The Gospel of John 20:19-23 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then 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.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Acts 2:1-21 When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: `In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ” I included Acts 2:1-21 as it is a detailed story of the Day of Pentecost.
Let us Pray: Mighty God, when we are gathered together in hope and in faith, we ask you to minister to our needs. Send the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle in them the fire of your love. This we pray in the Name of the Fater, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. On the evening of His Resurrection this Gospel reading shows the Apostles in the midst of uncertainty and fear. They know something is going on and they have reports of Jesus’ return but were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Their world has collapsed. Their hopes seem shattered. They are unsure, ashamed, and directionless. Then, Jesus appears amidst them and tells them: “Peace be with you.” Can you visualize this scene and the apostle’s reaction. They were already in a difficult emotional state, and this must have exacerbated it. There had to be unrest, confusion, and uncertainty as to what had really happened. The doors are locked and Jesus appears directly among them. He stands with them and again says: “Peace be with you.” There were a lot of things on their minds, but peace was not one of them. The phrase “Peace be with you” is a blessing rooted in both Jewish and Christian traditions, Within this one line of Scripture, you see Jesus’ true heart and his love for the disciples. He knew they were afraid and he gave them peace. So many times, in life we are like the disciples, locked in a room because we are afraid. There are countless situations in life that have the potential to produce fear in your heart. When you are afraid, you do what the disciples did, you lock everything down. Yet Jesus, knowing how you feel, can show up to give you peace in your situation. In fact, he encourages it. When you are faced with life’s anxieties, worries, and cares, Jesus wants to show up to address those anxieties and give you peace. He desires to instill peace over your life. The reason ‘peace be with you’ is more than a platitude is because it transcends the circumstance and settles those out-of-control emotions raging inside of you. We all have those moments like the disciples did in that upper room. Jesus does not simply comfort them; he commissions them. With these words: As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The Father sent Jesus into the world with love, mercy, and truth. Now Jesus sends his disciples in the same way as He sends us, into the world with love, mercy, and truth. If we are His true disciples. This means the Church’s mission is not self‑invented. It is a continuation of Jesus’ own mission, to heal, to reconcile, to liberate, to forgive, to embody God’s love.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, Son of the Father, enter the locked rooms of my heart with your peace. Breathe your Spirit into my fear, your courage into my hesitation, your mercy into my relationships. Send me as you were sent— to heal, to forgive, to love, and to bear witness to the power of your resurrection. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 