Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, and this simple detail already speaks to how many of us also approach in this manner.
As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, Nicodemus is a man of faith, yet hesitant and cautious, approaching Christ with curiosity but also with uncertainty. Many of us can relate. We may seek God quietly, with questions we are afraid to voice.
Jesus meets Nicodemus where he is, inviting him into a deeper truth: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Aquinas teaches that this new birth is not metaphorical but a real, spiritual transformation, accomplished through water and the Spirit in Baptism. In this sacrament, we are not merely forgiven; we are renewed, made partakers of God’s life, and drawn into a higher reality.
Nicodemus struggles to understand, asking how such a rebirth can be possible. Aquinas reminds us that the mysteries of God surpass human reason. The Spirit works quietly, invisibly, like the wind that blows where it wills. Faith, then, is necessary to perceive and participate in this divine life.
Jesus challenges Nicodemus to move beyond earthly understanding: to embrace what cannot be fully explained in worldy terms, to trust in the truth revealed by God rather than relying solely on human wisdom.
Finally, Jesus points to the lifting up of the Son of Man, foreshadowing the Cross. Aquinas emphasizes that, just as the Israelites were healed by looking upon the bronze serpent, so we are healed and brought to life by Christ crucified. Nicodemus’s journey from night into light mirrors our own: we are invited to be born again, to trust, and to look upon Christ for salvation.
Wherever we are in our spiritual life, Christ calls us—not to condemnation, but into new life and deeper union with God.
Reflection by Andres, seminarian
Posted in Article for Easter, Daily Reflections