John’s account of Jesus’ Resurrection speaks to the tremendous power of personal witness. Mary visited the tomb, mostly likely to anoint the body, since Jesus had been buried quickly to avoid ritual defilement for Passover, but she found the tomb empty. She did not keep this information to herself but ran to Peter and the other disciple—the apostle John. Mary was not afraid to tell them what she had experienced and act on what she had witnessed. She believed in what she saw and shared it. Such trust in God is at the heart of personal witness. We don’t know when our moment to witness to God’s love for all people will present itself. We don’t know when we will be asked to speak the truth that others may find challenging. We can, however, draw courage from Mary’s willingness to speak and to act. We are the powerful personal witnesses to Jesus in the world. Like Mary, we are invited to continue to speak the truth of Jesus, never knowing when our words and witness might draw others closer to God. How do you witness your faith in your daily life? How can you be a better witness to your faith? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, Alleluia, Bible, Burial cloths, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Christ is risen!, Church, Easter, Easter Season, Easter Sunday, God's love, Good News, Gospel, Gospel according to John, Jesus, Jesus' disciples, Jesus' tomb, Jesus’ Resurrection, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Magdala, personal witness, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, renew catholic program, RENEW International, resurrection, Scripture, Simon Peter, Sunday Gospel, trust in God, witness to faith, Word of God |
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Coming from Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” can be a troubling statement because it seems to undermine his faith in his own mission and in a God who loves him. Doesn’t Jesus know what’s to come? Doesn’t he believe that God is always with him? We can all relate to Jesus’ cry. In our times of trial, we, too, may want to call out to God and ask why we have been abandoned. The times in our lives when we feel most vulnerable are often the times when God seems distant. Jesus’ cry is taken from the beginning of Psalm 22. The anguish and pain of feeling alone pours out in the opening lines. Nevertheless, the author of the psalm does not turn away from God. On the contrary, he says, “you (God) are holy” (Ps 22:3) and “All the end of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him” (Ps 22:27). The psalm as a whole is not a cry of great despair and obstacles, but of great hope and faith. Jesus does not deny the profound physical and emotional pain of his situation. But through his pain, he challenges us to identify with the author of the psalm who cries out to God and praises God in the same breath. This challenge goes to the heart of one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith: simultaneously loving a gracious God and not denying the sorrows of human life. We are invited to remember that while pain is real, it is also temporary. But the love God has for us is eternal. When have you experienced love coming out of a painful situation? What did it teach you? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, Bible, calling out to God, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Christian faith, community, faith, God always with you, God who loves you, God's love, Good News, Gospel, gracious God, Jesus, Jesus' mission, Lent, Mark 15:33, Mass, My God My God, my god my god why have you foresaken me, painful situation, Palm Sunday, Passion Play, prayer, psalm, Psalm 22, renew catholic program, RENEW International, Scripture, Son of God, sorrows of human life, Sunday Gospel, why have you forsaken me?, Word of God |
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