Date: April 18, 2020 ()

Bible Text: First Reading: ACTS 4:13-21; Gospel: MK 16:9-15 |

Series:

In the capacity that we can, let us be the presence of Jesus to others, that people may continue to see and believe that Jesus is alive.

For two different occasions, the disciples of Jesus were told about the Lord’s resurrection. The first instance was when Mary Magdalene spoke to them that she had seen the Lord. While on another occasion, two disciples reported to the apostles about their journey with Jesus to Emmaus. However, despite this good news, many of them still could not believe. No one seemed to be prepared for this surprising news even the closest friends of Jesus, until Jesus Himself eventually appeared to all of them. And Jesus reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart.

If the disciples who were with Jesus had this sort of difficulty, it is even a bigger challenge among us who only heard about it from those to whom Jesus appeared. But the certainty of their report is beyond doubt. It showed in their courage and boldness; in their martyrdom, in their convincing testimony, and in the number of those who believe.

But let us take note: in John’s Gospel Jesus declares blessed those who believe without having seen Him. And how wonderful it is to know that this blessedness embraces all of us who believe without having seen Him. Jesus looks at the strength of those who believe in Him without seeing. He must have wondered why those who are close to Him were very slow to believe.

That’s why He said: we are more blessed in some ways because of our willingness to believe without having seen. Yet, although we may not have seen the Lord, we experience His presence in a variety of ways, in and through His word, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and in and through each other, the members of His body.

Ultimately all these professions of our faith will only make sense if we listen to the Lord in His Gospel today: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” In the capacity that we can, let us be the presence of Jesus to others, that people may continue to see and believe that Jesus is alive. Yes, the doors are locked as of these trying times, but we continue to bring the Gospel to the people, we continue to offer the sacrifice of Jesus at Mass so that all our prayers and the prayers of the people in their homes may find favor to the Father.