The gospel passage for today's meditation presents us with words of encouragement. Sitting with his disciples only hours before he would be separated from them, Jesus said to them: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me (Jn 14: 1). This year, we are experiencing the Easter season in a very different way. With the isolation in place as a result of COVID-19, the usual gatherings and celebrations in this time have been severely scaled back. In fact, it seems that this period of isolation is causing increasing levels of anxiety, therefore it is perhaps fitting that Jesus' words today should resound in our hearts: do not let your hearts be troubled.
According to the Acts of the Apostles, after the resurrection, the Apostles - who were the ones closest to Jesus and the ones who were most at risk to be disillusioned by the experience of his suffering and death, were actually the ones who were ultimately able to speak on his behalf. Having returned to Antioch, he stood among his brothers, children of the family of Abraham (Acts 13: 26). The words he spoke at that moment were filled with new life, joy and conviction.
We are all being invited to see this time of trial not as an end in itself, but rather as a time of testing. The disciples were also tested as they witnessed the death of Jesus, but their faith was rewarded. After the resurrection, they were different people. Will we have the strength of faith to look beyond this moment of trial and to see and celebrate good news? How will we be different when all of this is passed? Let us pray for the grace to be strong in our faith and to be witnesses of resurrection.
Have a great day.
No comments:
Post a Comment