Having Faith is Bearing Witness

Weekly Missionary Reflection
3rd Sunday of Easter, 14 April 2024
Acts 3:13-15,17-19; Ps. 4:2,4,7,9; 1John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48

The hearts and minds of the disciples were wearied by fear, closed with sadness. For them, the cross was the end! The message of resurrection seemed nonsense. Even the appearance of the Lord could not make them believe. Their feeling was mixed with joy and confusion. It’s unclear which feeling was stronger! It looks like that Luke would like to teach us what faith is. First, having faith is surpassing the limit of the brain. Why? Because the doubt always exists. It is even an essential part of the faith journey. As disciples, we must dare to leap: believe though we doubt. Faith is always full of tension and struggle: between believing and disbelieving, between certainty and self-surrender, between the wandering of the mind and the obedience of the soul. Anyway, doubt is necessary, do not be embarrassed of it!

Second, faith is not just an effort. Only God can encourage us to make a leap of faith. Jesus tries anyway to make the disciples believe that His resurrection is real. First, from His greeting. While the disciples were busy speaking, Jesus stood in their midst and said: “Peace be with you!” The peaceful greeting of Jesus drove away their fear and confusion. Jesus convinced them with His appearance. He came and stood in their midst. His resurrection is not a nonsense and day-dream of the disciples, but a real appearance of the Lord. The disciples experienced and felt the real appearance. They were invited to “see” and “touch” Him. Jesus even ate in front of them. Eating “in front of them” proves that Jesus is alive, in real and physically. Eventually, Jesus explains His signs in the Scripture. The faith in resurrection can only be understood in the light of the Scripture. The mystery of Jesus is the mystery of “fulfillment”: everything written about Him “must” be fulfilled.

Third, faith is also a mission. We often take faith as a personal consumption and matter. Having faith is bearing witness. All disciples, in the past and now, are called to bear witness to the Lord who died and is risen. That is the Good News to the world. Why? Because with His resurrection, Jesus opens the gate of forgiveness. With the resurrection of Jesus, God’s forgiveness is granted to all of us, at no cost, in abundance, once and forever.

(Hortensius Mandaru – Indonesian Bible Society)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:

Universal Church Intent: For the role of women
We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.

Indonesian Church Intent: Mental Health
We pray for the sensitivity of our society in recognizing people with mental health and mental disorders and making any effort to assist them in maintaining their faith.

Amen.