Acts 5:12-16; Ps 117(118); Apo 1:9-13,17-19; Jn 20:19-31
In the Name of Jesus
Dear friends, we are entering the second week of Easter. The Church calendar gives us fifty days to celebrate the joy of the resurrection of our Saviour. After forty days of accompanying Jesus through his passion and death, we rejoice because of his victorious resurrection. This is what made all the difference because, “if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is futile, and we would still be slaves to sin and death” (1 Cor 14:14). Today, the Church also celebrates “DIVINE MERCY”. Through the passion and death of Christ, God poured out his mercy to his people. We must also forgive those who have wronged us, just the way we would like God to forgive our many sins.
After rising from the dead, Jesus manifested himself to his close disciples and entrusted them with the mission to proclaim the good news of his resurrection. This was not an easy task because already the Jews had given a lot of money to the tomb guards to spread falsehood, saying that his disciples had stolen the body while they were asleep. The question is, if indeed they were asleep, how did they know it was the disciples of Jesus who stole the body? Unlike Jesus, many of us would have gone back to the city of Jerusalem and shown ourselves to those who persecuted and killed us. However, Jesus chose that only those who believed in him should preach about his resurrection. He did not want to cause panic among the Jews, but instead gave his disciples the job of spreading the Good News to those who would listen to them. Who do you entrust with your matters?
The character of Thomas, the disciple who was absent when Jesus showed himself for the first time to his disciples, is still present in many, even among the baptized. Today, many people are looking for sensual and theatrical miracles. The contradiction is that faith, by definition, is independent of physical proofs, as St. Paul tells us: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not apparent” (Heb 11:1ff).
Realizing this quest for physical demonstrations of faith, many business-oriented people have invested in the miracle business. God’s blessings and favours have become commodities that can be purchased with money. Many do not seek to be instructed in faith and live according to the creed, but rather go from place to place seeking “take away” miracles. The vendors of this highly demanded commodity have invested heavily in innovative ways to attract more customers. The advertisement of miracles competes with that of alcohol on billboards on the streets and highways. The question we must ask ourselves is, if the risen Lord intended this, why did he not show himself to Pontius Pilate and the Jews who crucified him, but rather chose to only reveal himself to his followers?
Another worrying reality is that witchcraft and sorcery have invaded places of worship. Away from secretive and scary dens where sorcerers practiced their trade, today the craft is practiced by self-proclaimed pastors, bishops, and prophets. Their modus operandi is just the same as that of traditional sorcerers. The only difference is that they mix the name of Jesus in it, making it sound safer and conventional. They create demand for miracles and cleansing by convincing their customers that they have a curse or have been bewitched. The question you need to ask yourself before you visit them is, if witchcraft is based on belief in dark powers, what does it have to do with Jesus Christ? Do you not realize that these businesspeople are only investing under the world-famous brand – “In the Name of Jesus”? By doing all the theatrics, they seek to attract more customers. No one is supposed to get rich, famous, glorified, or powerful by using the name of Jesus. If they do, it means they are conmen in the name of Jesus. Do not give them your money. Instead, it is Jesus who is supposed to be glorified by the faith and actions of his followers.
St. John tells us that when the risen Lord appeared to him, he was instructed to write all the things he saw. Our faith is based on the preaching of the Good News that has been handed over to us by the disciples of Jesus through the Holy Scripture and Traditions. No one who saw the risen Lord is alive today. We are called to imitate Jesus and not perform or act out his character. The miracles performed by Peter and John in the Acts of the Apostles were the fruits of faith and closeness to Jesus, and they were not solicited or orchestrated to make people believe. “Amen, amen I say to you, whoever believes in me shall also do the works that I do; and greater things than these shall he do” (Jn 14:12).
Having faith without catechetical instruction is like holding a gun without knowing how it works. The result is disastrous. Faith in the risen Lord must be the outcome of a deep transformation after thorough instructions on his life, teachings, passion, death, and resurrection. This is why the liturgical calendar offers us different seasons to contemplate the history of our salvation.
We begin with the Advent season that prepares us for the birth of our saviour, and then follows Christmas that brings us joy of the incarnation. The Lenten season or the passion season helps us accompany Jesus in his suffering so that we may really appreciate the price of our salvation. Easter season brings us the joy of being saved. However, it is the long season we call the Ordinary Time that helps us to understand the kingdom of God and what it takes to be part of it. The catechumens are supposed to experience the dynamics of these seasons so that, having been instructed deeply into the mysteries of the kingdom of God, they may make free decisions to be baptized. This way, faith becomes a part of the person’s day-to-day living and not something to be invoked during problems and challenges. Emotional and miracle-based belief is very difficult if not impossible, to sustain. This is why those seeking instant miracles keep migrating from one place of worship to another.
Dear friends, I invite us to reflect and see if we really have enough information about the things we believe, or if it is those random, hysterical moments of uplifting that we call faith in our lives. If you believe in dark powers, your brain and psyche will be affected by them, and they will tell you that you have demons. However, if you believe in the risen Lord, he will free you from slavery to sin, the shackles of misleading customs and traditions.
Happy Easter
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 