This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Other bolded hyperlinks will take to collections of or meditations on other scriptures related to the principles underlying today’s readings.
Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. They are provided beneath the reading they relate to.
Excerpts collected in yellow at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do.
Reading I
The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118:1, 2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Reading II
Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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 nailmarks 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.
Peace = εἰρήνη = eirēnē
harmonious relationships between men; friendliness; the sense of rest and contentment; The corresponding Heb. word shalom primarily signifies "wholeness";quietness; harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity; quietness, rest;way leading to peace, a course of life promoting harmony; a formula of wishing well, blessing, addressed by the Hebrews to departing friends
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
profound peace
sent = ἀποστέλλω = apostellō
To send forth; to send on service, or with a commission; to order (one) to go to a place appointed; to say through a messenger
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
dispatch, on some mission or service
send = πέμπω= pempō
to bid a thing to be carried to one;thrust or insert a thing into another; to dispatch; to transmit, bestow, or wield
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
send one on a journey; discharge, shoot; send forth, utter; conduct, escort; convey, carry; take part in; produce; send in one's own service or cause
receive = λαμβάνω =lambanō
Accept; to take; obtain; lay hold of; to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it; to take up a thing to be carried; to take in order to carry away; to claim, procure, for one's self; to associate with one's self as companion, attendant; of that which when taken is not let go, to seize, to lay hold of, apprehend; to take by craft (our catch, used of hunters, fisherman, etc.); to take to one's self, lay hold upon, take possession of, i.e. to appropriate to one's self; catch at, reach after, strive to obtain; to take a thing due, to collect, gather (tribute); to admit, receive; to receive what is offered; not to refuse or reject; to receive a person, give him access to one's self; to regard any one's power, rank, external circumstances; to take, to choose, select; to take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience; to gain, get, obtain, to get back; take in order to wear, put on; to take in the mouth; to take with one for future use; not to refuse or reject one, in order to obey him;to admit or receive into the mind; to believe the testimony
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
The word has two main senses, one (more active) take; the other (more passive) receive; take hold of, grasp, seize; take by violence, carry off as prize or booty, exact; occupy, posses;catch, overtake; find, come upon; apprehend by the senses;apprehend with the mind, understand; take in hand, undertake; take in, hold; have given one, get, receive; receive hospitably; receive in marriage; receive as produce, profit; admit of; admit, initiate;seize and keep hold of, obtain possession of
believe = πιστεύω = pisteuō
to be persuaded of," and hence, "to place confidence in, to trust," signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence; to entrust, commit to; to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; to credit; the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul; mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith; put in trust with; a conviction, full of joyful trust ...conjoined with obedience; to have a faith directed unto, believing or in faith to give oneself up to
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
trust, put faith in, rely on; entertain a confident opinion; comply; believe that, feel confident that a thing is, will be, has been; have faith; entrust
believe= πιστός = pistos
believing, trusting; faithful, sure; trusty, faithful; persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties; trustworthy; worthy of trust; that can, be relied on; believing, confiding, trusting
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
to be trusted or believed; of persons, faithful, trusty; trustworthy, worthy of credit; genuine; sure; deserving belief, credible; obedient, loyal; faithful, believing; with good faith; persuasively, credibly, demonstrably; with disposition to believe
life = ζωή = zōē
Life, Living, Lifetime, Life-Giving; the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate; life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
living, i.e. one's substance
What these readings tell us about God/His ways:
The community of believers was of one heart and mind
With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
he is good, his love is everlasting.
His mercy endures forever
His mercy endures forever
His mercy endures forever
he is good, his love is everlasting
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD
he has been my savior
The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just
he is good, his love is everlasting.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done
he is good, his love is everlasting
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God
we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments
the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments
And his commandments are not burdensome
whoever is begotten by God conquers the world
the victory that conquers the world is our faith
the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood
The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth
Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear ... Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
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”
he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you”
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”
My Lord and my God!
Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written
through this belief you may have life in his name
What these readings tell us to do:
The community of believers was of one heart and mind
Give thanks to the Lord
Give thanks to the Lord
Give thanks to the Lord
let us be glad and rejoice
Give thanks to the Lord
believe[] that Jesus is the Christ
love the children of God
love God and obey his commandments
keep his commandments
believe[] that Jesus is the Son of God
believe!
“Peace be with you”
“Receive the Holy Spirit”
“Peace be with you”
do not be unbelieving, but believe
come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
through this belief ... have life in his name
