No mansilibra tayo na masanton misa, maniibaan tayo diad panamegley na kiwawala tayon balang sinansakey. Say pikakasakey tayon manpikasi so sakey ya pakaneng-nengan na pananisia tayo.  Sayan pananisia so mangiiter na pikakasakey tayo ed arum. No manisia tayo, kaiba tayo ray arum. Agtayo  manbukbukor ya manisia.

Balet, say pananisia na komunidad so ag nisalat ed personal ya pananisia. Anggapo so naigangan tayon manisia para sikatayo! Kanian si Tomas ed say ibanghilyo so makapangibaga labat na, “Dios tan Katawan ko”; aliwan si Pedro o si Andres so angibaga para sikato.

Nangelan tayo ed say Ibanghilyo natan so kipapasen na saray disipulo nen Kristo kasumpal na impatey to. Sikara so walad dalem ya sakey ya akakapot ya kuarto. Sikara so onaamot  lapud takot tan kaguloan na karaklan. Kanian, diad ilalo ra, dimad saman ya akakapot ya kuarto, naalmo ra so kareenan tan kilalaban da. Anggaman antoy gawaen da balet, say kiwawala nen Kristo so ag da naekal ed kapegleyan da.  Si Kristo so nanpaneng-neng ed sikara. “Kareenan”, so onaan ya inbano to. Say ebat da et liket!

Say sakey ed sikara balet – si Tomas – so anggapod man nen nanpaneng-neng si Jesus.  Kanian, nen sinmabi, anggaman imbaga la na saray kakaiba to ya si Jesus et aneng-neng da, sikato so ag manisia. Agto manisia ed say nangelan to ya ibabaga na say arum. Walad sikato so panlapuay pananisia.

Anggaman ontan et si Tomas so kaiba na say grupo, sikato met balet so niduma. Walay inkasikato. Para si Tomas, say importante et anto so panisian to; aliwan say ibabaga  na grupon kaiba to. Para si Tomas, say pananisia to so sakey ya awaten tan pabulasalasen a manlapud inkasikato.

Say Kerew na Pananisia

Tua, anggapo so naibaki tayon manisia para sikatayo. Dakerakel ingen ed sikatayo so manisia ed anggan anto, lapud satan ya pananisia et angapoy  kakanaan para sikara. Lapud, anggapoy kakanaan so pananisia ra, angapo met so talus to; angapoy ibulaslas to; anggapoy lamot to. Balet, mabet-bet tayon narengel: sikato ya so pananisia ya tinawir mi ed saray ateng, tan lalaki mi.Balet, no tepeten tayo no antoy panisian da, anggapoy ebat da. No onsabi irap tan gonigon, sayan pananisia so mainumay ya ompatey tan naerep. Akin? Ag linmamot, lapud ag inako na sakey a manisia.

Say tepet: kapigan da met kasi naibaga so singa imbaga ne nTomas? Kapigan met kasi da naibelyaw so “Dios tan Katawan ko”, ya manlapud otel na pananisia ran dili; aliwan lapud ibabagay arum? Kapigan tayo met kasi naibaga ya a manlapud sikatayon dili: "Katawan tan Dios ko!"

Say pananisia so sakey ya grasya ya manlapud say Dios. Sikato ya so nanlapud Ispirito Santo. Sakey yan mabilay. Kanian nakaukolan ya pabolaslasen, bayuboen, aroen tan pakanaen.

Say pananisia pian nabilay, nakaukolan toy talek. Inkuan na Katawan ed si Tomas, tan para sikatayo met iya: “Maliket iray anisia, anggaman agda aneng-neng so Katawan”. Tua, diad pisikal na mata, ag da aneng-neng so Katawan, balet diad matay pananisia, malinlinew so inkiwala na Katawan ed sikara. Manderewa tayo lapud ag natumbok so labay tayon nasumpal; lapud ag tayo natalusan so nagagawa ed sikatayo. Balet, naliwawaan tayo no onsabi so pananisia ya apanoy talek tan ilalo. Say talek tayo ed say panangaro na Katawan ed amin; say ilalo tayo ag itayo paulyan na Katawan ed sarayan ey-ey ya mangogonigon ed sikatayo!

Sikato ya so tuan pananisia. Nepeg tayo sirin ya ipikasi, nunoten, tan ibilay iya.

Cycle B - 2nd Sunday of Easter

1st Reading - Acts 4:32-35

During the Easter season there are no readings from the Old Testament (other than the responsorial
psalm). It is during this season that we read from the Acts of the Apostles and learn how the early
Christian Church conducted itself. To place today's reading into its proper context, we need to look
back to Acts 2 where Peter addresses the crowd on that first Pentecost as he quotes from the prophet
Joel: "17 'It will come to pass in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, 21 and it shall be that
everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.' 22 You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst,  as you yourselves know. 23 This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. 24 But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it." (Acts 2:17-24). "40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.'" (Acts 2:40). Recall that Jesus had said "Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place" (Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32).

"42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking
of the bread and to the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done
through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would
sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. 46 Every
day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their
homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and enjoying favor
with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." (Acts
2:42-47).

32 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.

One of the marks of the Church is unity, not only in outward appearance but in belief as well. This has
manifested itself here in joyful, self-sacrificing charity. This doesn't mean that individuals didn't own
anything, it just means that they joyfully shared what they had.

33 With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.

Again, part of Peter's address to the crowd on that first Christian Pentecost (Acts 2:24).

34 There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would
sell them,

Again, the prophecy of Joel and Jesus' words are brought to mind. At this point in time, the entire
Church is in Jerusalem - which is doomed to destruction because of the infidelity of the Chosen People
of the Old Covenant. They, like all smart investors, sell their property in anticipation of the destruction
and chaos which surely will come (and did come in A.D. 70).

bring the proceeds of the sale, 35 and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were
distributed to each according to need.

They did not presume to give their possession ostentatiously, but humbly give it to the Apostles to
dispense as they see the need. By the time A.D. 70 came around, they had all apparently evacuated
the city and resettled in the village of Pella in the mountains across the Jordan as there is no record of
even one Christian perishing; although over a million Jews died in the siege of Jerusalem.

2nd Reading - 1 John 5:1-6

This first letter of John is believed to have been written from Ephesus toward the end of the first century (A.D. 67). In essence the letter deals with the love of God and of the brethren which are the hallmark of the Christian. Saint Jerome tells us that when John was a very old man his only message was, "little children, love one another." When his disciples asked him why he was always saying the same thing
he always answered "My children, this is what the Lord commands; if we do this, nothing else is
necessary."

5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

This is covenant imagery. If He is begotten, He is one of His own kind, from the same father. If you
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one, your older brother, then you are also part of God's
family.

and everyone who loves the father loves (also) the one begotten by him. 2 In this way we
know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. 3
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.

The sign of love is obedience to the commandments. If you truly love someone, you do what pleases
them.

And his commandments are not burdensome,

When something is done out of love - rather than obligation - it is not a burden but a pleasure.

4 for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world
is our faith.

The Christian is possessed of the power to overcome all hostile forces that would prevent his
obedience to God's commandments.

5 Who (indeed) is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God?

The acceptance of Jesus in His true character (as Son of God) is the source of the power which the
Christian possesses.

6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by
water and blood.

He was proclaimed "Son of God" at the beginning of His public ministry in the baptism of John (Mark
1:11) and He accomplished His mission by His bloody sacrifice on the altar of the cross. Only through
His sacrifice did Jesus become our savior.

The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.

The Spirit was present at Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:10; John 1:32-34) and continues to witness to the
work achieved through Christ by His presence in the Church (John 14:17).

The two verses which immediately follow today's second reading are known as the "Johannine
Comma": "So there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one
accord" (the King James Version says "the father, the word, and the Holy Ghost"). The Johannine
Comma does not appear in Latin manuscripts of the New Testament prior to A.D. 800, and appears in
only four Greek manuscripts, but these were late translations from the Latin. It is thought to have been
a marginal note (a gloss) which was mistakenly included in later texts. John 19:30-34 says that Jesus
gave up spirit (pneuma), blood and water.

Gospel - John 20:19-31

Saint John writes from the point of view of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. He seeks to
strengthen the faith of the early Church. In his account of the resurrected Lord, he shows how the
necessary tools to continue His work were passed on.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week,

The first Easter Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. John wants to make it clear that this is the
apostles' first encounter with the risen Christ. Every resurrection account which is dated in the New
Testament occurs on a Sunday.

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,

After what had happened to Jesus, they feared for their own lives.

Jesus came and stood in their midst

Through the locked doors. This emphasizes the spiritual qualities of the resurrected body of Christ.

and said to them, "Peace be with you."

Shalom.

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced
when they saw the Lord.

Luke 24:39-40 mentions "hands and feet," based on Psalm 22:17. This demonstrates that the Risen
One is the Crucified One. This answers the question of "Where have they put him ?" (John 20:2).

21 (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you.

Shalom. This is also a promised gift in John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."

As the Father has sent me,

Jesus was sent by the Father to reconcile people with God and had the authority to forgive sins.

so I send you."

With the full authority of God. When you hear the bishop teaching, you hear God speaking.

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them

The Baltimore Catechism defines a sacrament as "An outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.
This is an outward sign which is instituted by Jesus. In Genesis 1:2 and 2:7 God breathes order and
life into His creation. This is what Jesus is doing here. In Acts 2:2 God energizes His Church.

and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.

Grace. This makes John 20:22 a sacrament in one verse.

23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

This is the power given to the Church to continue the judicial character of Christ in the matter of sin.
This is the origin of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, though it is equally true that the Church's power
over sin is also exercised in baptism and the preaching of the redemptive word. Notice that the
apostles were not given the charism of clairvoyance - they must hear the sins if they are to know which
to forgive and which to hold bound. This is the origin of auricular confession.

24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,

The designation "The Twelve" remains even though one of them had defected.

was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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 nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Doubting Thomas. How many do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because it
fails the "duck test?"

26 Now a week later

Again on a Sunday.

his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors
were locked,

Christ appears under the same circumstances as before.

and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27 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."

Again, a repeat of his previous appearance. Here, and in verse 20 is the only explicit evidence from the
Bible that Jesus was nailed rather than tied to the cross. Luke 24:39 implies that His feet were also
nailed.

28 Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Whether Thomas actually took Jesus up on His offer to probe the wounds is not stated but his
response is the most complete affirmation of Christ's nature to be found on the lips of anyone in the
gospel. The combination of "Lord" and "God" is found in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) to
translate the name of the God of Israel; it was also a combination used as a divine designation in the
Greek world.

29 Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are
those who have not seen and have believed."

This blessing insists that all those Christians who have believed without physically seeing have a faith
which is in no way different from that of the first disciples. Their faith is grounded in the presence of the Lord through the indwelling of the Spirit.

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in
this book.

Other than appearing in a room with locked doors, there are no "signs" in this reading. This has led
some commentators to suggest that this verse was originally the conclusion to the collection of
miracles used by the evangelist. In that context Jesus' resurrection would have been understood as the
final "sign" of His relationship with the Father.

31 But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of
God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

This final verse summarizes the purpose of the gospel as having faith in Jesus as the Messiah and
Son of God as the source of eternal life. As Jesus said in John 6:29 "The work of God is this: to
believe in the one He has sent." If you trust in God and not yourself, then you will "do whatever He
tells you" - no matter how bizarre it may seem: "You must eat my flesh and drink my blood."