There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we encounter a Pharisee named Nicodemus. His role in John’s Gospel is similar to that of Doubting Thomas. They both remind us that faith is a journey.
Thomas would not believe in the resurrection until he had a personal encounter with the Risen Lord. “I will not believe unless I see the nailmarks in his hands and put my finger into his side,” Thomas said.
Nicodemus is also on the verge of faith, but he’s stuck in the realm of questioning. Curious, he approaches Jesus, who tells Nicodemus that he must be, “born again.” Then Jesus speaks of new life and the role of the Spirit.
But this just leaves Nicodemus with more questions. “How can a man once grown old be born again?” he asks.
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We do not encounter Nicodemus again until Jesus is put on trial. Still a Pharisee, Nicodemus intervenes on Jesus’ behalf and implores his peers to allow Jesus to explain himself – a sign that Nicodemus still wants to know more.
We then encounter him a third time when he brings spices to anoint Jesus’ body.
Does Nicodemus’ faith die with Jesus at the tomb? Does he join Thomas, becoming part of the Christian community?
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We don’t know. John leaves that for us to ponder.
Nicodemus serves as a reminder to all of us that, at some point, we must decide for ourselves who Jesus is.
Is he a prophet? A teacher? Or is he, in fact, the Appointed One, whom all of the prophets foretold?
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Our answer will change our experience of life – both now and in the world to come.
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Item credits: (1) Who is Jesus? God, Christ or Both? One God Worship (2) Christ and Nicodemus Glisee Print – Crijn Hendricksz Volmarijn, Art.com (3) Bibles For America, YouTube 2:28
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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I’m sure we’ve all visited or seen pictures of Niagara Falls. Its beauty comes from the height and sheer volume of water rushing over its’ edge – some 700,000 gallons per second.
Over the centuries, people have attempted death-defying stunts, such as going over Niagara Falls locked inside a barrel.
One person even tried – unsuccessfully – to swim across.
Then there was the daredevil known as the “Great Blondin,” who crossed Niagara 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 across! Goodbye!”
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But the “Great Blondin” confidently pushed the wheelbarrow from one end 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,” he said, “then get into the wheelbarrow!”
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How many of us would’ve gotten into that wheelbarrow?
(Few, if any).
That’s how the Apostle Thomas felt about placing his trust in the Risen Christ before Jesus appeared to him.
“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,” Thomas said, “I will not believe.”
Because of his skepticism, Thomas is often referred to as, “Doubting Thomas.”
But that nickname seems a bit unfair to me. It’s not that Thomas is unwilling to believe. He simply reminds us how hard it is to believe in the topsy-turvy, upside down, right side up reality of the resurrection.
Faith can be difficult for us today. But it was no different for the Apostles.
Thomas reminds them that Jesus was brutally murdered on Good Friday; there were nailmarks in his hands and a spear thrust into his side! Then he was laid in a tomb.
How can he be alive again?
Going from the horror of Good Friday to joy of Easter Sunday requires a giant leap of faith, which some of the Apostles make after seeing the Risen Lord. But Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus showed up; he was grieving alone.
By not appearing to Thomas in isolation, Jesus teaches the Apostles an important lesson: he will only reveal himself to the community of faith. They must gather together in order to see.
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Isn’t there a bit of “Doubting Thomas” within all of us?
It’s that skeptical, unbelieving voice that pokes at the soft spots of our faith.
“Thomas” shows up when our children ask us questions about God and we don’t how to answer them.
He shows up when someone we love suffers or when an important prayer seemingly goes unanswered.
That “Doubting Thomas” within haunts us when we standing at the graveside, weeping.
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John includes this story about Thomas right after the resurrection in order to give us permission to be Thomas – to doubt; to question; to ponder.
It’s why the Church gives us seven weeks – nearly fifty days – to celebrate the Easter season. Christ’s resurrection changes everything.
We need time to ponder this… and to shape our lives accordingly.
Perhaps this is why the earliest Christians referred to themselves as followers of, “The Way.” They remind us that belief is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.
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So, what has my journey of faith been like? Am I still hesitant to place my faith in Jesus like Thomas once was? Am I questioning? Doubting? Pondering?
Or have I come to know Jesus enough to say, in Thomas’ words, “My Lord and my God!”?
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“If you really believe, then get into the wheelbarrow.”
Lord, help us to do just that – to place ourselves entirely into your hands, as you lead us safely along the highwire of this life into the life to come.
For you are risen! Alleluia!
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Image credits: (1) The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Caravaggio (2) Niagara Falls, Reader’s Digest (3) Ibid., Caravaggio
Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today’s Gospel summarizes the mission of the Church, and therefore our mission here at Saint Pius X.
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There are two miracles: the miraculous catch of fish and the meal that Jesus provides.
It begins at night. Peter tells the other disciples, “I’m going fishing.” So, they join him. Although they’re professional fishermen – and they work through the night – their efforts are fruitless.
Such is a life without Christ.
Without Christ, we live in the darkness. Despite our best efforts we cannot bear lasting fruit; we cannot save ourselves.
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After the disciples finish working in the dark, the Risen Christ appears to them on the shore in the bright light of dawn.
Jesus then commands them to go back out onto the lake. With his blessing, they catch so many fish that Peter’s net is nearly tearing at the seams.
This net represents the Church.
With the Lord’s blessing, you and I are meant to be “fishers of men.” Following behind Peter, our shepherd, we can bring the entire world to Christ, where he sits down and feeds us with a meal.
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In the Gospel, Jesus feeds his disciples with loaves of bread and fish.
At Mass, the Lord feeds us with the Eucharist, his very Self.
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This is our mission at Saint Pius X: to live this Gospel in our daily lives.
To build community – a community centered around Christ; to worship him as God; and to bring others to Him, where he feeds us, then sends us out to fish for more.
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Image credits: (1) A-Z Quotes (2) Church of the Great God (3) Christian Today
