Manger with shadow of cross,
Photograph by Gino Santa Maria,
Photographed on 23 March 2010,
Digital photo
© Alamy Stock Photo / Gino’s Premium Images/ Alamy Stock Photo
The doors were closed for fear
John 20:19-31
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’
After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’
Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘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.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:
‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These 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.
Reflection on the Digital Art Photograph
In today’s Gospel reading we hear how the disciples were full of fears. They were fearful that what happened to Jesus might happen to them as well. The shadow of Golgotha was hanging over them!
From the day we are born the shadow of the cross casts a shadow over our lives. Our digital art photograph illustrates this poignantly. It is up to us to decide how much we let the cross of Jesus Christ affect our lives. If we are aware of it, it will affect us in a positive way (the way we relate to others, the way we look upon riches, upon poverty, upon injustice, etc…). The cross of Christ should dominate every area of our lives. We are to live a cross-centered life.
This of course doesn’t mean that we should walk through life sad and downbeat. On the contrary, to live our lives steeped in an awareness of the cross will give us great joy. The cross will give us compassion, understanding, love, hope, care, forgiveness, and a drive for justice, peace and love of our neighbour. To embrace our cross is to embrace love and mercy.
Today also is Divine Mercy Sunday. Mercy is the result of putting all our hope and trust in Christ. When we are not fearful and embrace our cross, we will receive so much mercy…mercy which we then have to share with others.
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Great reflection today Patrick. Thanks. It’s through The Word that we “have not seen and yet believe” Thanks be to God.
Are those swaddling clothes? Sadly I am off on holiday for a while so the Christian Art community will be deprived of my ‘apercus’ !!!!
Sadly Charles you will have to leave the comments to the rest of us.
Wherever you go, enjoy Charles. He’ll go with you ?
He certainly will Patricia. He never fail us or forsake us.
Thank you for that reassurance Patricia. This email goes out to lots of people but not many leave comments. I wonder why?