2nd Sunday of Easter (Cycle B, Year
Community Word: The resurrection of Jesus Christ strengthens our faith.
Theme: Our faith is strengthened when we truly believe in Christ’s presence in our midst.
Promise: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”(Jn 20:29b)
Reflection:
Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people to doubt something that they only heard about or haven’t seen even when there are tons of information available in the market of ideas. This was the predicament of many of the Jews even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem.And today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world we are in actually is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of both dimensions.
On one hand is the material world where we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury; anything that would bring us prestige, wealth and power have kept us glued in this mundane world. On the other is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him. Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to God’s Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
It is not that the people do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, but the circumstances of our present lives cause people to dwell in their unbelief. The economic difficulties that people experience nowadays are also a factor that contributes to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created. When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God. As our theme for this week says: Our faith is strengthened when we truly believe in Christ’s presence in our midst.
Today, this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated. This should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now. This is what the Feast of Divine Mercy is all about.But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death. He came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, his disciples and we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor.Our belief in the resurrection of Christ then leads us to this promise: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”(Jn 20:29b)
Reflection Questions:
1. How are you living your life to show that you truly believe in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?
2. Do you received Jesus regularly in the Eucharist and continue to be nurtured in the Holy Scriptures?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
April 8, 2018 (Sun)- Acts 4:32-35/Ps 118:2-4,13-15,22-24/1Jn 5:1-6/Jn 20:19-31
April 9, 2018 (Mon) – Is 7:10-14;8:10/Ps 40:7-11/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38
April 10, 2018 (Tue) -Acts 4:32-37/Ps 93:1-2,5/Jn 3:7-15
April 11, 2018 (Wed) – Acts 5:17-26/Ps 34:2-9/Jn 3:16-21
April 12, 2018 (Thu) – Acts 5:27-33/Ps 34:2,9,17-20/Jn 3:31-36
April 13, 2018 (Fri) -Acts 5:34-42/Ps 27:1,4,13,14/Jn 6:1-15
April 14, 2018 (Sat) – Acts 6:1-7/Ps 33:1-5,18-19/Jn 6:16-21
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
