JESUS IS MY LORD AND MY GOD

Without the Resurrection, Christians would be the most hopeless of all people. The Resurrection stands out forever as the greatest. It doesn't demand intellectual acceptance, but more importantly, the element of FAITH.

Jesus’ appearance to the disciples in today's Gospel reading (JN 20: 19-31) is actually the second time He appeared to them after His resurrection.

Christ’s promise to “receive the Holy Spirit” (JN 19:22) is an affirmation of the Great Commission. When the Risen Lord breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples, He commissioned His mission to them. The apostles, then, received their commission to witness to the truth and be instruments of healing and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit accompanies us on our faith journey, just as He did for the disciples.

We have received both the commission and the Holy Spirit to do Christ’s works in transforming our faith into a living experience, “…do not be unbelieving, but believing,” (Jn. 20:27). Resurrection gives us emphasis to new life and rebirth. It requires our surrender to the Holy Spirit and to grow in Christian maturity and opens wide our hearts to the message of the Risen Lord.