Reflections

Fear is an emotion with which we are all familiar as it often hinders our lives from being the people we want to be. We can think of many situations in life such as the fear of being laughed at, being out of fashion or regarded as weaklings. We often fail to stand up for what we know to be just and right in our hearts. Maybe in the company we keep there is danger of losing friends, by going to church, refusing to take part in gossip, or saying no to drugs. For evil to triumph, all that is required is for good people to remain silent.

The feast of Corpus Christi was instituted to focus special attention on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is a celebration of the generosity of the Lord to us, on offering Himself as food to satisfy our spiritual and material hunger as we journey through life. As pilgrims on the road of life we suffer from many hungers but the greatest hunger of all is the yearning for a deeper meaning to life. This is something no earthly bread can satisfy. In our struggle to find purpose, the Eucharist is of great help because it is an invitation to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

When we come to worship, we usually make the sign of the cross. The words with the holy action 'In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit' remind us that there are three persons in God. The feast of the Holy Trinity is a celebration of the mystery of God as a family of love. This reminds us of a simple truth which we often forget, God's plan is that we share in his life of glory. By our baptism we are raised to a level at which we become sharers in the family life of God. We are born of God the Father, God the Son becomes our brother, and the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This revelation of his inner life of three persons, in which we have a share, is one of God's greatest gifts to us and it is the model towards which all of us should aim and strive

We celebrate the birthday of the church because it was on the first Pentecost Sunday that the infant church was launched on course and took on its missionary role. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles with Mary in the form of tongues of fire while they were at prayer. The Holy Spirit gave them the courage to rush into the street and fearlessly preach the word of God to all. They were announcing the good news about the mighty works of God.

The Ascension marks the end of Christ's earthly mission and His glorious return to the Father. He had achieved the work he was sent to do. While the heavens wait for the arrival of the ascending Lord, the apostles must have been experiencing a deep sadness in their hearts at His departure. His final words 'I am with you always. Go make disciples of all nations' while full of comfort were urgent in meaning. He was entrusting them with the mission of making the love of God the Father known.

How interesting and timely the words of our Lord Jesus are for us. A personal moment is recorded when He speaks in the privacy of the upper room where He is celebrating the last supper with his closest friends- his apostles. He has the consoling promise that on His departure He will not leave them orphans but will send them His spirit. This is a preparation for Pentecost and the foundation of the church when the breath of the Holy Spirit will transform them into fearless preachers with a mission of spreading the gospel. Jesus did not leave the apostles to struggle with the Christian life without the help of the spirit and He won’t leave us either as we have His word for this.

As Christians we view life as a pilgrimage to the house of the Father. Jesus describes himself as leading the way to God the Father. It’s a rough passageway through the turmoils of this world, with certain sacrifices, sufferings and grief. Jesus travelled it and to negotiate it properly we need His guidance. He is the way, the truth and the life.

The most appealing image of all, and one that stands out is the figure of Christ as the good shepherd. In describing Himself as the Good Shepherd He is painting a beautiful picture of His loving care for the human family while emphasising how precious we are in the eyes of God. Each of us has a special place in His heart as He calls us by name and cares for us individually. He is our guardian and guide, constantly calling us home when we are inclined to stray.

The story of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus points at us and sheds light on our own situation in times of trial. With Jesus' death, the disciples' whole world had collapsed. Their distress is ours in many ways and their sadness sounds familiar to our ears. How many times have we walked the road to Emmaus?

My dear friends in Christ,
In this day and age, let's have a short and honest reflection on the depth of our own Easter faith and a time to ask the Lord to strengthen our conviction and trust in his word. How else as Christians are we linked across the centuries with the disciples of the early church if not by an unbreakable bond of faith? The bottom line of that faith is our belief in Christ.