John 20:19-23

Lectio (Reading)

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.”

Meditatio (Reflecting)

Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.

Oratio (Responding)

This reading is John’s version of the first meeting of Jesus with the full group of the disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But it is also, at the same time considered by many scholars to be John’s version of the giving of the Holy Spirit that we celebrate at Pentecost.

The breathing on the disciples evokes the image of the creation of the world in Genesis, where God breaths His breath (Rhua) out onto the world and creates the heaven and the earth. It is also evokes the creation of Jesus’ new church and the establishment of these disciples as the His representatives. As such, these words now become some of the most important words ever spoken by Jesus. With these words he created the first bishops, and by proxy all of the priesthood. And as a consequence all posterity has had access to the all of the sacraments because of this gift.

While these words of binding and loosing are the same that Jesus said to Peter when he was made him Pope and leader of the church, these disciples would now get the same commission to bind and loose, and would thus take on the role of priests and bishops that would oversee the spreading of God’s word out into the whole world. This is an incredibly important moment, because the priesthood is what gives us access, not only to the eucharist and confirmation, but specifically with these words, Jesus instantiated the sacrament of confession, giving us the way for us to renew our baptism, find forgiveness for our sins, and to come back into right relationship with the lord.

Besides baptism and Jesus’ unbelievable sacrifice on the cross which represents the greatest gift of forgiveness every bestowed on anyone…, it is through the anointing of the first bishops, and through the priesthood we attain access to all of the sacraments and to His ongoing forgiveness of our sins in the sacrament of confession and holy Eucharist. We truly don’t deserve this love and grace from the Lord, it is a pure gift, and so that is why this gift is all the more amazing.

Contemplatio (Contemplating)

Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.

Resolutio (Resolving)