Community Word: The resurrection of Jesus Christ strengthens our faith.
Order: “Live and declare the works of the Lord.” (Ps 118:17)
Reflection:
There are people to this day who do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. But for us Christians, if Christ’s resurrection was a hoax, then nothing in our faith has any meaning at all. We are still guilty of sin and those who have died believing in Christ are lost. Living this life and all good things we do including a life of sacrifice will be pointless and useless.
The truth is that Jesus was risen and is alive today and forever, founded on facts, faith and testimonies of his disciples who have witnessed the events after his passion and death. His resurrection is a promise to all of us that our life is not in vain and has temporal and eternal meaning. Jesus conquered death and because of our faith in him we now anticipate victory over the grave. Our community word for this month declares – The resurrection of Jesus Christ strengthens our faith. His triumph gives us courage to endure our tragedies and the wisdom to relish every earthly delight. His victory over the final evil, death, assures us that there is no one dead to sin who cannot be revived and be transformed. And because we are a redeemed people we will continue to “live and declare the works of the Lord,” (Ps 118:17).
The theme for Easter Sunday is – Our faith is strengthened when we testify to Christ’s resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is the momentous display of God’s mighty power assuring us that, like Christ who suffered, died and has risen, rebirth to new life awaits those who are faithful in following God’s will even in difficult and trying circumstances. We are compelled to believe that even if we experience disappointment, injustice and failure, our faith brings us hope that all will be restored. Thus, we can also testify to God’s love and justice, encouraging others to persevere in their own trials, as we are assured by the Lord’s promise – “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory,” (Col 3:4).
Our faith is strengthened whenwe trulybelieve in Christ’s presence in our midst. This is our theme for the 2nd Sunday of Easter. Our faith tells us that Jesus became one of us and he is with us until the end of age. Though sometimes we might lose the sense of God’s presence in our lives, we should never forget that Jesus is our Emmanuel – God is with us. He desires to be with us in our homes, in our family, and in our relationships. He wants to be part of our work and careers, be involved in our finances and health. He wishes to dwell in us and influence every aspect of our lives. For his love cannot separate us from him. In him we are more than conquerors; no one can be against us, no one can condemn us and everything we need will be provided for. We only need to believe in his resurrection and his promise to us – “Blessed are those who have not seen and havebelieved,” (Jn 20:29b).
The theme for the 3rd Sunday of Easter is – Our faith is strengthened when we open our hearts and minds to God’s word. Often times our faith weakens and we struggle with the feelings of discouragement and hopelessness.The good news is that God has the power to strengthen our faith if we only surrender ourselves to Him completely and totally trust in His word. It is not by our own effort that we earn merit from God or do the best we can to raise our spirits. But rather it is by our humility that we cry out to Jesus to help us in our unbelief. We need to listen to his word that not only tells us what to do, but empowers us to act as well. As we continue to trust and follow his direction, his promise is fulfilled in us: “… whoever keeps his word the love of God is truly perfected in him,”(1 Jn 2:5).
Our faith is strengthened when we serve others in self-giving sacrifice – is the theme for the 4th Sunday of Easter. God has served our needs when His mercies are bestowed on us by Christ’s sacrificial service on the cross – redeeming us and restoring our heavenly inheritance. By Christ’s ultimate example of service, we are called to serve others to demonstrate our faith and in gratitude for what he had done for us. We serve others not for selfish intentions or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regarding others as more important than ourselves. This means looking beyond our own interests for the interests of others. We draw from the power of Christ’s spirit of servanthood more thanwhat we can produce on our own. When this happens we become God’s instruments of love for others as we look towards His promise: “… we are God’s children now; what shall be revealed is … we shall be like him, for we shallsee him as he is,” (1Jn 3:2).
Finally, for the 5th Sunday of Easter, the theme is – Our faith is strengthened when we bear much fruit for God’s kingdom. As faithful servants and followers of Christ, we cannot be barren or useless. We are called to remain in Christ and continue to be nourished by his word to be formed and equipped, otherwise we become dry and we will wither like dying plants bereft of spiritual nourishment from the Lord. Our fruitfulness is necessary to build God’s kingdom. We are given gifts to promote and proclaim his gospel of love to others and to build their faith up that they too might experience God’s faithfulness and mercy. Those who believe in Christ, and are in and for Christ, are destined for eternal life. They bear much fruit and become his disciples. And they receive his promise: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you,” (Jn 15:7).
