WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE GOSPELS

EACH SUNDAY WE HAVE WONDERFUL READINGS, BUT BEING HUMAN, HAVE YOU ANY FAVOURITE ONES? IF YOU HAVE, WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL TO YOU.

The suggestion is that you write them down and then find more. As an example, what about: (John 20:19-31)
In YEAR A, the Second Sunday of Easter, this Gospel is relatively small, but in it there are some great happenings instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ, such as:

  1. Suddenly miraculous appearance to the disciples in a locked room.
  2. Showing the disciples that he truly loves them.
  3. Beginning the work of the church.
  4. Providing mankind with the knowledge of when an individual’s sins have been forgiven.
  5. Yet another proof of the existence of the Holy Spirit.
  6. Proving beyond doubt that Jesus is the Son of God.
  7. Illustrating the importance and wonder of Faith.
  8. Poof that God is eternal.

IT IS TRULY A REMARKABLE READING.

Now let’s take in turn, each of the items mentioned above’

No.1 The disciples had locked themselves in a secret room with windows and doors barred for fear of the Jews. Suddenly Jesus appears among them and they were filled with joy. HOW? Here’s something that’s hardly mentioned as a miracle. It’s a great one too as he’d only been killed and put in a tomb a few days earlier.

No.2 When Jesus was being whipped, abused and finally crucified, where were his disciples? When Jesus appeared among them, he didn’t admonish them asking, “Where were you?”, he said “PEACE BE WITH YOU.” Total forgiveness. This was a great and very important lesson, showing them that if he could forgive them, for what could be called their betrayal of him, they should never even think of not forgiving anyone.

No. 3 After witnessing their joy at seeing Jesus alive and well, and saying ‘peace be with you’ he said: ‘As the Father sent me, So am I sending you’. Jesus was instructing them to begin the start of Christianity.

No.4 Immediately after saying ‘As the Father sent…….’, he went on to
say:

Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive
They are forgiven
For those whose sins you retain
They are retained

Here was the sacrament of Reconciliation being introduced. It meant that anyone going to this sacrament honestly, would have their sins forgiven. It’s the only way we have of knowing for sure that our sins have been forgiven. What a great gift from God.

No. 5 In No.3 and 4 above, Jesus starts with the words ‘As the Father sent me….’ And ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. What more proof do we need for the existence of THE HOLY TRINITY.

No. 6 Showing the disciples the holes in his hands and feet made by the nails during his crucifixion, and the hole in his side made by a Roman soldier’s spear thrust at the same time, was undeniable proof that he’d risen from the dead. He was the Son of God. Even doubting Thomas said ‘My Lord and my God’.

No. 7 Christ said to Thomas,

‘you believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who cannot see and yet believe’.

Jesus was illustrating the wonder and power of Faith of the millions of people who would never be able to see what Thomas and the other disciples witnessed.

No. 8 Here was the final proof to all the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead

If Jesus, who is part of the Holy Trinity can die and then come back alive once, he can do it again and again and again for all time. This proves beyond any doubt that God is eternal.

THERE ARE READINGS READ OUT ON SUNDAYS SPREAD OVER THREE YEARS. HAVE YOU ANY FAVOURITES, LIKE THE ABOVE EXAMPLE WHICH CONTAINS HAPPENNINGS IMPORTANT TO YOU. WRITE THEM DOWN EXPLAINING WHY. THE MORE YOU FIND, THE MORE YOU WILL APPRECIATE THE MESSAGES IN THE READINGS.

Try this one:

ANOTHER READING THAT PEOPLE ENJOY IS THE FIRST READING IN YEAR A ON 33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. IT’S A DEFINITION OF A WIFE.