Today’s Mass readings show the difference which is made to people when they encounter and spend time with the risen Jesus. Fr Richard reflects on what this means for us.
Readings for Easter Saturday can be found here.
Have you ever noticed a visible difference in someone after they’ve been somewhere or had some experience? Perhaps they’ve had a really good holiday and come back rejuvenated, positively glowing. Or the person has been to an inspiring conference and returns brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. Maybe they’ve met someone new and fallen in love, and you can just see the difference in them.
Today’s first reading follows on from yesterday’s passage, where Peter and John had been arrested after healing a lame man in the Temple. Brought before the elders and scribes, Peter gave a bold and defiant speech about what God had done in Jesus. Today we are told that those same elders recognise two things. First, they know that Peter and John are uneducated, so where does their eloquence come from? The answer comes in the next sentence: “… they recognised that they had been with Jesus”. This is what made the difference to Peter and John. They had spent time with Jesus, listened to him, and followed him, and were now filled with his Spirit.
In the Gospel, we are reminded of various encounters with the risen Jesus: Mary Magdalene at the tomb, the two on the road to Emmaus, and the eleven in the upper room. Despite these repeated meetings, doubt still lingers. Jesus rebukes the eleven for this, but still has faith in them, and sends them out to proclaim the Gospel to the world.
Our effectiveness as witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection will not depend on the strength of our learning or the eloquence of our speech. Instead, others will take notice when they realise there is something different about us, a difference borne of spending time with Jesus. This will not make us perfect. Like the disciples, we will still have doubts, uncertainties and failings. And yet Jesus can work with this; indeed it seems that he prefers those who struggle, since they are more relatable. But the power of Jesus’ presence can work through our imperfections and enable us to be his faithful witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 11.30am (Morning Prayer and Rosary at 11am).
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