Jill Bevilacqua looks at this Sunday’s Gospel reading in her programme, "There’s
more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the eye” . Listen:
Gospel Jn 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