✝️REFLECTION CAPSULE – April 06, 2024: Saturday
"Being powerful witnesses of Christ, Who has risen for us!"
(Based on Acts 4:13-21 and Mk 16:9-15 - Saturday in the Octave of Easter)
A middle-aged man who had been Baptized during the Easter Vigil Service…
… shared his short testimony, as part of his vote of thanks to the people who had gathered in Church.
He said, "This is the most special day for me, when I have been received into the Holy Catholic Church!
My joys knows no bounds!
I had been waiting for this day for long.
Of course, my journey had a huge hurdle - as the lives of many followers of Christ, failed to enthuse me!"
He added: "It was pretty sad to see that in the midst of a modern generation screaming with solutions, I found Christians stammering for answers!
In a tech-savvy world that comfortably misguided people into pleasures, Christians were stumbling for lack of conviction!"
And he went on to say, "But tonight, on this Easter Vigil, I hope that you and I, will be powerful witnesses of Christ, Who has risen for us!"
Are we ready to be powerful witnesses for Christ…
… filled with conviction and joy?
The Gospel of the Day recounts the mandate given to the Apostles by Jesus, the Master, to spread His Gospel to the entire nations:
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15)
We are on the Saturday of the Easter Octave.
Over the last few days, we have meditated on the various Resurrection accounts from the various Gospel narratives.
The encounter of the women, on the way back from the tomb (Mt 28: 8-15)
The encounter by Mary of Magdalene, calling her by name (Jn 20: 11-18)
The encounter of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, with the Risen Lord, at the breaking of bread (Lk 24: 13-35)
The encounter of the Apostles with the Risen Lord in the closed room (Lk 24: 35-48)
The encounter of the Apostles with the Risen Lord by the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 21: 1-14)
Today, in the Gospel of St Mark, we have a sort of summary of the many Resurrection narratives, closing with the mission mandate of the Lord…
… to “go into all the world” and reach out the saving Word of the Lord.
In all these various Resurrection narratives that are mentioned in today’s Gospel…
… one common element is seen: A mention of unbelief or uncertainty of the disciples.
When Mary Magdalene saw the Lord and reported this to the disciples…
… “but when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it” (Mk 16:11)
When the two disciples on the way to Emmaus spoke of the Risen Lord’s appearance to them, “they did not believe them” either (Mk 16: 13)
… but later the Lord appeared to the disciples themselves and “rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed…” (Mk 16: 14, NABRE)
The disciples found it hard to accept and believe in the Resurrection of the Lord.
They had been rebuked often by the Lord, during His earthly ministry.
Now they are again chided for their lack of faith, even after His Resurrection.
Despite this less intensity in their belief, the Risen Lord entrusts them with His mission of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom.
Despite this little strength in their faith, the Risen Lord, hands over to them His task of preaching the Word of God to all the nations.
That’s the trust of the Lord in His disciples.
That’s the faith of the Lord in His chosen ones
It’s His conviction that “I will be with them
… and above all, I trust them”!
Like the disciples, we too may and will have our moments of…
… variations in faith
… slackening in trust
… and slipping in hope
In all this, let us be assured that the Lord, Who has entrusted His task to us, will continue to trust in us, and assures His presence with us.
We are weak…
We are fragile…
The Lord knows these aspects in us, much better than we ourselves.
He knew all this, even of the Apostles.
Yet, He wholly trusted them.
And He wholly trusts us too!
The disciples would grow in the strength of this trust and would become courageous and powerful to give witness to the Risen Lord – even when put through trials and tribulations.
This bold witness even surprised many people, including the religious leaders:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus!” (Acts 4:13)
Their conviction would make them to profess the Lord in all what they did:
“But Peter and John answered them, 'Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge…
… for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard!'” (Acts 4:19-20)
We live in the midst of a modern generation screaming with solutions!
We live in a tech-savvy world that comfortably misguides people into pleasures!
Let us be Christians….
… who don't stammer for answers; instead, strongly shout out God's Love!
… who don't stumble for lack of convictions; instead, boldly walk with commitment!
Yes, let this Easter Season help all of us to be powerful witnesses of Christ…
… Who has risen for us!
Happy Easter to all of you!
God Bless! Live Jesus!