Today's lesson comes from the Apostle St. John in his first letter, chapter 5,

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.

Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by the water only,

but by the water and the blood, and the spirit is the one who testifies because the spirit is the

truth. For there are three that testify, the spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree.

If we receive the testimony of men,

the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that has born, that he has

born concerning his son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.

Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the

testimony that God has born concerning his son. A continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. John.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked 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 am sending 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 withhold forgiveness

of any, it is withheld. Now Thomas one of the twelve called the twin was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to them,

Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails

and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. Eight days later, his disciples were inside

again and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked,

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