Reflection on Acts 2.42-47; 1Pt 1,3-9; Jn 20:
19-31
In this Sunday of
mercy, we are invited to learn from Christ how to be merciful to others as he
is to us. In Matthew's text, he assures us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they
will find mercy” (Mt 5, 7). According to Pope Francis, “Jesus Christ is the
face of the Father’s mercy. The mystery of the Christian faith seems to find in
this word its synthesis. We always need to contemplate the mystery of mercy.
This is a source of joy, serenity and peace”.
The first text of our
reflection (Acts 2.42-47) speaks
about the way that the Early Christians lived, which is the reference of the
identity of Christian communities of all times. The First Christians got success
in their journey because of four fundamental aspects, that is, “apostolic
teaching, fraternity, braking of the bread (Eucharist), and prayers.” The unity
among them attracted many others who recognized in their actions the action of
the own Risen Jesus. Thus, through their testimony, many people experienced
God’s mercy. In the second reading, Peter praises God because of his mercy for
his people, that we are all of us. Because the resurrection of Christ, we have
been regenerated in order to cultivate a living hope, carrying on our Christian
identity with joy and commitment to achieve the goal of our faith, that is, the
salvation.
After the violence to
their Master, the disciples of Jesus experienced an atmosphere of fear. They
did not want to have the same end as their master do; however, they continued
meeting, although in private. Many things that they learned from Jesus were for
them cause of identity. So, though they were weak in heart, they were not
hopeless people, because the one who called them to follow him wanted them to
be his witnesses.
Knowing that they
needed help, Jesus manifests in their midst without opening the doors, for
anything can put barriers to the body of the risen Jesus. This reality of his
body is also an announcement of the future condition of the bodies of his
followers who remain faithful to him. Jesus stands in the midst of them because
he wants to be the core of their lives. He came to help them overcome their
fears and doubts that prevent them from being true witnesses.
The first result of
the risen Lord’s manifestation to his disciples is joy, confirming that being a
disciple of Jesus is to be a bearer of joy. Joy opens the gates of the heart to
receive other gifts. The Lord has given the community of his disciples his
peace as a sign of identification with himself who is called also the “prophet
of nonviolence”. If the Risen Lord is the reference of the community
experience, its members become peacemakers. The breath of the Holy Spirit is
the sign of the new life to humanity totally regenerated by the cross and
resurrection of Christ. These new people gathered in the name of Christ, with
the help of the Holy Spirit are called to live and promote communion and
reconciliation.
Thomas was not present
at the community meeting when the Risen Lord revealed himself with his gifts.
Certainly, he preferred to make a different experience, that is, an
“extra-community” experience. A first idea about this situation of Thomas is the
absence in the community. Let us say Tomaso is a symbol of those who have
difficulty to participate in community life. This situation is a risk to their
personal experience of faith and can also be a barrier to others’ faith. On the
other hand, we can also say that Thomas’s figure calls the community to a more
authentic and convincing testimony of its faith. It is not enough to say, “we
have seen the Lord”, but it is necessary to recognize him and proclaim
fearlessly “my Lord and my God”. Because of Thomas, Jesus does this important proclamation,
that is, “Blessed are those who have not seen and believed!”
By His apostles, Jesus
gives us the gift of faith by asking us to live this faith in a community
experience, loving and helping each other as a concrete sign of our involvement
in the process of resurrection that the He offers us every day. The person has
difficulty of believing if he/she believes alone. The faith of a Christian
person is the result of the experience of the Church community, because the
Church’s faith precedes, generates and nourishes the faith of this person.
Without participation in the community, we have difficult to recognize the
signs of the Risen Lord among us; consequently, our faith becomes weak and can
also disturb the faith of others.
This text helps us to recognize
the importance of sharing life in community. The Risen Lord wanted to reveal
Himself to us through the help of others. We must be attentive to the tendency
of our society to an individualistic way of living and that has been
influencing our fraternal relations. Other evils can come through
individualism. We must welcome Jesus as the core of our community experience
and have the community as a fundamental part of our lives, so that we can
overcome our fears and lack of trust, and thus to give a more effective testimony
in the reality where we live.
Fr Ndega
English review: Cristine Kariuki
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário