God's Word to Us

April 21, 2012

3rd Sunday of Easter - B (April 22, 2012)

Commentary

You Are Witnesses

In the Gospel According to Luke, "You are witnesses of these things" form the second to last sentence of Jesus' spoken words to the disciples.

And who are these witnesses?

Just in this passage alone, they are portrayed as those who are "troubled," "startled and terrified." They fail to recognize Jesus, thinking that "they were seeing a ghost."

They have lived with Jesus. They have witnessed all the words and actions of Jesus. Moreover, they have witnessed how Jesus' words have been fulfilled in his death and resurrection. Still, Jesus once more needs to "open their minds to understand the Scriptures."

Yet, to these very disciples, who are weak, who have failed, and who are troubled and terrified, Jesus affirms them, "You are witnesses of these things."

The "things" that they are witnesses of are "repentance" and the "forgiveness of sins" that the Christ gave to them in his suffering, death and rising.

Who then would be better qualified to be witnesses of these things than these disciples?

They know first hand of God's forgiveness since they have failed over and over again, yet have been the first to receive and know of that forgiveness from God?

After this sentence "You are witnesses of these things," come the final spoken words from Jesus to these failed and forgiven witnesses in Luke (not included in today's Gospel reading, but significant): the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, "Behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you"

There, to the failed, then forgiven disciples, Jesus now empowers and commissions them, "You are witnesses of these things."

April 14, 2012

2nd Sunday of Easter

Commentary
John 20: 19-31

Having Seen the Lord

The Trinity are all involved in the sending of the disciples.

The disciples are sent with the same authority with which Jesus was sent, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

The once afraid disciples are now sent because they have received the gift of peace from the Risen Christ.

And they are sent after they have received the Holy Spirit.

All of these they received when they see the Risen Lord.

Yet, ironically, they failed at their very first attempt of doing what they were sent to do. They could not convince Thomas, one of their own, to believe that they "have seen the Lord."

It is never sufficient for us, messengers of the Risen Christ, to share with words our experience of an encounter with the Lord.

We must lead people to their own encounter with the Risen Christ.

That was true in the case of Thomas.

We will not likely meet Jesus in the flesh as did Thomas and the disciples. Yet, the Risen Christ is with us in his words and in the Eucharist.

He is also present to us in the community of believers, which is his Body.

May we become the presence of the Risen Christ to one another and to those we are sent to proclaim God's love and forgiveness.

To us and to those who will meet the Risen Christ in us, the Lord says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

2nd Sunday of Easter (April 15, 2012)

Readings

Image: Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano, 1502-4, "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas," National Gallery, London, UK

Source: http://criticism-and-interpretation2010.wikispaces.com/Week+02+Natl+Gallery+Visit

April 7, 2012

Easter Sunday (April 8, 2012)

Commentary

Mark 16: 1-7

The Sun has Risen! So has the Son!

By this time in the narrative of the Gospel According to Mark, all of the words that Jesus spoke about himself have been fulfilled. So have all the words the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke of him.

The leaders of the disciples, Peter, James and John, have witnessed Jesus' transfiguration. There, they even heard the voice from heaven telling them that Jesus is God's "Beloved Son" and they are to "listen to him" (9: 7)

Yet, the disciples still have not got it. Where they are in their faith is seen in the attitude and actions of the women in this passage.

The women expect to find the dead body of Jesus sealed in the tomb. Thus, their puzzle, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"

Their confusion is also symbolized in the lack of planning on their part. They have brought spices to anoint him without any idea of how they will get inside the tomb.

Over their confusion and loss, "the sun had risen."

So is the Son had been raised to scatter their inner darkness.

Till the end of Mark's narrative, the disciples are still struggling in their lack of faith.

Thankfully, God's action does not depend on how good any of us is.

The Son "has been raised." The verb is used here in the passive voice. So is the verb in the case of the stone. [1] It is the action of God that brings salvation to us all, regardless of where we are in our understanding of God's way and of our response to God's actions in our lives.

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[1] Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrikson Publishers, 2002; p. 344, 346.

Easter Sunday (April 8, 2012)

Image posted by Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB

Gospel

Mark 16: 1-7

When the sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.
Very early when the sun had risen,
on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.
They were saying to one another,
"Who will roll back the stone for us
from the entrance to the tomb?"
When they looked up,
they saw that the stone had been rolled back;
it was very large.
On entering the tomb they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them, "Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.
He has been raised; he is not here.
Behold the place where they laid him.
But go and tell his disciples and Peter,
'He is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him, as he told you.'"

March 31, 2012

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord - B

Commentary
Mark 14: 1 - 15: 47

The Revelation of the Son of God

Mark begins his gospel with a clear indication of what he intends to do, that is to write "the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (1:1).

Throughout the book, Mark repeats that theme, or more accurately, that title of Jesus a couple of times. (This year, my reflections on the Sunday Gospel readings from Mark have focused on this title).

First, it is at the baptism at the Jordan river when the voice from the heavens tells Jesus, "You are my beloved Son" (1:11).

Later, at the Transfiguration, the voice from heaven spoke again of Jesus' identity, this time to Peter, James, and John, "This is my beloved Son."

In between, there are incidents when this title of Jesus is professed. "Unclean spirits" address Jesus, "You are the Son of God" in 3:11 and "Son of the Most High God" in 5:7.

In 14:61, the high priest refers to the title "Son of the Blessed One" in his interrogation. But it is not a profession of faith.

The Roman centurion in 15:39 is the first human being to profess this title, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

The centurion does so while standing "facing [Jesus] and saw how he breathed his last."

At the cross, we come to know the depth of God's love, and thus, come to know God.