Saturday in the Octave of Easter
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April 18, 2020During this week of Easter, Celebrating the octave, eight days as Easter itself, we hear several different accounts of the occurrences with Jesus after His Resurrection.
In Mark’s Gospel today we hear about Mary Magdalene’s witness and the apostles not believing her, a summary of the road to Emmaus which we heard in longer form earlier this week, and then Jesus appearing to the eleven and reprimanding them for not believing. Faith has so many levels. We see it all around us: there are the people who claim to believe in Jesus and it stops there; there are those who believe and are loyal to attending Mass or their denomination’s service; there are those who have to believe by proof; and there are those who have taken what Jesus did and said into their hearts and are Alive in every aspect.
This last group are on the highest level. It is ironic, that Mary Magdalene who was considered a public sinner, came to know Jesus, believed in His works and Words, while the apostles who were with Jesus day after day and saw all the miracles first hand, and heard all the teachings directed to them, are slow at believing, beginning with doubt.
Now about 2000 years later, we are in the same situation. Often the people who place their trust in God simply and whole-heartedly have no problem believing. These are people like the people from whom I have received many calls and who want their Jesus during this pandemic, not matter the cost.
Then the range continues all the way to the scientific, who are not sure about transmitting the diseases and thus, we have closed churches for safety. Which are you, and which am I?
We’ve seen the miracles first hand by reading the Bible, knowing the Eucharist, and the many daily miracles that many of us have seen of unexplainable cures or events. We have heard the teachings first hand from hearing the Bible and teachings about it, and reading the Bible ourselves.
Are we like Mary Magdalene and believe or do we doubt many things or Jesus’ influence and wonders like the Apostles did? I often use this acronym for Faith.
F-A-I-T-H, standing for being Fully Alive In The Holy. When we are fully alive in the Holy, when we are fully alive in Jesus’ Word and Eucharist and allow him to touch our hearts and minds, this is when we truly have fulness of Faith. This is when we are fully alive in the Holy and this is what will guarantee our everlasting life.
