Bearing Witness

Today’s Gospel Text:   But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; 27 and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 "I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. John 15:26-16:4a

Reflection: Every Christian is called to be a witness of Christ but the fact is that not all are witnesses of Christ Jesus.

What does it take to be a witness of Christ Jesus?

There are two things that are evident from the gospel in order to be a witness of Christ Jesus:

1) One needs to be having the help of the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Christ in their lives. (vs. 26)

In other words not just the Holy Spirit, which many claim that they have received in baptism but also his constant help and guidance, his witnessing quality to work in their lives.

The Holy Spirit constantly bears witness to Christ in us. It is an ongoing work which has begun in us in baptism and yet not if we do not allow him to speak to us about the Christ first revealed to us in his incarnation.  

2) One needs to be with Christ (vs. 27)

In other words, seeking the company of the one who is with us as Emmanuel; which means seeking his face daily through prayer and in and through his sacramental presence so easily available to us.

It also means learning at his feet with the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts in the ways of Christ Jesus.

If one does that then there are signs that will accompany them to confirm their calling as witness. These sign s are not just miracles and healings but also persecution for the faith.

“They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.”  (vs. 16:2)

Let us ask ourselves in the light of the above: Are we witnesses of Christ Jesus and thus are we true Christians or are we pseudo-Christians?

Prayer:  Lord we know that we cannot bear witness to unseen realities without encountering them in our daily lives. Teach us to be guided by your Spirit of truth.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Hold on to Jesus

Today’s Gospel Text:  But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:11-18

Reflection: Mary’s post resurrection experience could have been one of the most beautiful experiences ever: Imagine Mary of Magdalene having a peep into the darkest tomb and she having seen two angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus was laid.

That may have been really a peaceful and beautiful sight to behold; for who can see an angel and not experience the peace of the angel and yet she does not recognize them.   

She fails to recognize his voice too; the most soothing voice until Jesus calls her by name even though the Lord stood a little behind her. Maybe she did not recognize him, in all probability, in keeping with her single hearted mission 

If not the term 'Lord', she needed to use the more humble words "Rabboni (teacher)" in keeping with her sorry state; for she needed to learn from the great teacher the truths of life and after life, the truth about God and his nature.  

He was the resurrected Jesus whom she has encountered and she was not to hold him as yet; thus the first lesson on spirituality from the teacher:   The words of Jesus seem to communicate that she could hold him once he has ascended to his Father.

And that is what all believers in Jesus Christ the resurrected Lord, are supposed to do. He who was particular is going to be universally available to everyone who believes and that too in a particular way.

He will be much more available and closer to us than he was before his resurrection and that is how he becomes Emmanuel; God with us.

“(In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)”  Eph 4:9-10,  and that primarily includes the ones who believe beginning with Pentecost. 

Prayer:  Lord, we believe that you are with us now and even comes to dwell in us. Fill us that that we may never feel your absence, especially in our trials and sorrows.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

God is not just Up

Scripture/Bible:  But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." 18 This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. 30 "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. John 5:17-30

Reflection:  We worry, we fret about things and get worked up about small matters. If this is how we handle small things then how will we handle the bigger challenges of life?

As Christians it is never an excuse to be worrying about anything, more so since we believe in a God who is provident and is with us.

We worry as if God is distanced from us and that he created a world and left it to humans to work on it.  Worst still, at a universal and external level we are worried and worked up and prepare a plan and agenda to save the planet earth and talk about global warming and interpret the signs of the time as purely a creation of human greed rather than attributing it to human sin; the rejection of God and his plan.

Jesus in this Gospel text is clearly communicating to us that he is still working and that his Father is working still.   In other words; God is still at work in creation and that creation exists and things still move and days and night still in place and the livestock, crops and vegetations still produce, is all because of his providence. (Cfr. Mt. 6:25-33)

Further, God in Christ Jesus further bridges the gap between him and us and that very reason he was working still as the incarnate Son of God (cfr. 2 Cor. 5:19). In the necessary death and resurrection of Jesus, Emmanuel, God has made himself present with us all the more and in every way identifies with our human sufferings, pains and trials.  No longer is he just a provident God but he is now a God who is at work in us to will and work with us for our eternal Salvation. (Phil. 2:13)

Prayer:   Lord, to you I come as my Savior and redeemer, save me by helping me recognize your presence with me.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us