Family Bible Study - Divine Mercy Sunday

Gospel Passage
John 20:19 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." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his
hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus
said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send
you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called
the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him,
"We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of
the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side,
I will not believe." 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and
Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them,
and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and
see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but
believing." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him,
"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet believe." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples,
which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Questions for discussion -
1. One of the first things Jesus did after rising from the dead was to breathe on the
Apostles and give them the power to forgive sins. This is what priests do in the
sacrament of Reconciliation. If this is one of the first things Jesus did after rising from the dead, how important do you think it is to Him?

2. Jesus said to the Apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” How could they know which sins to retain and which to forgive unless somebody told them in confession? (Do you see why we have to tell the priest our sins?)

3. Jesus said to “doubting” Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
believe.” We have not seen Jesus rise from the dead with our own eyes. How can we be
blessed too?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry