TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

When Zimbabwe is already independent for thirty years, Cephas Msipa, a veteran of the Zimbabwe freedom struggle, asks at the end of his recent memoir, In Pursuit of Freedom and Justice, “Why are we so poor? We have a beautiful country endowed with many natural resources.”  The answer is complex and would take us into the history of the past ninety years but it all comes down to trust. If there is no trust people will build walls to keep others out. These walls can be made of bricks or of laws. Once the choice is made to build walls they have to be reinforced by prejudice and backed up by violence. Msipa experienced all this in his long life.   

Trust is based on a sense of belonging to one another. It starts with child and mother. Yesterday I was told my hand luggage was overweight and I had to surrender it to the aircraft staff. When I got it back my cell phone was missing! So, we learn not to trust anyone. Yet we know deep within us that we should be able to trust others; the whole of life is based on it. A child has implicit trust in their mother. Married people have to trust one another. Trust begets trust. If we begin to trust we get a positive response. In the school I was at we were allowed huge freedom. We were told, “we trust you. Don’t take advantage of this to do silly things!” On the whole we respected that.

At the end of his life – in his goodbye message – Jesus called his disciples to trust. “If anyone loves me they will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we shall come to them and make our home n them.” The onus is on the person: to trust his word. Can we trust the word of another? We do it all the time with friends and family. But can we trust others who are not friends or family? People who are different in race and creed and political affiliation? Can we make that jump? Can we pull down those walls, as the Germans did in 1989? As the South Africans did in 1994? As the Irish did in 1998? These were all mega-exercises of trust.

But as we look around today at Syria, at Libya and (still) at Zimbabwe, we realise how much ground there is still to cover. And there are people in the American election wanting to build new walls. To “keep my word” is to trust in the message. Luther wrote of the power of the word. The Church in his time tended to emphasise actions which were external. They did not draw on the heart. They did not change people. Accepting “the word” is like being thrown off your horse, as Paul was. When people reach out to one another across barriers the result is electric. Think of the Filipinos who, when faced with armed soldiers, went up to them and put flowers down the barrels of their guns!

That was perhaps unique. But some kind of breakthrough is needed before we can begin to answer Msipa’s question. There has to be some kind of reaching out to others who are different. Those who are not our family or friends or party or race or religion. Those who are different in that they are poor or handicapped or old or in prison. The “word” – or better the Word - challenges us. It also redeems us and gives us life.      

1 May 2016                                         Easter Sunday 6C

Acts 15:1… 29                                   Rev 21:10 … 23                                 John 14:23-29

REMAIN IN MY LOVE

PRAYER PAUSE

Thursday 28 April 2016   

REMAIN IN MY LOVE

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Remain in my love as I remain in my Father’s love.” (John 15:9-11)

Reflection. These chapters speak much of belonging, staying, being in union. We are made for union. Marriage means the union of two people, finding fulfilment in one another. Ultimately, we are made for union with God and this union underlies all relationships and gives solidity to them, whatever the tempestuous experiences we have.

Prayer. Lord, lead us into this ultimate belonging. Help us to know we are not made to be alone. Amen

YOU ARE THE BRANCHES

PRAYER PAUSE

Wednesday 27 April 2016   

YOU ARE THE BRANCHES

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me with me in them bears fruit in plenty.” (John 15:1-8)

Reflection. We look for fruit on the branches, not on the trunk. God’s action in the world is seen in what people do; God is invisible. We have the awesome task of representing, of showing in action, who God is and what he wants for his world. God will simply be “unknown” unless we do something. “All the fruit is in the branches,” Mother Teresa used to say. Our actions are in our devout life and charity, yes, but these are shown foremost in our commitment to justice and compassion. I have just finished reading David Coltart’s account of fifty years of struggle in Zimbabwe and you can almost ‘touch’ God’s hand in it.

Prayer. Lord, help us to be your heart, head and hands in the daily struggles of our world. Amen

MY PEACE I GIVE YOU

PRAYER PAUSE

Tuesday 26 April 2016   

MY PEACE I GIVE YOU

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.” (John 14:27-31)

Reflection. When Pedro Arrupe, later Superior General of the Jesuits, emerged from a month’s solitary confinement in Japan during the war, he said to his guards, “Thank you very much!” They were utterly astonished and had no idea what he meant. The world does not give the sort of peace Arrupe enjoyed during those weeks. It happens on another level. It is the breaking through of a perspective of life foreign to what is raw and immediate. We are offered more than that and while we long for the peace that Jesus gives we want others to have it also.

Prayer. Jesus, may we know the peace that only you can give. Amen

ALL IS WELL AGAIN

PRAYER PAUSE

Monday 25 April 2016, St Mark   

ALL IS WELL AGAIN

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “You will have to suffer only for a little while; The God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will see that all is well again; he will confirm, strengthen and support you.” (1 Peter 5:5-14)

Reflection. Mark’s gospel is full of energy but he subtly weaves into his narrative the incomprehension of most of those to whom Jesus preached; even the disciples. One of the key “heroes” is Bartimaeus who goes straight to the point: he forgets his years of blindness and throws away his cloak, reaches out to Jesus and follows him “along the way.” Perhaps Bartimaeus still had much to suffer but now he knew. And he bore all gladly knowing all would be well.

Prayer. Jesus, we know we are often like the disciples “wondering and in a daze.” We ask for the faith to see you our daily challenges and to believe that “all will be well.” Amen

GLORY

GLORY

When the West Indian cricket captain held up the trophy after beating England in the 20/20 finals in Kolkata recently it was a glorious moment. The anticipation and tension had risen to almost unbearable limits as the match wore on. But in the end some deft scoring clinched the game and the Caribbean went wild with joy.

Glory comes from vision, a passion for the truth, being prepared to suffer and persevering. These qualities are present in countless human activities. I have just seen Spotlight, a film on the cover-up by the Boston Catholic Archdiocese of the abuse of children by priests. The local paper, the Boston Globe, discovers the traces of the cover up with regard to one priest and when journalists investigate they find that 6% of all the priests in the diocese over a given period were under suspicion of being implicated.

The archdiocese dealt with cases out of court, that is, without publicity, and there is a neat moment of truth when one of the victims, who is questioned by reporters, tells them, “I tried to tell you all this years ago but you wouldn’t listen!” This momentarily unsettles the journalists who realise their own paper was involved in a cover-up of its own.

The film is gripping as it uncovers layer upon layer of secrecy and hypocrisy and works towards a tense crescendo. Finally all the pieces are in place; the story breaks and heads start rolling, ending with the Archbishop himself, Cardinal Law. A final griping moment comes after the film is over and we are shown a list of all the other cities in the States, followed by all the countries in the world, where cases have been discovered and are being investigated.

We easily remember Jesus’ words; “everything that is covered up will be uncovered” (Matt.10:26), and, “the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). When we see this happening in a film like Spotlight it is a cause for rejoicing? Here we have dedicated actors and film crews telling the story of equally dedicated journalists and lawyers telling the truth about the Church today. We know that it is not only some priests who abuse children. There are plenty of reports of other adults doing it, often to their own relatives. What we can rejoice in is the story coming out in the open and the huge reaction that in future will help protect children from this damage which causes havoc with their lives.

When I had finished watching the film I was left with deep sadness but also with joy that such revelations are breaking through. They will purify and humble us in the Church and lead to much greater awareness of vulnerable people everywhere. This too is glory – pain leading to victory. When Jesus is approaching his passion, the passion of the world, he uses the word ‘glory’ five times (in five lines of John’s gospel 13:31). His passion and resurrection, his pain and victory, are what real glory is all about.

24 April 2016                         Easter Sunday 5C

Acts 14:21-27                         Rev 21:1-5                              John 13:31-35         

YOU KNOW MY FATHER

PRAYER PAUSE

Saturday 23 April 2016   

YOU KNOW MY FATHER

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7-14)

Reflection. We read the Acts in Easter time with all its feverish activity. Today it is Paul in Pisidia (13:44ff). In contrast our gospel, while it is his last sharing with his disciples, sounds like a quiet teaching session of Jesus about his relationship, and ours, with the Father. While Jesus’ words stretch us to the limit, in effect he is introducing us to God, revealing him to us. Jesus has this desire to reveal to us everything we can possibly understand. But we know from the great mystics, like John of the Cross, there is no way we can come close to really understanding. But we know God even so.

Prayer. Lord, we thank you for revealing the Father as far as we can understand. Help us to love and serve him in all people. Amen

THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY SEA

PRAYER PAUSE

Friday 22 April 2016   

THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY SEA

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.” (Rev 21:1-5)

Reflection. We have a feast of Mary today and we are given her standing by the cross. The scene expands in our imagination to take in all the implications of God’s intervention in our history. The cross will bear fruit, bringing about a new creation and we can now glimpse it happening in our midst. All the struggles we daily encounter and all the struggles of our contemporaries are acts in the great work to bring about this new creation. And God is with us and Mary stands with us interceding and working with us.

Prayer. Lord, may we live in hope and joy in the knowledge that you work with us in building something new. Amen

 PRAYER PAUSE

Friday 22 April 2016   

THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY SEA

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.” (Rev 21:1-5)

Reflection. We have a feast of Mary today and we are given her standing by the cross. The scene expands in our imagination to take in all the implications of God’s intervention in our history. The cross will bear fruit, bringing about a new creation and we can now glimpse it happening in our midst. All the struggles we daily encounter and all the struggles of our contemporaries are acts in the great work to bring about this new creation. And God is with us and Mary stands with us interceding and working with us.

Prayer. Lord, may we live in hope and joy in the knowledge that you work with us in building something new. Amen

THE ONE I SEND

PRAYER PAUSE

Thursday 21 April 2016, St Anselm   

THE ONE I SEND

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Whoever welcomes the one I send welcome me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” (John 13:16-20)

Reflection. Growing up in Ireland I remember a particular year being called the “Year of Welcome.” It had a commercial ring, to attract tourists, but it was also an in-born desire to welcome visitors – something the Irish are good at! To receive someone, to welcome them, is to fulfil a call rooted in scripture – as when Abraham welcomed the three strangers who changed his life. Now Jesus says to welcome “the one” is to welcome him and the Father. Who is the one? He or she is the person who comes into my life at every moment, whether I am delighted to see them or disturbed by them..

Prayer. Lord, teach us to welcome the one who comes – whoever that be. Amen

THE ONE WHO SENT ME

PRAYER PAUSE

Wednesday 20 April 2016   

THE ONE WHO SENT ME

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in the one who sent me.” (John 12:44-50)

Reflection. John’s gospel is full of movement, procession, sending. Jesus comes from the Father, sent by the Father, and returning to the Father. He sends the apostles “as the Father sent me.” I write this by the sea and there is constant movement of the waters echoing the constant movement of our lives. Jesus gives purpose and direction to this movement. It is not just ‘seasons come, seasons go.’ We are moving towards a goal, a destiny, an omega point, what the scholars call the ‘eschaton’, the final fulfilment of all. It is beautiful to see the energy in human life, especially among those who know where they are going.

Prayer. Lord, fill us with your creative energy and enthusiasm to fulfil all that is in us – each part of the whole. Amen

WALKING UP AND DOWN

PRAYER PAUSE

Tuesday 19 April 2016   

WALKING UP AND DOWN

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “It was winter and Jesus was walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon.” (John 10:22-30)

Reflection. Those who attended Karl Rahner’s lectures say his habit was to walk back and forth in the lecture hall without looking at the students, intent only on thinking out what he was saying. Jesus, too, pondered, as he walked to and fro, how things had gone and what he would do next. When he does speak it is about knowledge and ends with the astonishing statement, “The Father and I are one.” We ponder Jesus pondering and seek to ponder deeply too.

Prayer. Lord, help us to create space to ponder; to weight the events of our life in the light of your life and words. Amen

THIS SATISFIED THEM

PRAYER PAUSE

Monday 18 April 2016   

THIS SATISFIED THEM

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “This account satisfied them … ‘God can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life’.” (Acts 11:1-18)

Reflection. At this point in The Acts Peter has been challenged why he was consorting with gentiles. He gives the Jewish Christian leaders in Jerusalem a full explanation of how he was called to the house of Cornelius and they recognised it was the work of the Spirit and were satisfied. They “knew the voice” even if it was quite a rupture in their way of thinking. It is sometimes hard to recognise the positive values in some events today, events that at first unsettle us; migrants coming to our country, widespread acceptance of same sex marriages.

Prayer. Lord, help us to be open, as well as critically sharp, in our attitudes to developments in our time. Amen

THEY KNOW ME

THEY KNOW ME

Walter Hostel welcomes one hundred and fifty children with disabilities. The home is run by Catholic sisters in the Don Bosco complex in Masvingo. Sr Maria described to a group of us on a visit last week how many of the children come from poor families who cannot pay anything for their keep. Some parents are so embarrassed by their poverty that they simply leave the children at the gate without a word.

Some children live with such disabilities that they soil themselves  continually and the laundry room has to do a wash four times a day  The sisters have a chicken and gardening project to try to meet the wages of the eight workers, but it is never enough. They used to have a donor in Switzerland but he had a stroke and the money ceased to come.

Sr Maria told us all this in a cheerful matter of fact way without a hint of how difficult it must be nor did she appeal to us to “find donors.” She was happy to do something to cheer the children’s lives as they often met with disregard and coldness at home and they loved coming to the hostel after the school holidays. We had a tour of the buildings – basic and colourless but spotless.

I was thinking of Maria when reading this Sunday’s words of Jesus, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.” She is one of those who are in tune with what Jesus is trying to do in our suffering world. She has few resources but she is quietly responding to the real needs of fragile people. They need food and warmth and they also need acceptance and love. The sisters just get on with it and trust that they will manage somehow. And they do.

I have lived in a world of projects and budgets and funding and worries about shortfalls. I was quite moved to see a place where there is no such security. This is not to say they are not alert to any who can help. But they do not give up because “the funding has dried up.” This extra push is according to the mind of the Good Shepherd. This “going against” the desire for security may sound like madness, like irresponsibility. But it is what the Resurrection of Jesus is all about.

It seemed like crazy for Paul to take on the gentile world and travel ceaselessly, meeting opposition everywhere. But he did. That same crazy spirit inspires many today and it goes all against our culture of insurance, health and safety regulations, etc. These all have their place. But the courage to set out without knowing where resources will come from, as the sisters and staff of Walter Hostel do, is a sign and a star lighting up our over cautious world.

17 April 2016                         Easter Sunday 4C

Acts 13:14 43-52                    Rev 7: 9 …17                         John 10:27-30

MANY DREW BACK

PRAYER PAUSE (A change of name!)

Saturday 16 April 2016   

MANY DREW BACK

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:60-69)

Reflection. The Church, with all its pock marks, is a leaven. There are swarths of good people doing the best they can who do not affiliate to the Church and they might well reject the belief that the Church has been a light, often murky, through the ages. Many can’t take her moral, or even her sacramental, teaching – as here in John at the beginning. Yet it seems to me the Church is a hearth, a light. a leaven, for the nations and that she has, and will continue to have, an influence on the human family and our task is to stoke that centre which gives light to the world.    

Prayer. Lord, we too sometimes feel like “drawing back.” Help us to see our calling to be men and women for others. Amen

WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?

PRAYER PAUSE (A change of name!)

Friday 15 April 2016   

WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: He heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:1-20)

Reflection. There are many conversions in the story of the early Church and Saul of Tarsus is the most famous of them. We know he was hostile to the “followers of the Way” and he was ready to take violent means to destroy them. Then comes this sudden “light all around him.”  His eyes are opened and he sees clearly. He goes on to become a light to the gentiles as Simeon had foretold Jesus would be. Our own journey of conversion is less dramatic but calls us each day to open our eyes to see how God is at work in our complex modern world.

Prayer. Lord, open our eyes too to see you in the culture and politics of our age. Amen

THE BREAD OF LIFE

PRAYER MOMENT

Thursday 14 April 2016   

THE BREAD OF LIFE

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “I am the living bread that has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:44-51)

Reflection. There is the bread of our social relations, the internet and What’s App. There is the bread of our work and family and way of life; and the bread of art and music and literature. There are so many ways we are nourished. The bread of life – that Jesus speaks of – is not just one more bread. It is the one that takes up all the others and gives context and meaning and nourishment at our deepest level. That is why people hunger for the Eucharist: they recognise that it gives meaning to all other “breads” and brings all to fulfilment.

Prayer. Lord, may we hunger for the bread of life! Amen

WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY

PRAYER MOMENT

Wednesday 13 April 2016   

WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35-40)

Reflection. I met someone yesterday who was yearning for a solution. There could be no peace of heart until their challenge was resolved. Hunger comes in many forms and no one escapes a sense of longing for what they do not have or have only partially. We read John after Easter because he is the one who describes so insistently the mission of Jesus from the Father to fill our empty hearts and give us peace.

Prayer. Lord, teach us to know what it means, “to come to you.” Amen

YOU ARE ALWAYS RESISTING

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 12 April 2016   

YOU ARE ALWAYS RESISTING

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “You stubborn people … You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.” (Acts 7:51-8:1)

Reflection. Stephen was provocative and announced a hard judgement on the Jewish leaders. They were infuriated and they stoned him. As we look at those men we may well understand them. They were locked into their world view and reacted predictably to any challenge to it. We have to place ourselves there and be constantly open to new experiences and influences and judge them for their worth. Any person or influence that opens our mind is welcome. We listen and try to see the truth, or otherwise, of it. Education (ex ducare, to lead out) is the great blessing that opens us to others and draws us closer to them.

Prayer. Lord, may we not resist your Spirit but be open to it in whatever way it comes to us. Amen

Sorry!

Can't manage today. Sorry!

THE JOY OF LOVE

THE JOY OF LOVE

Various reasons are given as to why John’s gospel has an extra chapter at the end. One could be that the author wanted to emphasize that love should reign at the centre of the Church’s service of the world. The disciples go about their ordinary business: fishing. And while they are at it – and not doing well – Jesus appears on the shore but they don’t know him. He gives them a word of advice and they net a large catch. They realise who he is: “the Lord!”

They have a meal together and then Jesus calls Peter to three professions of love and three commands of service. Peter is to be the rock, the centre, and if he is to encourage his brothers and sisters he needs to couple his three denials of Jesus, on that dreadful night, with three protests of love. Poor Peter! We sense his emotions. And we know his love would take him where he “would rather not go.”

Two days ago Pope Francis issued his letter about the synod sessions that took place in 2014 and 2015. He calls it Laetitia Amoris, the Joy of Love. It is quite long and I have only seen a summary but even that touche me with joy. If I am right, Francis says, we do not need more rules about marriage and the family. We already know the mind of the Lord and the ideals the Church puts before us from her reflection on the gospel.

What we need now is love, expressed in compassion and understanding. We are called to change our way of thinking and cease being caught up in what is permissible and what is not. We are to strive for what is right, the ideal – in marriage and family and in all social relations. But our default position has to cease to be reference to the rule book and become one of love and compassion, especially for people in difficult situations.

Someone close to me went through a divorce some years ago and then married a divorcee. He became angry with the Church for her attitude at the time; he felt, ‘from now on I am excluded. The Church has cast me out.’ And so he left. We know he is not alone and there are many who feel the Church insists on law rather than love.

After more than two years of consultation, reflection and prayer, the pope has come out with this message: do not judge; do not condemn. Rather, respect the conscience of others and their decision. Show your love and try to understand and welcome them. Do not abandon your ideals but be deeply compassionate about others who think and act differently.

Yes, we can say, “provided that …” Provided that they really have made a conscientious decision and are not just doing what they want without any reference to the ideals the Church upholds. But we can slip back into rigourism and being judgemental. The key is love. To love the person and discover the joy this love gives and the new life which follows for them and for me.

10 April 2016                         Easter Sunday 3C

Acts 5:27…41                        Revelation 5:11-14                             John 21: 1-19

THEY MADE A COMPLAINT

PRAYER MOMENT

Saturday 9 April 2016   

THEY MADE A COMPLAINT

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists mad a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distributions their own widows were being overlooked.” (Acts 6:1-7)

Reflection. Shortly after the birth of the Church, which Luke describes as mirroring the birth of Jesus in his first book, problems arise. Here is one: a complaint about discrimination. It is rapidly and effectively dealt with. In the process we have the emergence of what later became known as the office of deacon, which served the Church for centuries, then fell into abeyance and has been recently revived. It is one of those moments when a crisis leads to a new leap forwards and it reminds us of the role of crises in our own personal and civic lives. The pain that we want to avoid is the very stuff that leads us to new heights.

Prayer. Lord, let us not be discouraged in the face of crises but may we see in them your call to new openings. Amen

YOU WILL BEAR A SON

PRAYER MOMENT (For next four days I will be out of range of internet)

Monday 4 April 2016, The Annunciation (from 25 March)   

YOU WILL BEAR A SON

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.” (Luke 1:26-38)

Reflection. Like the recurring circle on a computer screen our year ends and begins again. We celebrate Easter at the time of the year when we also celebrate the announcing of the incarnation: “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The seed begins here and flowers at Christmas. The disciples, and soon thousands, were “dumbfounded” at the resurrection bur it all begins with Mary dumfounded at the words of Gabriel. The incarnation, after all, is the incredible foundation of our faith and hope.

Prayer. Lord, help us, with Mary, to wonder and ponder your love for the world and each one of us. Amen

I CAN MANAGE

I CAN MANAGE

Everyone experiences Good Friday, but not everyone experiences Easter Sunday. Good Friday is part of the “package” of being human. Easter Sunday is too but it does not come automatically; it has to be welcomed. Some sort of frustration and suffering is part of our life from our earliest days but we have to willingly receive the turning of that suffering into joy. St Thomas is the patron saint of those who resist this process.

All four gospel writers insist on the disbelief of those who had been close to Jesus when rumours went around that he had risen from the dead. Some had actually given up and gone home (Emmaus) or returned to their old jobs (fishing). Even when he stood before them “they just could not believe it.” Gently, even humourously (“have you anything to eat?”) he leads them to believe.

The five weeks of Lent are followed by the five weeks of Easter. We are quick to hear bad news; it takes time for us to receive good news. We seem to have a built in resistance to it.

Growing up, I used to help on the farm and one day we were dosing cattle. When we’d finished it was my job to drive them back to the field. I ran ahead of them to open the gate and then ran back to drive them through it. Did I need help? No! I could manage on my own. The cattle proved obstinate and ignored the open gate so I had to run round them and head them back. They again ignored the gate. This game went on several times but I would not give up and ask for help. My father let me have my way until I was totally frustrated and then quietly came along and we did it together.   

We fiercely defend our independence. We know who we are and we have made up our minds how to live our lives. We don’t like interference. Jesus’ rising from the dead did not fit into Thomas’ world. It disturbed his confident view of who he was and how he ran his life. Yes, Jesus was a great teacher and he, Thomas, was ready to die for him (John 11:16). But that made sense; lots of people are prepared to follow, and die for, charismatic leaders. But this rising from the dead made no sense.

Receiving the resurrection, as the early disciples gradually came to do, changed everything. Suddenly the meaning of Jesus’ message “while I was with you” became clear. The ancient stories and prophecies began to make sense and their own lives took on a new meaning. We cannot read the early chapters of Acts without being astonished. These uneducated men of Galilee are lecturing the Sanhedrin. Are they really the people we knew before? This is the good news for each of us. But it doesn’t come automatically. We have to “receive” the resurrection.     

3 April 2016                           Easter Sunday 2C

Acts 5:12-16                           Revelations 1:1…19                           John 20:19-31

THEY DID NOT BELIEVE

PRAYER MOMENT

Easter Saturday 2 April 2016   

THEY DID NOT BELIEVE

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “He showed himself to two of them on their way to the country. They went back and told the others who did not believe them.” (Mark 16:9-15)

Reflection. It is hard to understand why Mark is so negative about the disciples. In the body of the gospel they are in a daze and here at the end they do not believe. The other writers, recounting the same event, tell us they were dumbfounded but they did come to believe. Perhaps it helps our unbelief because we read the passages but can often fail to transpose what we call our belief into real events that happen around us. It is OK to sing ‘alleluia’ but what happens when life disappoints us?

Prayer. Lord, help us to interpret the events of our life in the light of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Amen