The themes for the second Sunday of Easter set the tone for the entire Easter season. They are all directed toward mystagogical instruction, primarily of the neophytes who were baptised during the Easter Vigil, but also of the whole Christian community. The readings for this season provide us an extended meditation on the resurrection and on our own incorporation into it through the mysteries of initiation.
Most of us are like Thomas who looked for some tangible evidence of the resurrection. We do not find it any easier to live by faith than he did. However, when we do live by faith, we actually discover tangible proof. This proof can be seen in the way the community reaches out in care and support to others. Jesus extends his wounded hands to us as he did to Thomas, and the community is invited to touch his wounds as we touch the wounds of our world. We find a similar situation in the reading from Acts where the fledgling Christian community grew in number as a result of the teaching of the apostles. So it has always been. Those who are not eye witnesses of the actual events are called, through the teaching of others, to witness to the power of the resurrection.
Although the blessings that we derive from the resurrection are clearly gifts from God, they are nonetheless costly gifts. They have been won through the blood of Christ, and we too may have to pay dearly for having received them.
© Dianne Bergant CSA, https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2026Apr12/0/RefDiBer