Gospel: 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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This homily is given at the Duc in Altum on the Sea of Galilee during our parish pilgrimage, day 3.
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Many of you have visited – or at least seen pictures of – Niagara Falls. The beauty of the falls comes from the height and sheer volume of water that rushes over the falls – some 700,000 gallons per second.
Over the centuries, people have attempted death-defying stunts at the falls, such as going over the falls locked inside a barrel. One person even tried – unsuccessfully – to swim across the rapids.
Then there was the daredevil known as the “Great Blondin,” who crossed the falls on a highwire multiple times. In one of his attempts, he planned on pushing a wheelbarrow across, balancing on a wire only several inches thick.
Before starting his long and delicate journey, a voice cried out from the crowd, “You’ll never make it! Goodbye!”
But the “Great Blondin” confidently pushed the wheelbarrow from one end of the falls to the other, then turned around and made his way back.
“Now do you believe I can do it?” He said to the skeptic.
“Yes,” the man conceded. “Now I believe.”
“Do you believe I can do it again?” Blondin asked.
“Of course. A hundred times!”
“If you really believe,” Blondin said, “then get into the wheelbarrow!”
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In today’s Gospel, the disciples are invited to get into the wheelbarrow; to believe in what Jesus has done.
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Since Jesus’ death on Good Friday, they’ve been hiding in Jerusalem, terrified that they may be next.
You can imagine the disciples huddled together, shivering as they listen to children running through the alleyways outside, locals bartering in the streets, people chattering back and forth.
Are those same voices chattering in the streets also the ones who shouted, “Crucify him!” on Good Friday? If the disciples leave, will they be recognized? Will the same crowds call for their death, too?
It seems they have reached a dead end. They’ve lost their leader and, perhaps, their faith in him.
Suddenly, Jesus appears and says, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Jesus commissions them to begin telling the world about the remarkable victory he has won over death.
And they actually do!
In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about Saint Peter standing in the middle of a large crowd, saying, “This man you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up!”
What a remarkable act of courage. Peter faces the same people who put Jesus to death – and who could also put him to death – and tells them about the resurrection.
This sudden change in his behavior from cowardice to courage is one of the very first proofs of the resurrection. There’s no other logical explanation as to why Peter would’ve left that locked room in Jerusalem unless he actually saw the Risen Christ…and believed.
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In three days – no pun intended – you and I will have the opportunity to touch the empty tomb. To see what Peter did. We’ve already walked the same roads; we’ve dipped our fingers into the Sea of Galilee; we’ve visited the place of our Lord’s birth.
So, how deeply has this pilgrimage touched us? Like Peter, has it strengthened our faith in the resurrection, inspiring us to be more vocal about our faith, even telling others back home?
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“As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” Jesus says.
Or, using the words of the “Great Blondin”:
“If you really believe, then get in.”
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Image credits: (1) Magdala, Duc in Altum (2) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio (3) The Blondin Memorial Trust