Gospel: John 20:19-31:  When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Temple authorities, Jesus came and stood among the disciples and said, “Peace be with you.”  After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  Then 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.”  When Jesus 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 them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.”  But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in Jesus’s hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later Jesus’s disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.  Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”  Thomas answered Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.