The Breath of Forgiveness: Peace and Purpose
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
John 20:19-23
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.”
Grace Prayed For
This scripture passage prompts the reader to pray for the grace of profound trust in God’s desire to forgive, and the courage to receive His boundless peace and transmit it to others.
Reflection
Imagine yourself in that locked room, the air thick with fear and uncertainty. The weight of betrayal, of abandonment, pressed heavily on the disciples’ hearts. Suddenly, Jesus stands among them, not with condemnation, but with a profound and simple greeting: “Peace be with you.” This isn’t just a wish; it’s a bestowal, a tangible gift from the One who has triumphed over death. He shows them His hands and His side – the very wounds that bore the cost of our sin, now transformed into marks of victory and boundless love. In that moment, their fear dissolves into joy, a pure, unadulterated joy born from the presence of their Risen Lord.
Then, Jesus breathes on them. This act echoes the very breath of creation, the moment God breathed life into Adam. Here, it signifies a new creation, a spiritual rebirth. He imparts the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of God, empowering them with an unimaginable authority: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
This passage isn’t just about the apostles; it’s profoundly personal for each of us. God desires to forgive you. Just as Jesus broke through the locked doors of that room, He longs to break through the locked doors of your heart – the fear, the shame, the guilt that keeps you from His embrace. His peace is not dependent on your perfection, but on His relentless love. He has already borne the cost of your sins on the cross, and His resurrected life offers you complete absolution. To allow God to act freely in your life is to surrender to this radical truth, to let His peace flood your innermost being, transforming your fear into profound joy.
As you truly internalize this message – that you are deeply loved, completely forgiven, and filled with His Spirit – your intimacy with the Trinitarian God deepens. You begin to experience the Father’s tender mercy, the Son’s unwavering love, and the Spirit’s empowering presence in a new way. This isn’t just theological understanding; it’s a lived reality, a transformative encounter that shapes who you are.
And then, just as the Father sent Jesus, and Jesus sends us. The peace, the forgiveness, the love you have received are not meant to be hoarded. They are meant to be shared. Imagine carrying this message into every encounter: the impatient driver, the struggling colleague, the challenging family member. You are not just a person; you are a carrier of Christ’s peace, an instrument of His forgiveness. Because Jesus has loved me and impacted my life so profoundly, transforming my brokenness into wholeness and my fear into courage, I am compelled to extend that same love to others. Every interaction becomes an opportunity to reflect His light, to offer a word of grace, a moment of understanding, a presence of peace that echoes His own.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Extend a sincere apology and readily offer forgiveness: Knowing the power of forgiveness in my own life, I can be quick to apologize when I’ve erred and quick to forgive those who have wronged me.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post