Second Sunday of Easter
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst..."
The disciples were gathered in fear. The gospel tells us that they were afraid of the Jews. They were afraid that the Jews might do to them what they did to Jesus.
But it is also possible that part of that fear is the memory of what they did while Jesus was undergoing his passion. Remember when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, the disciples fled in fear. They left Jesus on his own. They deserted him. Peter even denied Jesus three times. Only a handful remained at the foot of the cross. The disciples abandoned Jesus.
In the midst of this fear, the risen Christ appeared to his disciples. The abandoned one returned to those who abandoned him. And his first words were,"Peace be with you." These are words of forgiveness; words of reconciliation. Three times Jesus assured his disciples of his great mercy and understanding. Not only that, after offering reconciliation, Jesus sent them into mission: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Tanong ko sa sarili ko, Hindi pa ba natutuo si Jesus?
Ito ang mga alagad na ginabayan niya ng tatlong taon. Tinuruan. Pinangaralan. Mga alagad na itinuring niyang malalapit na kaibigan. Pero kahit ganun, iniwan pa rin siya. Itinatwa. Nilayuan. Hindi lubos ang kanilang paniniwala at pananalig sa kanya. Sila pa rin ang isusugo? Hindi ba magandang humanap na lang ng ibang mga alagad?
Jesus chose not to give up on his disciples. Jesus, the abandoned one is also the faithful one. Jesus knew that his forgiveness and his resurrection are enough to change them.
The Lord will not give up on us. He reminds us that his forgiveness and his resurrection are enough to change us. They are enough to inspire and sustain us. They are enough to transcend our weaknesses, to conquer our doubts, and make us believe and serve him until the end.
The Lord chose not to give up on us. Please do not give up on your family, on your love ones. Please do not give up on our country. Please do not give up on yourself.
The grace of the risen Christ is the grace of hope. Things may not be as we want them today. But the living God enables us to hope that in his time all things will become well according to his benevolent will.
The disciples were gathered in fear. The gospel tells us that they were afraid of the Jews. They were afraid that the Jews might do to them what they did to Jesus.
But it is also possible that part of that fear is the memory of what they did while Jesus was undergoing his passion. Remember when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, the disciples fled in fear. They left Jesus on his own. They deserted him. Peter even denied Jesus three times. Only a handful remained at the foot of the cross. The disciples abandoned Jesus.
In the midst of this fear, the risen Christ appeared to his disciples. The abandoned one returned to those who abandoned him. And his first words were,"Peace be with you." These are words of forgiveness; words of reconciliation. Three times Jesus assured his disciples of his great mercy and understanding. Not only that, after offering reconciliation, Jesus sent them into mission: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Tanong ko sa sarili ko, Hindi pa ba natutuo si Jesus?
Ito ang mga alagad na ginabayan niya ng tatlong taon. Tinuruan. Pinangaralan. Mga alagad na itinuring niyang malalapit na kaibigan. Pero kahit ganun, iniwan pa rin siya. Itinatwa. Nilayuan. Hindi lubos ang kanilang paniniwala at pananalig sa kanya. Sila pa rin ang isusugo? Hindi ba magandang humanap na lang ng ibang mga alagad?
Jesus chose not to give up on his disciples. Jesus, the abandoned one is also the faithful one. Jesus knew that his forgiveness and his resurrection are enough to change them.
The Lord will not give up on us. He reminds us that his forgiveness and his resurrection are enough to change us. They are enough to inspire and sustain us. They are enough to transcend our weaknesses, to conquer our doubts, and make us believe and serve him until the end.
The Lord chose not to give up on us. Please do not give up on your family, on your love ones. Please do not give up on our country. Please do not give up on yourself.
The grace of the risen Christ is the grace of hope. Things may not be as we want them today. But the living God enables us to hope that in his time all things will become well according to his benevolent will.
