Day 94, John 20
Good Day everyone!
Today is a very special day as we are winding down our Gospel Journey!!!
The Memorial of the most precious Saint! St. Louis Mary de Monfort!
He is the King of Devotion to Mary — he actually wrote a book called “Devotion to Mary” and there is the most beautiful consecration to Mary that I believe is a 60 day devotion. Absolutely powerful!
For more information on this great saint go to http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=458
I see three uplifting points today:
- Why are You Weeping?
- Receive the Holy Spirit
- Don’t be Unbelieving
1- Why are You Weeping?
I love this because Mary gets there first and then immediately goes and gets the boys! Smart lady… I wonder how far she had to go?
Seems like they were not far away! They come running and then I love the way John lets Peter go first into the tomb — so we see here right away that there is a submission to Peter the Rock and head of the Church!
Then they leave! We read that they believed but did not understand the scripture that He had to rise from the dead!
BUT MARY… stayed outside — when they returned home!
I love it — they are quick to come and quick to go home — all business!
Mary hangs out — on the OUTSIDE of the tomb and weeps!
Then… as she wept… she bent over into the tomb…
How many times have we looked at our situation or our friends and seen an empty tomb –
Well looking from outside — things might look dead –but on the inside there is a different story going on!!!
Once looking inside she saw two angels in white sitting there — one at the head of Jesus and one at the feet!
Mary is asked two times like this… “WOMAN why are you weeping?”
First by the angels… then after she says because she doesn’t know where they put JESUS –
a Second time by JESUS Himself!… “WOMAN why are you weeping?”
And then He says whom are you looking for?
Now to many it would seem odd that after all that time she doesn’t recognize Jesus face to face!
There are many good explanations to why — Jesus was in His resurrected body –
but I would like to look at what happens to us on a regular basis… when we suffer or are consumed with sorrow -
- do we often times get caught up in what we are going through and we don’t recognize JESUS?
Think about it! Because grief can cripple you and depression can paralyze you! And you cannot hear or see — unless you are keeping your focus on Jesus!
He asks Why are you weeping! WOMAN — because now this is the new creation! And she after Mary is the daughter of the New Eve –
But if Jesus has risen there is no reason for any of us to be weeping for anything! Our Joy should be complete!
Then once she HEARS HIS VOICE she then wants to hold on to JESUS!
When He says her name She knows and recognizes Him!
Can’t you just picture the scene — I’d be holding on to Him too!
But Jesus tells her to GO — tell the disciples — Like they are going to believe a WOMAN???
Mary obediently goes as He told her that He has not ascended to the Father yet — and so she cannot hold on — everyone must be moving to where they are to be — places everyone — the big blessing is coming!
I’m sure by now they have forgotten all about Chapters 14-17 according to John — that’s right it wasn’t written down yet — so it was all in their hearts — or we’d like to think!
The Holy Spirit is coming — here is a preview…
2- Receive the Holy Spirit
Well whether they believed Mary or not… on the evening of that first day of the week — so on Sunday — the disciples were behind locked doors for fear of the Jews –
I love the image of the locked doors and the fear in them behind the doors!
So Jesus comes and stands in their midst — so how did He do that? He just appeared!
Right through the locked doors — the same way He has been able to get in to our closed hearts and minds many times… Alleluia! Thanks be to God!
Jesus says “Peace be With You” and then shows them his wounds — His hands and His side!
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord and what a reunion that must have been!
Jesus meets them in their fear — that is usually when we are closed up!!! Makes sense — the sorrow at the tomb and the fear behind the locked doors are good examples of where we might be when Jesus comes in our midst — as long as we are His — and they all were His followers!
Jesus says these important words — “As the Father has sent me so I send you”
And then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”
-whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retained are retained”
THIS IS HUGE — so first — Jesus has them receive the Holy Spirit even before Pentecost!!!
For a purpose! You see Jesus cannot send them without the Holy Spirit — and the purpose is to evangelize and baptize and call to repentance — that will require the Sacrament of Confession!
Jesus institutes this sacrament right there!
But they have to receive the Holy Spirit in order to be able to do as Jesus says!
And they will have to believe to receive… amazing that Thomas just happened to be missing that day!
3- Don’t be Unbelieving
If we have learned anything in this 94 day Gospel marathon it is that we Must Believe and Trust and that we cannot receive if we are unbelieving and doubtful!
I think the biggest way that we get in the way… is that we over think things and we are a skeptical and critical people!
WE don’t want to believe — we don’t allow ourselves to believe — we want to have everything explained, make sense and be proven before we believe so that we can be so sure!!!
This is such a block to allowing the miracles of God release power into our lives!
I’m not talking about being totally stupid and doing anything harmful — but please — there are people who have to over analyze things 100 times before believing Jesus and His word and His church!
Or things happen and we do not give God the glory because we have other reasons why something occurred!
And so here we see Thomas — so it was a set up — Thomas is not there — they tell him what happened — that they have seen the Lord and what does Thomas say…
“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 maybe Thomas was protecting himself from false prophets === but here are the brother disciples — already leaders in the church and the first priests -
- and they are giving him their testimony — as we give ours to each other —
and Thomas still would not believe unless he saw —
now amazingly it was one week late — so also on Sunday — the Lord’s day and what do you think they were doing when behind the locked doors Jesus appears and says “Peace be with you”
THE HOLY MASS — How about that?
Jesus appears in the same way — I know for myself in Mass — the words “Peace be with you” when the Priest speaks those words will never be the same to me!!!
And so this time Jesus appears and Thomas sees Him and Jesus says to him…
“Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side…”
Our Lord knows every thought we have — and every word we speak — HE HEARS and KNOWS — think about that for awhile!!!
I’d be dying if Jesus showed up and said that… but how gracious is our God…
then He tells Thomas… point blank…
“DO NOT BE UNBELIEVING, BUT BELIEVE”
These are Jesus words to Thomas but they apply to you and I — on a regular basis!
Jesus goes out of His way to help us to believe and He is so patient — He has worked miracles even today and He heals and works in our lives to build up our belief!
He has appeared to people even now and even has sent His Mother who is appearing around the world…
But we can also believe without seeing Jesus –
and we see here that Jesus says –”Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Thomas says, “My Lord and My God” upon seeing Jesus — and His wounds –
A beautiful practice is to say in your heart when at Mass The Host is lifted up and consecrated and transubstantiated into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ!
Blessed are we who have believed and have followed Jesus to this point!
I pray that you have grown in belief and that you will always call Jesus your Lord and your God!
Let’s share this day — as we spend the time today — remember this is the final hours of John!
What a blessing! Please share!
