Throughout the Easter Season, we hear readings from the Acts
of the Apostles. These are meant to
remind us of how the Church formed after Jesus’ ascent into heaven, how a sense
of community identity brought disparate individuals together so that they might
be of one heart, and one mind, and so that they might go forth with a common
mission.
The first disciples were not quite so sure of
themselves. In this week’s Gospel, they
have locked themselves in their room out of fear of outside forces. The post-Resurrection Jesus brings them peace
– Shalom, he says, Peace be with you. By breathing on them, Jesus is breathing life
into the community, inviting them to open themselves God’s love in their lives,
and to bring that love to the world: As the Father has sent me, so I send you. One week later, Thomas, invited by Jesus to
touch his wounds, has a radical conversion experience: My Lord and my God! he exclaims.
He, too, is now ready to go forth and proclaim the Good News.
This is the conversion we are called to as well, so that we,
like the disciples, might bear witness to
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We belong to one faith community; we come together to pray; we are sent
forth (Ita missa est) to live in
community. Our awareness of belonging is
part and parcel of the intimacy we share in Christ, the love that joins us to
one another in Eucharist, so that we might love
the children of God as we love God himself.
This is our charge: to find a
common identity in faith, and to engage in a common mission, because of that
faith, namely, to bring the Spirit
that is truth to the world by sharing
the love of God with all we meet.
"Doubting Thomas," capital, Crypt of the Cathedral of Bayeux (11th c.)
No comments:
Post a Comment