The image of the true vine, that is, Jesus
The pressing invitation to remain in Him
in order to bear the fruit of love
John 15:1-8

1. Opening prayer

Lord, You are! And this is sufficient for us, to live by, to go on hoping every day, to walk in this world, not to choose the wrong road of being closed and lonely. Yes, You are forever and from all time; You are constant, O Jesus! Your being is our constant gift; it is an ever ripe fruit that feeds and strengthens us in You, in Your presence. Lord, open our heart, open our being to Your being; open us to life with the mysterious power of Your Word. Help us to listen, to eat and savor this food for our souls, which is indispensable for us! Send us the good fruit of Your Spirit so that He may bring about in us that which we read and meditate about You.

2. Reading

a) To place the passage in its context:

These few verses are part of the great discourse of Jesus to His disciples during that intimate moment of the last supper and they begin with chapter 13, verse 31, and proceed up to the end of chapter 17. This passage has a very tight, deep and inseparable unity, unequaled in the Gospels, and sums up the whole of Jesus' revelation in His divine life and in the mystery of the Trinity. It is the text that says what no other text in the Scriptures is capable of saying concerning Christian life, its power, its tasks, its joys and pains, its hopes and its struggle in this world in the Church. Just a few verses, but full of love. That love to the very end that Jesus chose to live for His disciples, and for us, even to this day and forever. In the strength of this love, the supreme gesture of infinite tenderness, which includes all other gestures of love, the Lord bequeaths to His disciples a new presence. A new way of being. By means of the parable of the vine and its branches and the proclamation of the wonderful verb remain, repeated several times, Jesus initiates His new story with each one of us called indwelling. He is no longer with us, because He is going back to the Father, yet He remains within us.

b) To assist us in the reading of the passage:

vv. 1-3: Jesus reveals Himself as the true vine, which brings forth good fruit and excellent wine for His Father who is the vinedresser. He reveals to us, His disciples, the branches, that we must remain united to the vine so as not to die and to bear fruit. The pruning, which the Father accomplishes on the branches by means of the Word, is a purification, a joy, and a chant.

vv. 4-6: Jesus passes on to His disciples the secret of being able to continue to live in an intimate relationship with Him by remaining. As He lives in them and remains in them, and is no longer external to them or with them, so they must also remain in Him, inside Him. This is the only way to be completely consoled, to be able to hold on to this life and bear good fruit which is love.

v. 7: Once more, Jesus bequeaths the gift of prayer in the heart of His disciples, that most precious and unique pearl, and He tells us that by remaining in Him, we can learn true prayer, the prayer that seeks insistently the gift of the Holy Spirit and knows that it will be granted.

v. 8: Jesus calls us to Himself, asks us to follow Him, and to be always His disciples. The remainder brings forth mission, the gift of life for the Father and for the neighbor. If we really remain in Jesus, then we shall really remain in the midst of our brothers and sisters, as gift and as service. This is the glory of the Father.

c) The text:

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

3. A moment of silent prayer

As a branch, I now remain united to the vine, my Lord, and I abandon myself to Him. I allow myself to be overtaken by the sap of His silent and deep voice, which is like living water. Therefore, I remain in silence and stay close.

4. A few questions

These help me remain and to discover the beauty of the vine, Jesus. They lead me to the Father, and allow Him to take over and labor in me, certain of His good labor as loving vine-dresser. They urge me to enter into the life blood of the Spirit to meet Him as the only necessary thing that I must seek untiringly.

a) "I am": it is beautiful that the passage begins with these words, which are like a song of joy of the victory of the Lord that He loves to sing all the time in the life of each one of us. "I am": He repeats this infinitely, every morning, every evening, at night, while we sleep, even though we are not aware of this. In fact, He really is at our disposal. He is turned towards the Father, and towards us for us. I meditate on these words and not only listen to them, but allow them to penetrate me, my mind, my innermost memory, my heart, and all my feelings as I ruminate on and absorb His being into my being. I try to enter into the depths of my being, overcoming fear, crossing the darkness that I find there and I gather those parts of my being that are most lifeless. I take them delicately and bring them to Jesus and I hand them over to His "I am".

b) The vine recalls to mind wine, that precious and good fruit, and also recalls to mind the covenant that nothing will ever break. Am I willing to remain in that embrace, in that continuous yes of my life thus woven into His? Together with the Psalmist, I shall also raise the chalice of the covenant, calling on the name of the Lord and saying to Him, “yes, I also love you”.

c) Jesus calls His Father the vine-dresser, a very beautiful term that carries all the force of the love dedicated to working the land. It expresses a bending over the earth, a drawing close of body and being, a prolonged contact, a vital exchange. This is precisely the Father's attitude towards us! However, St. Paul says: "The farmer who has done the hard work should have the first share of the harvest" (2 Tim 2:6) and St. James reminds us "See how patient a farmer is as he waits for his land to produce precious crops" (Jas 5:7). Will I disappoint the patience of the Father who cultivates me every day, turns me over, gets rid of the stones, nourishes me with good fertilizer and builds a hedge all round me to protect me? To whom do I give the fruits of my existence, my heart, my mind, and my soul? For whom do I exist? For whom do I decide and choose to live every day, every morning, when I wake up?

d) I follow the text carefully and underline two verbs, which occur frequently: "to bear fruit" and "to remain". I understand that these two realities are a symbol of life itself and are woven together, each depending on the other. Only by remaining is it possible to bear fruit, and the only true fruit that we as disciples can bear in this world is to remain. Where do I remain every day, all day? With whom do I remain? Jesus always makes the connection of this verb with that wonderful and enormous particle: "in Me". Do I console myself with these two words "in Me"? Do I dig in search of the Lord as one digs for a well (cfr. Gn 26:18) or for treasure (Pr 2:4)? Or am I outside, always lost among the ways of this world, as far as possible from intimacy and from a relationship from contact with the Lord?

e) Twice Jesus reminds us of the reality of His Word and reveals to us that it is His Word that makes us pure and it is His Word that leads us to true prayer. The Word is proclaimed and given as a permanent presence within us. It also has the ability to remain, to make its dwelling place in our heart. However, I must ask myself, what ears do I have to listen to this proclamation of salvation and goodness, which the Lord addresses to me through His Words? Do I allow room to listen in depth to that which the Scripture speaks to me all the time, in the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms and the apostolic writings? Do I allow the Word of the Lord to find me and overtake me in prayer, or do I prefer to trust in other words, lighter, more human and more like my words? Am I afraid of the voice of the Lord who speaks to me urgently and all the time?

5. A key to the reading

As a branch, I seek to be ever more one with my Vine, that is, the Lord Jesus. Here and now, I drink of His Word, the good sap, seeking to penetrate ever deeper so as to absorb the hidden nourishment that transmits real life to me. I pay attention to the words, the verbs, the expressions Jesus uses and which recall other passages of divine Scripture and, thus, I let myself be purified.

The meeting with Jesus, the "I am"

This passage is one of the texts where this strong expression appears, an expression that the Lord addresses to us in order to reveal Himself. It is wonderful to walk through the Scriptures in search of other texts similar to this one, where the Lord speaks of Himself directly. When the Lord says and repeats, in a thousand ways, with a thousand nuances, "I am". He does not do so in order to annihilate or humiliate us, but only to stress forcefully His overflowing love for us which desires to make us live that same life that belongs to Him. When He says "I am", He is also saying "You are" to each one of us, to each son and daughter who is born into this world. It is a fruitful and uninterrupted transmission of being, of essence, and I do not wish to let this be in vain. I wish to welcome it and welcome it inside me. So, I follow the luminous trace of the "I am" and I try to stop at each step. "I am your shield" (Gen 15:1), "I am the God of Abraham your father" (Gen 24:26), "I am the Lord who led you and still leads you out of the land of Egypt" (cfr. Es 6:6) and from the hands of every Pharaoh who will threaten your life. "I am He who heals you" (Es 15:26). I allow myself to be enlightened by the force of these words, which fulfill the miracle they speak of; they fulfill this miracle to this day, and for me, in this lectio. Then I go on reading in the book of Leviticus where at least 50 times this affirmation of salvation is found: "I am the Lord", and I believe these words and hold on to them with my whole being, my whole heart and say: "Yes, indeed the Lord is my Lord, He and no other!" I note that the Scriptures probe ever deeper. As the journey continues, gradually, the Scriptures penetrate me and lead me to an ever more intense relationship with the Lord. In fact, the book of Numbers says: "I am the Lord and I live among the people of Israel" (Num 35:34). "I am" is in the present, He who does not draw apart, does not turn His back to leave. It is He who cares for us from close by, from the inside, as only He can do. I read Isaiah and I receive life: 41:10; 43:3; 45:6 etc.

The holy Gospel is an explosion of being, presence, and salvation. I run through it letting John lead me: 6:48; 8:12; 10:9. 11; 11:15; 14:6; 18:37. Jesus is the bread, the light, the gate, the shepherd, the resurrection, the way, the truth, the life, the king. All for me and for us, and so I want to welcome Him, know Him and love Him, and I want to learn, through these words, to say to Him: "Lord you are!" It is this "You" that gives meaning to my “I” that makes life a relationship and a communion. I know for certain that only here can I find full joy and live forever.

The vineyard, the true vine and its good fruit

God's vineyard is Israel, a beloved vineyard, a chosen vineyard, a vineyard planted on a fertile hill in a place where the earth has been cleared afresh, hoed, and freed of stones.A protected vineyard, worked, loved, large and one that God Himself has planted (cfr. Is 5:1ff; Ger 2:21). So loved is this vineyard that the beloved has never ceased to sing the canticle of love for her. Strong notes, yet sweet at the same time. Notes that bear true life, that go across the ancient covenant and come to the new covenant in even clearer notes. At first it was the Father who sang, now it is Jesus, but in both it is the Spirit who is heard, as the Song of Songs says: "The voice of the dove is still heard… and the vineyards spread fragrance" (Sgs 2:12ff). It is the Lord Jesus who draws us, who takes us from the old to the new, from love to love, towards an ever stronger communion, even to identification: "I am the vine, but you too are in me". Hence it is clear: the vineyard is Israel, is Jesus, is us. Always the same, always new, always chosen and beloved, loved, cared for, protected, visited: visited by rain and visited by the Word. Sent by the prophets day by day, visited by the sending of the Son, who is love, and who expects love, that is, the fruit. "He waited for the grapes to ripen, but every grape was sour" (Is 5:2). In love, disappointment is always around the corner. I stop here at this reality. I look inside me. I try to discover the places where I am closed, dry, and dead. Why has the rain not come? I repeat this word that echoes often through the pages of the Bible: "The Lord waits…" (see Is 30:18; Lk 13:6-9). He wants the fruits of conversion (cfr. Mt 3:8), as He tells us through John, the fruits of the word that hides the listening, the welcoming and the self-control, as the synoptics say (cfr. Mt 13:23; Mk 4:20 e Lk 8:15), the fruits of the Spirit, as Paul explains (cfr. Gal 5:22). He wants us "to bear fruit in every good work" (Col 1:10), but above all, it seems to me, the Lord waits and desires "the fruit of the womb" (cfr. Lk 1:42), that is Jesus, in whom we are truly blessed. In fact, Jesus is the seed that, dying, bears much fruit within us in our life (Jn 12:24) and defeats every solitude, every closure, opening us wide to our brothers and sisters. This is the real fruit of conversion, planted in the earth of our bosom. This is to become His disciples and, finally, this is the true glory of the Father.

Pruning, a joyful purification

In this passage of the Gospel, the Lord shows me another way of following Him, together with Him. It is the way of purification, of renewal, of resurrection, and new life. It is hidden in the term "pruning", but I can better discover it thanks to the Word itself, which is the only sure guide. The Greek text uses the term "purify" to point to this action of the vine-dresser in His vineyard. Certainly, it is true that He prunes and cuts with a knife sharpened by His Word (Heb 4:12) and sometimes, wounds us, but it is even truer that it is His love that penetrates ever deeper in us and thus purifies, washes, and refines. Yes, the Lord sits as washer to purify, to make splendid and luminous the gold in His hand (cfr. Mal 3:3). Jesus brings a new purification, the one promised for so long by the Scriptures and in waiting for the Messianic times. It is no longer the purification that took place by means of cult, by means of the observance of the law or sacrifices, a temporary purification, incomplete and figurative. Jesus brings about an intimate, total purification. One of the heart and conscience, the one sung by Ezekiel: "I shall purify you of all your idols, I shall give you a new heart…When I shall have purified you from all you iniquities, I shall bring you back to your cities and your ruins will be rebuilt…" (Ez 36:25ff. 33). I also read Eph 5:26 e Tt 2:14, beautiful and rich texts, which help me better enter into the light of grace of this work of salvation, of this spiritual pruning that the Father works in me.

There is a verse in the Song of Songs that can help my understanding more. It says, "This is the time for singing" (Sgs 2:12), however, it uses a verb that means also "pruning, cutting" as well as "singing". Thus pruning is the time for singing and for joy. It is my heart that sings before and in the Word. It is my soul that rejoices for my faith, because I know that through this long but magnificent pilgrimage in the Scriptures, I too will take part in Jesus' life. I too will be united with Him, the pure, the holy, the immaculate Word and that thus, united to Him, I shall be washed and purified with the infinite purity of His life. Not for me alone, not in order to be alone, but to bear much fruit. To grow leaves and branches that do not wither. To be a branch together with many other branches in the vine of Jesus Christ.

6. A moment of silent prayer: Psalm 1

A meditation on the joy of one who lives by the Word and, thanks to the Word, bears fruit.

Res. Your Word is my joy, Lord!

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on His law he meditates day and night. Res.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Res.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. Res.

7. Closing prayer

Lord, I still see the light of Your Word. The healing force of Your voice still rings in the depth of my being! Thank you, O my Vine, my sap. Thank You, O my dwelling where I can and wish to remain. Thank You, O my strength to do, to carry out every task; thank You my Master! You have called me to be a fruitful branch, to be fruit of your love for humankind, to be the wine that makes the heart rejoice. Lord, help me to realize this blessed and true Word of Yours. Only thus can I live truly and live truly as You are and remain. Lord, let me not err so that I wish to remain a branch in Your vine without the other branches, my brothers and sisters. It would be indeed the sourest and most displeasing fruit.

Lord, I do not know how to pray. Teach me Yourself and let my most beautiful prayer be my life, transformed into a bunch of grapes for the hunger and the thirst, for the joy and company of those who come to the vine, that is, You. Thank you for being the wine of Love!

Jesus the Good Shepherd
“So that all may have life and have it to the full!”
John 10:11-18

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The Gospel of the fourth Sunday after Easter presents to us the parable of the Good Shepherd. This is why, sometimes, it is called the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. In some parishes the feast of the parish priest is celebrated on this day, the shepherd of the flock. In today’s Gospel, Jesus presented Himself as the Good Shepherd, who has come “so that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). At that time, the shepherd was the image of the leader. Jesus says that many presented themselves as shepherds but in fact they were thieves and bandits. The same thing happens today. There are people who present themselves as leaders, but in reality, instead of rendering service, they only seek their own interests. Some of them have such a meek way of speaking, and make such an intelligent type of propaganda that they succeed in deceiving people. Have you ever had the experience of being deceived? How does one recognize a “false prophet” today? How is and how should a good shepherd be? Keeping these questions in mind, let us try to meditate on the text of today’s Gospel. During the reading let us try to be attentive to the images which Jesus uses to present Himself to the people as a true and good Shepherd.

b) A division of the text to help me in reading it:

Jn 10:11: Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd who gives his life for His sheep
Jn 10:12-13: Jesus defines the attitude of the mercenary
Jn 10:14-15: Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep
Jn 10:16: Jesus defines the goal to be attained: only one flock and one shepherd
Jn 10:17-18: Jesus and the Father.

c) Text:

Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What is the difference between a shepherd and a hired man in our current day?
b) Which are the images which Jesus applies to Himself? How does he apply them and what do they signify?
c) How many times does Jesus use the term life in this text and what does he affirm about life?
d) What does the text say about the sheep that we are? What are the qualities and the tasks of the sheep?
e) Shepherd (Pastor) - Pastoral. Do our pastoral works continue the mission of Jesus as Shepherd?

5. For those who desire to deepen more into the text

a) Context:

i) The discourse of Jesus on the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:1-18) is like a brick inserted into a wall which already exits. With this brick the wall is stronger and more beautiful. Immediately before, in Jn 9:40-41, the Gospel spoke about the healing of the man born blind (Jn 9:1-38) and of the discussion of Jesus with the Pharisees on blindness (Jn 9:39-41). Immediately after in Jn 10:19-21, John gives the conclusion of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees on blindness. The Pharisees presented themselves before the people as leaders and believed that they could discern and teach the things of God. In reality, they were blind (Jn 9:40-41) and they despised the opinion of the people represented by the man born blind who had been cured by Jesus (Jn 9:34). The discourse on the Good Shepherd has been inserted here for the purpose of offering some criteria to know how to discern who is the leader, the shepherd who deserves to be trusted. The parable fulfills a word which Jesus had just said to the Pharisees: “It is for judgment that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight may become blind.” (Jn 9:39).

ii) The discourse of Jesus on the “Good Shepherd” presents three comparisons, linked among themselves by the image of the sheep, which offer criteria to discern who is the true shepherd:
First comparison (Jn 10:1-5): “Enter through the gate”. Jesus distinguishes between the shepherd of the sheep and the one who climbs some other way to rob them. That which reveals the shepherd is the fact that He enters through the gate. The thief climbs some other way.
Second comparison: (Jn 10:6-10): “I am the gate”. To enter through the gate means to act like Jesus, whose greatest concern is the life in abundance of the sheep. What the shepherd reveals is the defense of the life of the sheep.
Third comparison: (Jn 10:11-18)): “I am the Good Shepherd”. Jesus is not simply a shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd. That which reveals who is the Good Shepherd is (1) the reciprocal knowledge between the sheep and the shepherd and (2) to give His life for the sheep.

iii) In what way can the parable of the Good Shepherd take away the blindness and open the eyes of persons? At that time, the image of the shepherd was the symbol of the leader. But not because of the simple fact that someone who took care of sheep can be defined as shepherd. The mercenaries also count and the Pharisees were also leaders. But were they also shepherds? As we shall see, according to the parable, in order to discern who is shepherd and who is a mercenary, it is necessary to pay attention to two things: (a) To the attitude of the sheep before the shepherd guiding them, to see if they recognize his voice. (b) To the attitude of the shepherd before the sheep to see if his interest is the life of the sheep and if he is capable to give his life for them (Jn 10:11-18).

iv) The text of the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday after Easter (Jn 10:11-18) is the last part of the discourse on the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:1-18). This is why we wish to comment on the whole text. We observe closely the diverse images which Jesus uses to present Himself to us as the true and Good Shepherd.

b) Commentary on the text:

i) Jn 10:1-5: First image: the shepherd “enters through the gate”
Jesus begins the discourse with the comparison of the gate: “He who does not enter through the gate, but climbs somewhere else, is a thief, a bandit! Instead, the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep!” To understand this comparison, it is important to remember what follows. At that time, the shepherds took care of the flocks during the day. When night arrived, they took the sheep into a large communitarian place, which was well protected against thieves and wolves. All the shepherds from the same region took their flocks there. There was a guardian who took care of them during the night. On the following day, early in the morning, the shepherd would go, knocked on the gate and the guardian would open. The sheep recognized the voice of their shepherd, got up and got out following him to the pastures. The sheep of the other shepherds heard the voice, but did not move because for them it was an unknown voice. The sheep recognizes the voice of their shepherd. From time to time, there was the danger of bandits. To rob the sheep, the thieves didn't  present themselves to the guardian by the door, but entered by another side or destroyed the wall.

ii) Jn 10:6-10: Second image: He explains what it means “to enter through the gate”: Jesus is the gate.
The Pharisees who were listening to Jesus, (cf. Jn 9:40-41), did not understand the comparison. Then, Jesus explained: “I am the gate of the sheepfold. All those who have come before Me, are thieves and bandits”. About whom is Jesus speaking using these hard words? Probably, he is referring to the religious leaders who drew people behind them, but who did not respond to the hopes of the people. They deceived the people, leaving them worse than before. They were not interested in the good of the people, but rather in their own interests and in their own portfolio. Jesus explains that the fundamental criterion to discern who is the shepherd and who is the bandit is the concern for the life of the sheep. He asks the people not to follow the one who presents himself as a shepherd, but does not desire the life of the people. It is here that Jesus pronounced that phrase which we sing even now: “I have come so that they may have life, and life to the full!” This is the first criterion.

iii) Jn 10:11-16: Third image: he explains what it means “I have come so that they have life, and life to the full” (The text for this fourth Sunday after Easter begins here).

* Jn 10:11: Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep.
Jesus changes the comparison. First, He was the gate of the sheep. Now He says that he is the shepherd of the sheep. And not just any shepherd, but rather: “I am the Good Shepherd!” The image of the good shepherd comes from the Old Testament. Everybody knew what a shepherd was and how he lived and worked. In saying that He is a Good Shepherd, Jesus presents Himself as the one who comes to fulfill the promises of the prophets and the hopes of the people. He insists on two points: (a) the defense of the life of the sheep; the good shepherd gives His life (Jn 10:11.15.17.18), and (b) in the reciprocal understanding between the shepherd and the sheep; the shepherd knows his sheep and they know the shepherd (Jn 10:4.14.16).

* Jn 10:12-13: Jesus defines the attitude of the mercenary who is not a shepherd.
“The mercenary who is not a shepherd”. Looking from outside, the differences between the mercenary and the shepherd are not perceived. Both of them are busy with the sheep. Today there are many persons who take care of other persons in hospitals, in the communities, in the old peoples’ homes, in schools, in public services, in the parishes. Some do this out of love, others, hardly for a salary, in order to survive. These persons are not interested in the other persons. Their attitude is that of a functionary, of a worker earning a salary, of a mercenary. In a moment of danger, they are not interested, because “the sheep are not theirs”, the children are not theirs, the pupils are not theirs, their neighbors are not theirs, the faithful are not theirs, the sick are not theirs, the members of the community are not theirs.
Now, instead of judging the behavior of others, let us place ourselves before our own conscience and let us ask ourselves: “In my relationship with others, am I a mercenary or a shepherd?” Look, Jesus does not condemn you because the worker has a right to his salary (Lk 10:7), but he asks you to take another step forward and to become a shepherd.  

* Jn 10:14-15: Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep.
Two things characterize the Good Shepherd: a) He knows the sheep and is known by them. In the language of Jesus, "to know" is not a question of knowing the name or the face of the person, but to be in relationship with a person as a friend, and with affection. b) to give the life for the sheep. That means to be ready to sacrifice oneself out of love. The sheep feel and perceive when a person defends and protects them. This is valid for all of us: for the parish priests and for those who have some responsibility towards other persons. In order to know if a parish priest is a good shepherd it is not sufficient to be named parish priest and to obey the norms of Canon Law. It is necessary to be recognized as a good shepherd by the sheep. Sometimes this is forgotten in the present day politics of the Church. Jesus says that not only does the shepherd know the sheep, but also the sheep know the shepherd. They have criteria for this. Because if they do not recognize him, even if he is named according to Canon Law, he is not a shepherd according to the Heart of Jesus. Not only the sheep have to obey the one who guides them. Also the one who guides has to be very attentive to the reaction of the sheep to know if he is acting like a shepherd or like a mercenary.

* Jn 10:16: Jesus defines the goal to be attained; only one flock, only one shepherd.
Jesus opens the horizon and says that He has other sheep that are not of this fold. They have not as yet heard the voice of Jesus, but when they will hear it, they will become aware that He is the shepherd and they will follow Him. Who will do this, and when will this happen? This intimates the future inclusion and call to the Gentiles later on. We are the ones, imitating in everything the behavior of Jesus, the Good Shepherd!

* Jn 10:17-18: Jesus and the Father.
In these two last verses Jesus opens Himself and makes us understand something which is in the deepest part of his heart: His relationship with the Father. Here the truth of everything He says in another moment is understood: “I shall no longer call you servants, but I have called you friends because all that I have heard from the Father I have made it known to you” (Jn 15:15). Jesus is for us an open book.

c) Extending the information:

The image of the Shepherd in the Old Testament which is realized in Jesus

i) In Palestine, the survival of the people depended on raising animals: goats and sheep. The image of the shepherd who guides his sheep to the pasture was known by everyone, just like today we know the image of the bus driver. It was normal to use the image of the shepherd to indicate the function of the one who governed and guided the people. The prophets criticized the kings because they were shepherds who were not concerned about their flocks and did not guide them to the pastures (Jr 2:8; 10:21; 23:1-2). This criticism of the bad shepherds increased and reached its summit when the people were deported into exile because of the fault of the king (Ezk 34:1-10; Zc 11:4-17).

ii) In the face of the frustration which they had to suffer because of the way the bad shepherds acted, the desire arose to have God as the shepherd. a desire which is very well expressed in the Psalm: “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want (Ps 23:1-6; Gn 48:15). The prophets hope that in the future, God Himself will come to guide His fold, like a shepherd (Is 40:11; Ezk 34:11-16). And they hope that this time the people will know how to recognize the voice of their shepherd: “Today listen to His voice!” (Ps 95:7). They hope that God will come as a judge who will pronounce judgment among the sheep of the fold (Ezk 34:17). The desire and the hope arise that one day, God and the Messiah will be a Good Shepherd for the People of God (Jr 3:15; 23:4).

iii) Jesus fulfills this hope and presents Himself as the Good Shepherd, different from the bandits who, before Him, had robed the people. He also presents Himself as the judge of the people who, at the end, will issue the sentence as the shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats (Mt 25:31-46). In Jesus, the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled, which says that the good shepherd will be persecuted by the evil shepherds, annoyed by His denunciation: “Strike the shepherd, scatter the sheep!” (Zc 13:7).

iv) At the end of the Gospel of John, the image is extended and Jesus at the end is everything at the same time: gate (Jn 10:7, shepherd (Jn 10:11) lamb and sheep (Jn 1:36)!

A key for the Gospel of John

Everyone perceives the difference that exists between the Gospel of John and the other three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Someone defines it as follows: The other three make a photo, John makes an X-ray. That is, John helps his readers to discover the most profound dimension which exits in what Jesus says and does. He reveals the hidden things that only the X-rays of faith succeed to reveal. John teaches to read the other Gospels with the gaze of faith and to discover their most profound significance. Jesus Himself had already said that He would send the gift of his Spirit in order that we could understand all the fullness of His own word (Jn 14:24-25; 16:12-13). The ancient Fathers of the Church said: the Gospel of John is “spiritual” and “symbolic”.

Some examples: (a) Jesus cures the man born blind (Jn 9:6-7). For John this miracle has a more profound significance. It reveals that Jesus is the light of the World who makes us understand and contemplate the things of God in life (Jn 9:39). (b) Jesus rises Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:43-44) not only to help Lazarus and to console his two sisters, Martha and Mary, but also to reveal that He is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn 11:25-26). (c) Jesus changes water into wine at the wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-13). He does this not only to safeguard the joy of the feast, but above all, to reveal that the new law of the Gospel is like wine compared to the water of the former law. He does it with such great abundance (about 600 liters), precisely to signify that it will not be lacking for anyone, through to today! (d) Jesus multiplies the bread and feeds the hungry (Jn 6:11) not only to satisfy the hunger of those poor people who were with Him in the desert, but also to reveal that He Himself is the bread of life which nourishes all throughout life (Jn 6:34-58). (e) Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman about water (Jn 4:7.10), but He wanted that she would succeed to discover the water of the gift of God which she already had within her (Jn 4:14-14). In one word, it is the Spirit of Jesus that gives life (Jn 6:63). The flesh or only the letter are not enough and can even kill the senses and the life (2 Co 3:6).

6. Prayer: Psalm 23 (22)

Yahweh is my shepherd!

Yahweh is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows He lets me lie.
By tranquil streams He leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits His name.

Even were I to walk in a ravine
as dark as death
I should fear no danger,
for You are at my side.
Your staff and Your crook
are there to soothe me.

You prepare a table
for me under the eyes of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.

Kindness and faithful love pursue me
every day of my life.
I make my home in the house
of Yahweh for all time to come.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus appears to the apostles
Luke 24:35-48

1. Opening prayer

Shaddai, God of the mountain,
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of Your dwelling place,
lead our mind
to strike the rock of the desert,
so that water may gush to quench our thirst.
May our feelings, poor as they are,
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night
and may they open our hearts to hear the echo of silence
until the dawn,
wrapping us in the light of the new morning,
 brings us,
who have kept vigil close to the divine Master,
the flavor of the holy memory.

2. Lectio

i) The text:

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

ii) A moment of silence:

Let us allow the sound of the Word to echo within us.

3) Meditatio

i) A few questions:

a) It happened that along the way, they recognized Him: How many are the occasions of grace along the way of our existence? Do we recognize Him as He breaks the bread at that moment with us in the inn at evening time?
b) Jesus Himself among them. Look and touch: It is really I! Do we touch the lives of each other in a way that acknowledges Him in our neighbor?
c) Startled and frightened,  they supposed they were seeing a ghost: Which God attracts us? Is it the unseen God who is always beyond our little world, or is it God as we see in His Son?
d) In their joy they still disbelieved: Is joy our walking stick on the journey? Is the sense of expectation alive in us, or do we move in the shadow of resigning ourselves to our fate?
e) He opened their minds to understand the scriptures: Are we open to the many depths in scripture and seek to hold each?

ii) A key to the reading:

The idea of a journey in Luke mirrors the theological journey of the intervention of grace in human events. John prepares the way for the Lord who is to come (Lk 1:76) and cries to make straight His ways (Lk 3:4); Mary goes out and hurries towards the mountains (Lk 1:39); Jesus, God's way (Lk 20:21), walks with human beings and marks the way of peace (Lk 1:79) and of life (Acts 2:28), walking the way Himself first by His very existence. After the resurrection He continues the journey together with the disciples (Lk 24:32) and remains the protagonist on the journey of the Church that identifies itself with His journey (Acts 18:25). The whole raison d'être of the Church lies in this journey of salvation (Acts 16:17) that leads to God (Acts 18:2). She is called to live the way and to point it out to all so that everyone may leave his/her way (Acts 14:16) and walk towards the Lord who walks with those who belong to Him.

v. 35. Then, returning from Emmaus, the two disciples explained what had happened on the road and how they had recognized the Lord when He broke the bread. The experience of meeting with Life allows one to go back on one's tracks. This is not the going back of remorse or of regret. It is the going back of one who re-reads his/her own story and knows that s/he will meet God in those events. It is God who comes to meet us and walks beside us on the road, which is often dry and barren, with things unfinished. God reveals Himself through the familiar gestures of an experience long relished. People are called to welcome the new presence of God on their road where God reveals Himself in the basic signs of Christian community life: the Scriptures, read in a Christological light, and the breaking of the bread (Lk 24:1-33). The history of humankind, privileged space for God's action, is the history of salvation that is inherent in all human situations and throughout the centuries in a kind of perennial exodus, full of the newness of the proclamation.

v. 36. While the two were telling them this, suddenly the Lord Himself stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Luke wisely weaves the events in order to give a foundation and continuity to the history of salvation. The seeds proclaimed would flower, and the atmosphere of newness, which blows gently through the pages of these events, forms a basis for the development of a “memoria Dei” that crops up from time to time. Jesus returns to those who belong to Him. He stands in their midst, Himself, complete, as before, even though in a different manner that is now definitive. He manifests Himself in His glorified bodily form to show that the resurrection is something that really happened.

v. 37. Startled and frightened they supposed they were seeing a ghost. The disciples' reaction does not seem to fit in well with the preceding story since they already believed in the resurrection on the word of Peter (24:34). Their confusion, however, does not concern the conviction that Jesus is risen, but concerns the bodily nature of the risen Jesus. Thus there is no contradiction in the narrative. It was necessary for the disciples to experience intensely the bodily reality of the resurrection of Jesus for them to carry out adequately their future mission of witnessing to the good news and of clarifying ideas on the Risen One: they did not think it was Jesus Himself, but supposed they were seeing a ghost.

vv. 38-40. But He said to them: "Why are you alarmed? Why are these doubts coming up in your minds? Look at My hands and My feet, and see that it is I Myself. Touch Me, and you will know, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you can see I have". He said this and showed them His hands and His feet. The Jesus of Luke's Gospel is almost a hero who meets His fate with certainty, and the few shadows there are serve only to underscore and emphasize the fullness of His being. Luke had recalled the humble origins and the genealogy, quite common and devoid of prestigious people, a crowd of obscure people from whom the figure of the Christ sprang. In the turmoil and doubt of the disciples after the resurrection, it is clear that Jesus is not the Savior of the great, but of all, startled and frightened though they may be. He, the protagonist in the journey of the Church, walks the human paths of disbelief in order to heal them with faith and continues to walk in time, showing His hands and feet in the flesh and bones of believers.

vv. 41-42. They still could not believe, they were so full of joy and wonder; so He asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, which He took and ate in their presence. Every invitation to sit at table includes the desire for intimacy; it is a remaining, a sharing. The resurrection does not take away from Jesus the possibility of presenting Himself as the place for sharing. That cooked fish, for years eaten together with His disciples, continues to be a means of communion: a fish cooked in love for each other; a food that does not cease to reassure the hidden hunger of humankind; a common bond with all people.

v. 44. Then He said to them, "These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the psalms had to come true.” The moments of anxiety, of emotion, of tears for the nation (Lk 19:41), the exertion of going up to Jerusalem, the temptations, all these had defined the eternal border between humiliation-hiding and affirmation-glory focused in the various phases of Jesus' human life in the light of the Father's will. Bitterness, obscurity and suffering had nourished the Savior's heart: "I have a baptism to receive, and how distressed I am until it is over!" (Lk 12:50). Now the work of grace is visible because through the working of the Spirit, the eschaton, already accomplished in Christ and in the believer, creates an atmosphere of praise, a climate of joy and deep peace, typical of things accomplished. The parousia will mark the end of the salvific journey, a time of consolation and restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).

v. 45. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. The faith of the apostles in the resurrection is the hermeneutic key for an interpretation of the Scriptures and the basis of the paschal proclamation. The Bible is fulfilled in Christ, in Him it is unified in His prophetic value and in Him it acquires its full meaning. Human beings cannot of themselves understand the Word of God. The presence of the Risen One opens the mind to a full understanding of the mystery hidden in the sacred words concerning human existence.

vv. 45-47. "This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in His name the message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations beginning in Jerusalem." In Luke, salvation touches all of the human dimensions through the working of Christ who saves from evil, who frees from darkness (Acts 26:18) and from sin (Lk 5:20-26; Acts 2:38), from disease and from suffering, from death, from disbelief and from idols; who realizes human life in the community being of God, happy fraternity of love; who does not leave us orphans but is always present with His Spirit from on high (Acts 2:2). The radical salvation of humankind lies in freeing hearts of stone and in receiving a new heart, which implies a dynamism that frees from every form of slavery (Lk 4:16-22). God guides history. It is He who evangelizes and guides the journey of those who belong to Him. The evangelist of great horizons - from Adam to the kingdom, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth - is also the evangelist of every day events. The historical-eschatological process is taking place through which concrete history is accomplished, transcending human history. Jesus goes on offering salvation through His Spirit who creates witnesses capable of prophecy and of spreading salvation until the time when Christ will return (Lk 21:28) and when the complete freedom of humankind will be manifest. In Acts 2:37 we find a resume of the whole iter salutis suggested here: to welcome the word, to be converted, believe, be baptized, obtain forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit, and to live in the way the Lord has commanded. The word of salvation, word of grace, unfurls its power in the heart of one who listens (Lk 8:4-15), and the invocation of the name of the Savior seals salvation in the one converted to the faith. The action of Jesus through the Spirit, made present by the mediation of the Church (Acts 9:3-5), complements the action accomplished through the Church to whom He Himself refers as in the call of Paul (Acts 9:6-18).

v. 48. You are witnesses of these things. The Christian community, called to map the journey of witnessing in human history, proclaims by word and deed the fulfillment of the kingdom of God among human beings and the presence of the Lord Jesus who continues to work as Messiah, Lord and prophet in His Church. The Church will grow and walk in the fear of the Lord, full of the consolation of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). This is a journey of service, meant to echo the Word of salvation to the farthest ends of the earth (Acts 1:1-11). Gradually the journey goes farther away from Jerusalem and goes to the heart of the pagan world. When it reaches Rome, the capital of the empire, Luke will put his signature to his evangelizing steps. No one will be excluded in the process. All are meant to receive salvation, especially sinners, for whose conversion there is great joy in heaven (Lk 15:7.10). Like Mary, who for Luke is the model of the disciple who walks in the Lord, believers are called to be completely transformed in order to live the messianic motherhood, whatever one's own "virginal" state, which is an expression of the poverty of being creature (Lk 1:30-35). The yes of the Magnificat is the way to go. We walk carrying within ourselves the word of salvation; we walk in faith, trusting in God who keeps His promises; we walk in the joy of Him who makes us blessed, not through any merit of ours but in humility of life. May Mary's itinerary be ours: to go, carried by the Spirit, towards our brothers and sisters, taking with us as our only baggage the saving Word: Christ the Lord (Acts 3:6).

iii) Reflection

In His meeting with people, Jesus offered His benevolent presence and waited for the seed of the word and of faith to sprout. When the apostles abandoned Him, when Peter denied Him, when the sinful woman loved Him, when the Pharisees were closed to Him, He was neither scandalized nor perturbed. He knew that what He had said and suggested to them would not be lost…and indeed, after Pentecost these same people go before the Sanhedrin without fear to say that it is necessary to obey God rather human beings. Peter preaches openly, even dying on a cross like his Master. The women are sent as witnesses of the resurrection to the apostles, and a Pharisee son of Pharisees, Paul of Tarsus, becomes the Apostle of the Gentiles.
If you, man or woman, cannot avoid living daily the death of yourself, you must not, however, forget that the resurrection is hidden in your wounds to make you live in Him, even now. In your neighbor, who may be for you a sepulchre of death and mud, a cursed cross, you will find new life. Yes, because the risen Christ will take on the appearance of your neighbor: a gardener, a traveler, a spirit, a person on the shore of a lake…When you can welcome the "challenge” of Pilate that echoes through the centuries and not accept the exchange suggested (Jn 18:39-40) because you will have learned in the nights of forsakenness that you cannot barter your brigand's life with the life of Jesus, then you too will shout like Thomas, the apostle, in the wonder of faith: "My Lord and my God" (Jn 20:28), my God and my all, and the beauty of your joy will never set on the horizon of your day.

4. Oratio

Lord, we seek You and wish to see Your face:
one day when the veil will be removed,
we shall be able to contemplate You.

We seek You in the Scriptures that speak of You:
under the veil of wisdom we welcome the cross, Your gift to all.

We seek You in the radiant faces of our brothers and sisters:
we see You in the marks of Your passion on their suffering bodies.

It is not our eyes, but our heart that sees You:
in the light of hope we hope to meet You and speak to You.

5. Contemplatio

Lord, give us the perseverance to walk towards the summits in the light of the only Word that saves. As blood brother or sister, the Blood that makes us all brothers and sisters, I remain here, near the tomb of every interior death to set out like a traveler on the paths of no feeling and come to the paths of friendship and meeting. Today, I would like to share the wonder of human love, the joy of wonderful people who live near me not on the edge of their existence, but in their open secrets, where their hearts embrace the absolute of God. Thank you for giving me His risen face and for Your heart enamored of Life and kissed by the eternal. Thank you for Your freedom of explorer that immerses itself in the depths of the essential. God of the desert that becomes garden, may I always be a small flame lit in the darkness of human endeavor, a heat that spreads where the cold winds of evil destroy and diminish the horizons of truth and beauty, that tells the world of the wonderful adventure of risen human love, the love that knows how to die in order to incarnate the smile of God. Amen.

The mission of the disciples and
the witness of Thomas the apostle
John 20:19-31

1. Opening prayer

Father, who on the Lord’s day gather Your people to celebrate the One who is the First and the Last, the living One who conquered death, grant us the strength of Your Spirit so that, having broken the chains of evil, calmed our fears and indecisions, we may render the free service of our obedience and love, to reign in glory with Christ.

2. LECTIO

a) A key to the reading

We are in the so-called “book of the resurrection” where we are told, in a not-so-logical sequence, several matters concerning the risen Christ and the facts that prove it. In the fourth Gospel, these facts take place in the morning (20:1-18) and evening of the first day after the Saturday and eight days later, in the same place and on the same day of the week. We are faced with an event that is the most important in the history of humanity, an event that challenges us personally. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless and your believing is useless… and you are still in your sins” (1Cor 15:14,17) says Paul the Apostle, who had not known Jesus before His resurrection, but who zealously preached Him all his life. Jesus is sent by the Father. He also sends us. Our willingness to “go” depends on the depth of the faith we have in the Risen One. Are we prepared to accept His mandate and to give our lives for His Kingdom? This passage is not just about the faith of those who have not seen (the witness of Thomas), but also about the mission entrusted to the Church by Christ.

b) A suggested division of the text to facilitate its reading

20:19-20: appearance to the disciples and showing of the wounds
20:21-23: gift of the Spirit for the mission
20:24-26: special appearance to Thomas eight days later
20:27-29: dialogue with Thomas
20:30-31: the aim of the Gospel according to John

c) The text:

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 nail marks 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.

3. A moment of silence

to allow the Word to enter into our hearts

4. MEDITATIO

a) A few questions to help in our meditation:

Who or what drew my interest and wonder in the reading? Is it possible for someone to profess being Christian and yet not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus? Is the Resurrection even separable from the mission of Jesus? What does the gift of the Spirit for the mission mean to me? How does Jesus’ mission in the world continue after the Resurrection? What is the content of the missionary proclamation? What are, if any, my doubts concerning the faith? How do I meet them and still carry on? Am I able to give reasons for my faith? Through different methods Jesus meets and renews the different disciples, to the point of a physical one-on-one encounter with Thomas. At what point do I believe?

b) Comment:

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week: the disciples are living through an extraordinary day. For the community, at the time of the writing of the fourth Gospel, the day after the Sabbath is already “the Lord’s day” (Rev 1:10), Dies Domini (Sunday), and is more important than the Sabbath was in the tradition of the Jews.

The doors were closed: a detail which shows that the body of the risen Jesus, even though recognizable, is not subject to the ordinary laws of human life.

Peace be with you: this is not just a wish, but the actual peace promised to them when they were saddened by His departure (Jn 14:27; 2Thess 3:16; Rom 5:3), the messianic peace, the fulfillment of the promises made by God, freedom from all fear, victory over sin and death, reconciliation with God, fruit of His passion, free gift of God. This peace is repeated three times in this passage as well as in the introduction (20:19) further on (20:26) in the exact same way.

He showed them His hands and His side: Jesus provides evident and tangible proof that He is the one who was crucified. Only John records the detail of the wound in the side caused by the spear of a Roman soldier, whereas Luke mentions the wounds of the feet (Lk 24:39). In showing His wounds, Jesus wants to say that the peace He gives comes from the cross (2Tim 2:1-13). They are part of His identity as the risen One (Rev 5:6).

The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord: This is the same joy expressed by the prophet Isaiah when he describes the divine banquet (Is 25:8-9), the eschatological joy foreshadowed in the farewell discourse and that no one can take away (Jn 16:22; 20:27). Cf also Lk 24:39-40; Mt 28:8; Lk 24:41.

As the Father sent Me, so am I sending you: Jesus is the first missionary, “the apostle and high priest of the faith we profess” (Rev 3:1). After the experience of the cross and the resurrection, Jesus’ prayer to the Father comes true (Jn 13:20; 17:18; 21:15, 17). This is not a new mission, but the mission of Jesus extended to those who are His disciples, bound to Him as branches are bound to the vine (15:9), so also they are bound to His Church (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-18; Lk 24:47-49). The eternal Son of God was sent so that “the world might be saved through Him” (Jn 3:17) and the whole of His earthly existence, fully identified with the saving will of the Father, is a constant manifestation of that divine will that all may be saved. He leaves as an inheritance to the whole Church this historical plan, especially to ordained successors to those apostles within the Church.

He breathed on them: this action recalling the life-giving breath of God on man (Gen 2:7), does not occur anywhere else in the New Testament. It marks the beginning of a new creation.

Receive the Holy Spirit: after Jesus was glorified, the Holy Spirit was bestowed (Jn 7:39). Here the Spirit is transmitted for a special mission, whereas at Pentecost (Acts 2) the Holy Spirit comes down on the whole people of God.

For those whose sins you forgive they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained: we find the power to forgive or not forgive sins also in Matthew in a more juridical form (Mt 16:19; 18:18). According to the Scribes and Pharisees (Mk 2:7), and according to tradition (Is 43:25), God has the power to forgive sins. Jesus gives this power (Lk 5:24) and passes it on to His Church. In our meditation, it is better not to dwell on this text’s theological development in church tradition and the consequent theological controversies. In the fourth Gospel the expression may be taken in a wide sense. Here it is a matter of the power of forgiving sins in the Church as salvation community and those especially endowed with this power are those who share in the apostolic charism by succession and mission. In this general power is included the power to forgive sins also after baptism, what we call “the sacrament of reconciliation” expressed in various forms throughout the history of the Church.

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve: Thomas is one of the main characters of the fourth Gospel and his doubting character, easily discouraged, is emphasized (11:16; 14:5). “One of the twelve” is by now a stereotyped expression (6:71), because in fact they were only eleven. “Didimus” means “the Twin”, and we could be his “twin” through our difficulty in believing in Jesus, Son of God, who died and rose again.

We have seen the Lord! When Andrew, John and Philip had found the Messiah, they had already run to announce the news to others (Jn 1:41-45). Now there is the official proclamation by eye-witnesses (Jn 20:18).

Unless I see the holes that the nails made in His hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe: Thomas cannot believe the eye-witnesses. He wants to experience the event himself. The fourth Gospel is aware of the difficulty that some may have in believing in the Resurrection (Lk 24:34-40; Mk 16:11; 1Cor 15:5-8), especially those who have not seen the risen One. Thomas is their (and our) interpreter. He is willing to believe, but he wants to personally resolve any doubt, for fear of being wrong. Jesus does not see in Thomas an indifferent skeptic, but a man in search of truth and satisfies him fully. This is, however, an occasion to express an appreciation of future believers (verse 29).

Put your finger here, look, here are My hands. Give me your hand; put it into My side. Doubt no longer but believe! Jesus repeats Thomas’ words and enters into a dialogue with him. He understands Thomas’ doubts and wishes to help him. Jesus knows that Thomas loves Him and therefore has compassion for him because Thomas does not yet enjoy the peace that comes from faith. Jesus helps him to grow in faith. In order to enter deeper into this theme, see the parallels in  1Jn 1-2; Ps 78:38, 103:13-14; Rom 5:20; 1Tim 1:14-16.

My Lord and my God! This is a profession of faith in the risen One and in His divinity as is also proclaimed in the beginning of John’s Gospel (1:1). In the Old Testament “Lord” and “God” correspond respectively to “Yahweh” and “Elohim” (Ps 35:23-24; Rev 4:11). It is the fullest and most direct paschal profession of faith in the divinity of Jesus. In Jewish circles these terms had greater value because they applied to Jesus texts concerning God. Jesus does not correct Thomas’ words as He corrected the words of the Jews who accused Him of wanting to be “equal to God” (Jn 5:18ff) thus approving the acknowledgement of His divinity.

You believe because you can see Me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe! Jesus cannot stand those who look for signs and miracles in order to believe (Jn 4:48) and He seems to take Thomas to task. Here we must remember another passage concerning a more authentic faith, a “way of perfection” towards a faith to which we must aspire without the demands of Thomas, a faith received as gift and as an act of trust, like the exemplary faith of our ancestors (Rev 11) and of Mary (Lk 1:45). Two thousand years after the coming of Jesus, we are told that, although we have not seen Him, yet we can love Him and believing in Him, we can exult with “an indescribable and glorious joy” (1 Pet 1:8).

These (signs) are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through His name. The fourth Gospel, like the other Gospels, does not mean to write a complete biography of Jesus, but only to show that Jesus was the Christ, the awaited Messiah, the Liberator, and that He was the Son of God. Believing in Him means that we possess eternal life. If Jesus is not God, then our faith is in vain!

5. ORATIO

Psalm 118 (117)

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech Thee, O Lord!

O Lord, we beseech Thee, give us success!

6. CONTEMPLATIO

Closing prayer

I thank You Jesus, my Lord and my God, that You have loved me and called me, made me worthy to be Your disciple, that You have given me the Spirit, the One sent to proclaim and witness to Your resurrection, to the mercy of the Father, to salvation and pardon for all men and women in the world. You truly are the Way, the Truth and the Life, the dawn without a setting, the sun of justice and peace. Grant that I may dwell in Your love, bound to You like a branch to its vine. Grant me Your peace so that I may overcome my weaknesses, face my doubts and respond to Your call and live fully the mission You entrusted to me, praising you forever. You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.