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.”

John 20: 19-23

Here are the complete readings for Sunday, April 27, 2025.

(“Doubting Thomas” by Caravaggio)

Pope Francis was always a fan of the artist Caravaggio, whose work is shown above. The artist was a master of the technique known as tenebroso, in which he created an extreme contrast between dark and light in his paintings. The overall picture is heavy with darkness, but then the light forcefully pierces it. It is too powerful to be contained. Sometimes a miracle like the agape or self-giving love of God is so inexorable that nothing can stop it, including our fears and doubts. Sometimes we may experience that miracle in dramatic fashion, like Thomas as depicted by Caravaggio. Other times, we are blessed to encounter that light in the ordinary events of a hectic day. The awareness to not only experience the moment, but to then turn towards it and not away, is a gift that can only be described as grace.

 Foster an attitude of openness
to the needs of the Church and your world,
and a willingness to follow Christ
wherever He leads.
You are called
to a life of constant searching.
Let the developments and changes
of your times
be a source both of confidence and challenge to you.
For as your Founder wrote:
The Holy Spirit
does not let Himself be bound
by rules and models
but works where and as He wills.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, you do not judge us as unworthy when we do not believe. You are patient and give us unexpected graces that crack open our hearts of stone and strengthen our feet of clay. You show us that the way to belief is to accept who we truly are, which is that we are loved and created to love others unconditionally.

Amen

(Detail of “St. Peter Healing With His Shadow” by Masaccio)