The Risen Lord breathes on them...
The Gospel of John (19:20-23) describes another way the Holy Spirit is given to the apostles: the risen Jesus breathing on the apostles to impart the Holy Spirit.
The power of the Spirit not only authorizes, but also empowers the apostles to forgive and to retain sins.
Jesus formally sends out to the world his apostles, as he had been sent to the world by the Father.
Jesus' breathing on the apostles huddled in the Upper Room recalls Genesis 2:7, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life; just as Adam's life came from God, so now the disciples' new spiritual life comes from Jesus.
(Source: Fr. Rosica, CSB)
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