on the cross.

 But, it was from the cross that Jesus conquered the world, by an outpouring of love, in the form of radical and unimaginable mercy and forgiveness for those who murdered him. This excessive and boundless mercy and forgiveness could not be contained on the hill called Place of the Skull, Golgotha and it spilled out onto the whole world and beyond. From the cross Spirit and Grace begin to enter the world. We know on the third day Jesus rose from the dead, new and glorified, victorious over death itself. Christ is Risen. Believe this and live.

 But, belief is a funny slippery thing. It cannot be bought or found. Belief finds us. It is a gift. It can come unexpected and surprising, like wild fire. It can come by means of Grace filled reason and reflection. But, however it comes, it always comes as an encounter with the Risen Lord. Each of us comes to a singular, self-authenticating moment when we can say - I have seen the Lord.

 On that morning, in the cool grey light of dawn, Mary Magdalene had (unexpectedly) seen Jesus. She did not recognize him. It was only when Jesus says her name that she knows (within her heart) that he who speaks is truly Jesus risen from the dead. He tells her “Go to my brothers and tell them.” Mary does as the Lord asks and she announces the good news to the disciples and her words (are the first words of faith).

 Still the disciples (in their varied forms of grief) did not dare believe. It was too farfetched and unreasonable and in their uncertainty and fear the disciples hide behind locked doors. But, on the evening of that same first day (even with the doors barred from within) Jesus appears to them. Clearly with Jesus risen and glorified all natural laws of reality are null and void. What is time and space to him?

 Jesus says to them “Peace be with you” This is more than a greeting it is the real transforming gift of his peace. In that overwhelming peace did one disciple remember Jesus’ words to them at the last supper “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”. Did another remember Him telling them “I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. Take courage, for I have conquered the world”.

 Whatever they were thinking sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and so Jesus shows them his real wounded flesh. In this human gesture they realize this is Jesus of Nazareth whom they had walked with and broken bread with. This was no ghost.

The disciples respond with a new liberating joy because now Mary Magdalene’s words that Jesus is risen has been confirmed by their own experience. And this sets up the pattern faith will take - the word shared leads to encounter and encounter leads to experience and experience leads to belief and belief leads to faith. And faith demands to be shared leading to new encounters and experiences new belief and faith in others.

 Jesus makes clear what the gift of his peace is for.  His peace, his power over sin and his Devine mercy are to be taken into the world. He says to the disciples “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. Jesus during his mission had made the Father present by his signs and wonders, his teaching and healing and now the disciples (and the Church that follows) will make Jesus present in agape, communion, community and sacraments. Whoever encounters the disciples and the Church will encounter Jesus. Whoever encounters Jesus encounters the Father.

  And so Jesus now breathes - not on them but into them, the breath of new life commissioning and empowering the disciples for their Spirit driven mission of peace.  “Receive the Holy Spirit”.

 But, the world (as it always does) fought back. The world says to you and I there is nothing but me. The only reality is my reality. The only truth my truth. There is nothing beyond me. There is nothing beyond you. I tell you what you need and I tell you how to get it.

 Which brings us to Thomas (grief stricken, hurt and disappointment) and who was not with them when Jesus first came. And so Thomas says to those who are now unreasonably joyful and excited. “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and place my finger in the mark of the nails and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Thomas is simply not in his right mind. He is thinking as the world wants us to do. Believe only what is obvious and reasonable. Believe only what can be contained within the world and measured by the world. Life is life, death is death. Come now, how can Jesus be risen?

But, after eight days, again on a Sunday and again in the upper room, the disciples gather and this time Thomas is with them. Though the doors still remain shut, Jesus again comes to them. I imagine Thomas stands frozen. Jesus pours out his grace upon them “peace be with you”. Then the Lord Jesus turns to Thomas and in kindness agrees to his demands of physical proof. Jesus offers his body to Thomas. A gesture that says do what you must, but believe.

 There is no indication that Thomas does what he demanded.  He apparently never touches Jesus. Now there is no need.  With new eyes and a new heart Thomas is enliven, moved by something beyond himself, beyond the world, beyond comprehension. Thomas cannot explain it. All Thomas can do is fall to his knees and cry out “My Lord and my God”.

 I imagine Jesus giving Thomas a hand up chides him “You have belief because you saw me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”.

A interesting detail is that the Greek word used for blessed is closer to the idea of blissful, a pure undefinable liberating joy that wells up unexpectedly from within us. Joy is to be blissful in the Lord and this is to be truly blessed. We are blissful people.

 In this profound blissful joy let us always remember and celebrated that Jesus though crucified and buried rose from the dead. He was seen by many and he ascended into heaven. He lives forever and ever, loving his own who are in the world. Believe this, for this is eternal life.