John 20:19-23
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And 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; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Homily:
Just after wishing peace on his disciples, Jesus shows them a symbol of the violence he endured and yielded to – his hands and his side.
Nothing bonds people more than shared pain.
For the next phase of the gospel, he needed a united team that ran on internal peace, considering the violence they were going to face in the external world.
Peace be with you. May your symbols of pain become a source harmony and joy.