“Every genuine inspiration, however, contains some tremor of that “breath” with which the Creator Spirit suffused the work of creation from the very beginning. Overseeing the mysterious laws governing the universe, the divine breath of the Creator Spirit reaches out to human genius and stirs its creative power.”
Letter to Artists, 15
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 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.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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 nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
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.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
Receiving Beauty | Humility
Reflection by Tara Wright
Receiving beauty means to be open to God’s transformative power. It means to accept and believe that the Lord is able and willing to set into motion things we could never even imagine. This level of belief and an attitude of receptivity requires intellectual, spiritual, and sometimes even physical humility—to accept what we cannot do on our own, and to believe in what we can do with God’s help. Sometimes fear or lack of trust can hold us back from receiving God’s beauty.
This week, we need to examine where we are harboring doubts, clinging to control, or guarding our hearts. We’ll aim to give Jesus even our deepest desires, wounds, and fears, so that we can fully receive, believe, and step into our God-given purpose.
You Are Welcome Here
In his “Letter to Artists,” Pope Saint John Paul II describes the wondrous power of the “breath” of the Creator Spirit. With one exhalation, He can calm and quell, heal and revive. And as we read in today’s Gospel, his breath can change the trajectory of our lives—literally propelling us into mission.
The Lord is abundantly generous, always eager to give the gift of his divine inspiration. But are we always eager to receive? So often, we freeze with fear. Like the disciples in the Upper Room, we close the door to the most tender parts of our hearts. We either forget that the Lord is working in our lives—present and available to us right now—or, like Thomas, we insist that the Lord should only appear in a certain way. We grasp for control.
So, how can we be ready to receive? What is the proper posture? The Lord Himself provides a model in today’s Gospel. “Put your finger here and see my hands,” He says, “and bring your hand and put it into my side.”
Instead of an invincible, untouchable God, He appears as a wounded—yet glorious—friend. He models humility. Instead of covering up or even erasing them, He embraces the wounds of his humanity and invites us to touch and enter into them. He doesn’t do this for shock and awe, but rather for solidarity and unity. He knows—in His flesh and bones—our pain and suffering. And He alone can truly heal us.
And while it is true that He can get in even if the door is locked, He shows us that the proper posture is one of invitation. He wants us to invite Him into the mess of our lives, so that He can breathe into us the life of His resurrection.
Now, imagine He says to you, “Peace be with you.” Along with His words, He offers a life-giving breath. Imagine this breath as a rolling mist. It ebbs and flows, curiously peeking around corners and lovingly expanding and settling into crevices.
Where does that mist hit a wall? Where is it blocked from getting in? Go to those hard places and start chipping away. Even the tiniest crack is enough for the divine breath to get through and unleash its restorative, creative power.
Lord, I want to be open to receive you, but there are places where I am unwilling to fully open up and expose my own wounds. I grasp, cling, and clench my hands. I cover my face in fear. Even when I am afraid to trust you, or think things should be a certain way, you are welcome here. Let your mercy enter my life. Heal me. Move me. Help me receive and believe, so that I may, like Thomas, profess, “My Lord and my God!”
Daily Living:
Examine. It is important to take a look at the areas in which it is difficult to receive God’s love, so we can let God into those exact places. What are the tender places in my life that I am hesitant to reveal to the Lord? What wounds are deep in my heart?
Be vulnerable. In relationship with the Lord, we can let go of any fear we have of getting hurt. He is trustworthy. What are the areas of my life where I am afraid of getting hurt? Am I grasping for control in any parts of my life? Have I erected barriers that have hardened my heart?
Invite. Our loving Father longs for an invitation from you. How can I invite the Holy Spirit into my life in humility, and especially into those tender places, this week?
Lean into God’s greatness. Sometimes we give our wounds and weaknesses too much attention. It can help to shift our perspective. How is the Lord strong where I am weak? What does my littleness say about His greatness?
UP NEXT: Week 2: Daily Flow
