Exploring the Sunday Gospel – Second Sunday of Easter

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter. Last Sunday, on Easter Day, the Gospel reading proclaimed afresh the way in which Mark tells the story of the first Easter Morning with stark simplicity. The women simply see that the stone has been rolled away and they hear the angelic messenger spell out the implications: ‘He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him’. Today’s Gospel reading from John picks up the narrative, relating what happened later that day. John portrays Jesus coming and standing among his disciples on the evening of Easter Day.  Thomas, who was not present when Jesus came, refused to believe without proper evidence.  A week later (the second Sunday of Easter) Jesus came and stood among his disciples again.  This time Thomas was there and Jesus provided him with the evidence he needed.  Thomas saw and heard and touched the risen Jesus, and then he believed.  But Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited you to reflect on the image of touch. Like Thomas’s encounter with the risen Jesus, we too embrace physical contact with the Body of Christ in the eucharistic feast. In today’s picture, taken from the illustrated communion book, The Lord is Here! young people are encountering the  sacramental presence of the risen Jesus.

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Risen Lord Jesus,

you made yourself known to doubting Thomas.

When we, too, are surrounded by doubts,

help us to feel your presence,

and to trust your sustaining power;

for you are alive and reign for ever.

Amen.

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Next Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading gives Luke’s account of the evening encounter in Jerusalem when the risen Jesus ate fish with his disciples. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is eating fish. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

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