Word:    The Risen Christ calls us to believe in Him and receive His mercy and compassion.

Order:        “Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief may have life in his name.” (Jn20:31)

Reflection:
As taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Christ’s resurrection is the “real starting point and foundation for the beginnings of Christian faith.”  The Good News is that Jesus died and rose from the dead that we, sinners, might have salvation.  Our salvation depends on the risen Christ and our faith is anchored on the resurrection of Jesus.

Christian life is a life filled with daily choices.  Frequently, we stumble and fall; on many occasions, we are filled with doubt.  Sometimes, we lose courage and we try live by the standards of the world rather than live by our faith.  When this happens,”The Risen Christ calls us to believe in Him and receive His mercy and compassion.”This is our community word for the month of April.  The corresponding weekly themes and bible promises challenge us to live out the Good News of the resurrection and grow the seed of faith planted in our hearts.  Unlike the disciples who cowered in fear after the Crucifixion (Jn 20:19), the resurrection message (Acts 2:24) should inspire boldness and confidence in us as living witnesses of our Risen Lord.

The theme for the 2nd Sunday of Easter states: ‘We believe in the Risen Christ when we recognize His presence in our daily life.’As Christians, our life is described as being “in Christ” – spiritually united with Him. Our faith assures us that Jesus is with us in our successes and in our failures. When doubts start to overwhelm us, we just need to talk to God in prayer and feel His presence, as we hold on to His words,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5) and on our promise of the week, “Blessed are those who have not seen, but have believed,”(Jn 20:29b).

The theme for the 3rd Sunday of Easter reminds us that, ‘We believe in the Risen Christ when we obey His word and minister to the needs of His people.’We need to hear God’s word and follow His call to mission.  As true disciples, we are to be a people ‘after God’s own heart.’  The greatest manifestation of our love for God is in our courageous obedience to His great commission – to spread the Good News of salvation and bring back those who are lost. The mission might be overwhelming, but the Lord gives us the assurance in His promise –“Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something,” (Jn 2:6).

The 4th Sunday of Easter, also known as the Good Shepherd Sunday, reminds us that as the sheep follow the shepherd, we also should follow Jesus, our Good Shepherd, whose mission is to do the will of the Father.This is the inspiration for our theme for this week – ‘We believe in the Risen Christ when we follow Him in doing the Will of the Father.’Our calling is to care for others, to lead the flock back to the Father, and be nourished by the God’s word and the Eucharist. Jesus is the only one who can give us a new life.  His promise this week tells us:  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,” (Jn 10:28).

The theme for the 5th Sunday of Easter is – ‘We believe in the Risen Christ when we live a life that follows His commandment to love one another.’Jesus leaves us with a new commandment – love one another!   Do we ever wonder why it is called “new commandment?”Perhaps because many people fail to love enough, or are too self-absorbed to genuinely loved others.  We struggle to live this commandment, and each time we are reminded, we are convicted with new urgency, new insight, and new strength to act.  We should not lose hope.  In the concluding phrase of the Book of Revelation, we hear God’s voice in the promise of this week:  “…the old order has passed away… I make all things new,” (Rev 21:4b,5b).

Christ is risen!  If we keep the Easter message of Christ’s resurrection alive and close to our hearts, our faith will remain unshaken in good times and in bad, and we shall find the grace to remember that Jesus will come again.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you have triumphed over the grave and you have won for us new life and power. Give us the eyes of faith to see you in your glory. Help us to draw near to you and to grow in the knowledge of your great love for us and your victory over sin and death.  Amen

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