In prayer we relate to God with the intimate friendship described by Jesus. We come to prayer with all the confidence that good friends bring to a relationship.
The story about Saul and the Jerusalem community reminds us how important it is to affirm one another within our contemporary parish settings. We must welcome and integrate those who are new to the community.
Jesus reassures the disciples that he is the one they knew before the crucifixion. He’s not a ghost; he is truly alive. And he shares a meal with his friends to prove it.
It’s natural for Thomas to want concrete evidence of the Resurrection. When our individual faith wavers, we can gain strength from the Holy Spirit at work in the midst of a community of faith.
Our faith rests on the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection. We base everything on the truth of the story. But we must call upon the Holy Spirit who is present to the Church to assist us with that faith.
The Ten Commandments--what one Scripture scholar calls the “Bill of God’s Rights in the covenant”--spell out the responsibilities of God’s people--their part of the covenant agreement.
