Called to become witnesses

Saturday, April 27, 2019
Octave of Easter, Saturday 1st Reading: Acts 4:13-21 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men too went back and told the others, but they did not believe them.
Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief and stubbornness in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
Then he told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

At a funeral Mass where the Gospel reading was about Lazarus’ resuscitation, I explained during the homily that the old man lying inside the coffin could come back to life. Before I could finish, a little boy fainted. He told me later that he was scared about his grandfather coming back to life. He was his grandfather’s battered grandchild. I was a little confused though, because I saw the child crying earlier with the other family members while viewing the dead body of the old man.
The disciples were like that child. They mourned the death of Jesus but when report of the resurrection came they insisted he was dead. Haven’t they read the Scripture passage that “the Messiah must suffer and die but on the third day will rise again”? They couldn’t feign ignorance of Scriptures because every Jew read every Scripture passage about the Messiah. Was it because the witnesses to the resurrection were women who, by the standards of those times, were not credible? But what about the testimony of two male disciples who were heading for Emmaus?
The only probable explanation is lack of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus had to appear to them inside locked rooms. Stronger than the locks of those doors was their lack of faith that locked them up in disbelief. Jesus challenged them to come out and become his witnesses. He told them: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.”
While none of us will admit that his faith in Jesus is skin deep, we are like that little boy who fainted at the funeral Mass. He pretended to be sad but deep inside felt relief over the death of his grandpa. The death of the old man was good riddance to him. Our utterances are those of avid followers yet our lifestyles are those of people wishing God were dead. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.

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