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2nd Sunday of Easter Year A -16/4/2023 - Gospel: John 20:19-31
Behind locked door
There are different sources confirming Jesus is alive. First, it comes from God, the Risen Lord Jesus. Second, it comes from the heavenly agents, the angels. And lastly, it comes from humans, the women who were the first to bring the Great News that Jesus is alive. It is obvious that Jesus' faithful friends didn't expect to meet Him alive on the first day of the week. Due to the Sabbath's restrictions, they had no time to prepare His body prior to the burial. On the first day of the week, the women brought the spices to the tomb for Jesus' body. They were crying. Their tears reveal that deep in their hearts they mourned the death of their friend, Jesus. Mary Magdalene found the tomb was emptied. She quickly returned from the tomb; and was the first person who broke the message that frightened the disciples: Jesus' body was stolen. It was the same Mary, who returned to the tomb for the second time on the same day. This time she encountered the angel, who confronted her by asking, 'Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he is risen' Lk 24,5. For Mary, Jesus remained dead. Out of the tomb, Jesus appeared to her in person. She didn't recognize him, until Jesus called her by name and asked her to deliver the Great News to others that he is alive. The same Mary Magdalene, with her second message, enlightened the minds and hearts of Jesus' disciples: Lord has risen, she said. And, 'I have seen the Lord'. Her second message negates her first message. From frightened to enlighten was the personal experience of those who love Jesus dearly.

The second and primary source of information came from Jesus himself. The disciples were hiding behind the locked door. Jesus had no trouble going through the locked door. He appeared to the apostles. He gave them His peace and Spirit; and showed them His hands. It is unmistakable that Jesus has risen. The Risen Lord opened both doors: the physical door of the house where the apostles dwelled; and also the door of their hearts. His peace and Spirit penetrated their hearts, and they came alive with great joy. We recall the words, Jesus cried out loud on the cross, 'Father into your hands I commend my spirit. With these words, he breathed his last' Lk 23,46. A dead person ceases to breathe, only the alive one does. Jesus breathing on the apostles is a clear sign that he is alive and active. No one commission a dead person, but only the alive ones. Giving the apostles new life, Jesus commissions them to bring the Good news to others. The commissioning implies that they are no longer mourning his death; but joyfully proclaiming: Jesus is truly alive. The Father commissioned Jesus to bring the Good News to the world; He now hands over the work to his apostles and the apostles handed it down to us, the next generation of believers. We give thanks to Jesus for trusting us, and entrusting his own mission into our hands. Before returning to the Father, Jesus promised to give His Church the Holy Spirit who will in his Holy Name guide the Church in her mission. We pray to be faithful to the task given and believe that Jesus who is invisible among us, whose spirit will guide and direct our lives.
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