We continue in these Easter days to reflect on the Resurrection and the impact it had on the disciples. We began with “The Incredulity of St Thomas” and Caravaggio’s masterpiece. We reflected and explored a little on the response of the disciples, with a special emphasis on Thomas’ resistance when the other disciples reported that the Lord had appeared to them. All the while I was gently moving toward the question : What am I so stubborn about ? What truths am I resisting in my life ?  Where am I choosing to be defiant ?  In what areas of my life may Jesus be asking me to do the right thing, to forgo my self-righteousness, and choose humility, and choose Him. Where is Jesus saying “Enough” to me personally ?

It is easy to look at poor Thomas, and judge him (rightly or wrongly) and Peter, and the others, who all had their spell of lack of faith and lack of awareness.  But the real challenge of those words comes when I hear Jesus asking me not Thomas, to come close and :“Take your finger and examine my hands. Put your hand into my side. Do not persist in your unbelief, but believe !” 

It is one thing for us as Christians to profess faith in the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but in truth we cannot make that profession of faith without also dealing with His death. Yes He died !  A cruel and painful death almost alone ……all despite the declaration of Pilate  “I find no case against this man.”  Yet the ‘mob’ insisted  He must die ! We see clearly before His trial commenced that the odds were stacked against Him. In John Chapter 11:47-53 : “Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. ‘Here is this man working all of these signs’ they said, and what action are we taking ? If we let Him go on this way everybody will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and destroy the ‘Holy Place’ and our nation. One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, ‘You don’t seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed. He did not speak in his own person, it was as high priest that he made this prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation— and not for the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God.”

What an awesome reflection, the unbelievers saw through the ruse, “Jesus was to die for the nation—and not just the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God.” Have you noticed ….. we appear to be further away from that reality than ever. With all of our technological advancement we are further removed from one another, and far more destructive than we have ever been. Our great technological screens pound us daily with experiences of war and destruction, homelessness and poverty, division and divisiveness, and violence, hatred, and destruction………. It is not good news ! People flippantly say “Don’t watch the News” ….. Is that just like saying “It is better that one man should die for the people” 

Surely as a people of faith that is not sufficient ! We have got to accept our part in trying to change the news. We are proclaimers of the Resurrection of Jesus He invites each of us to ‘Put your finger into the wounds ….. Do not persist in your unbelief, but believe’. Acceptance of Jesus’ Resurrection requires action on our part ! We cannot stand idly by ! Death and destruction must end ……. We are a Resurrection People.

The great Maya Angelou understood that reality and declared boldly : 

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” As believers, and individuals who proclaim faith in Jesus Christ and His Resurrection, we have some work to do. We need to proclaim that faith not just in word but in our action.  When I read the following from Fr. Ron Rolheiser OMI, who is well known to many of you, I thought, this is such a great summary of what I am trying to say :

Have we not reached saturation ? When do we say Enough …..and really mean it ?……. Make it Happen !

Fr. Gerry.