7 April 2024 – Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy

+ From the second Gospel (John 20, 19 – 31)

On the evening of that day, the first of the week, while the doors of the place where the disciples were were closed for fear of the Jews, Jesus came, stood among them and said to them: “Peace be with you!”. Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. And the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again: «Peace be with you! As the Father sent me, I also send you.” Having said this, he breathed and said to them: «Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; those whom you do not forgive, they will not be forgiven.”
Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 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 mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Eight days later the disciples were back in the house and Thomas was also with them. Jesus came, with the doors closed, stood in the middle and said: «Peace be with you!». Then he said to Thomas: «Put your finger here and look at my hands; stretch out your hand and put it in my side; and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer! Thomas answered him: «My Lord and my God!». Jesus said to him: «Because you saw me, you believed; Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!
Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other signs that are not written in this book. But these were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Word of the Lord