Third Sunday of Easter

05-05-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Julius Kundi

It is impossible to truly meet Jesus and remain the same. All through the Easter period preceding to Pentecost we shall enjoy and celebrate the Real Presence of our Risen Lord and Savior. We shall equally be celebrating the power of transformation the glorified Risen Lord brings to all those that encountered Him. Jesus the Christ changes us and commissions us to witness to the fact of His resurrection.

As Christians, the real presence of Christ is of utmost grace because that is what shapes and forms our experience, and continually lifts our attention to the graces of heaven that give us strength and courage. Through scripture and through the Eucharist we remind ourselves of the great love by which we recognize Jesus, and in return we hear him clearly say “Follow Me”. This becomes our hearts’ desire.

Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells of the preaching of Jesus’ followers and how they simply could not keep quiet about what had happened. Those who follow the Lord Jesus often find that they cannot be silent about what He had done in their lives. The real presence of the glorified Risen Lord transformed them into zealous and fearless preachers of the gospel. Suddenly, fear, doubts and timidity all gave way to faith, hope, power and bravery. What a dramatic change! From denying Jesus, to now bold proclamation that " There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved except through Jesus" (Acts 4:12).

Like the early disciples, we too are challenged by the risen Lord to talk among ourselves about the ways that Jesus has changed our lives. The Easter gift of the resurrection, this Eucharistic promise of the Real Presence of Christ, is the source of our strength and the initiator of all good deeds in our lives. In the Acts of the Apostles, when challenged to abandon Christ by the Sanhedrin, the disciples of Jesus respond “We must obey God rather than men”. This response from our ancestors in faith to the pressures of the world to give up Christ continues to inspire and encourage people like you and I today.

Today, so much of our public discourse is filled with anger, with hatred, with accusation, with violence and with division. People like you and I who believe in the faithfulness of God and the many gifts that He has poured down upon us by leaving us with His peace, are compelled to help others recognize that Jesus the Christ is standing in our midst. Enjoying Christ real presence empowers us to all testify to the closeness of Him in every human situation.

Yes, we too have met the risen Christ and are in the process of growing into whom we are called to be by Him. Stay strong and faithful to what He has called you to be! The world needs new hope, and it will come from you.

Blessings,

Fr. Julius

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