The love of God

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 18, 2021

The most important task entrusted to us as Christians is to be witnesses. It was also the mandate that Jesus gave to His disciples after His resurrection, to be his witnesses throughout the world. Mary of Magdala, Peter and John, and in today’s gospel, Cleopas and the other unnamed disciple, all respond to this call to be witnesses. There are at least three ways in which one can be a witness: to speak on behalf of another, to live and act like the one in whose name you are witnessing, and finally to die in that same person’s name, if necessary; that is what martyrdom means. Jesus died witnessing to the father. The disciples and saints died witnessing to Christ. We are called to witness to what we have seen and celebrated: the mystery of his passion death and resurrection. When we kissed the cross on Good Friday, after 40 days of Lenten penance, we renewed our commitment to Him. We embraced the values for which He was nailed to the cross in obedience to the will of the father. Having been raised with Christ, we are called to preach the gospel not only with the boldness of Peter and the rest of the disciples but to embody the values of the gospel, in such a way that the love of God may be perfected in us. The resurrected Jesus brings us His peace today as He invites us to live our faith with the courage and conviction of a true disciple, witnessing to Him every time and everywhere. Loving God, grant that we may experience you and your love, in the celebration of your Word, in the breaking of bread and in our communion with one another. Open our eyes, like those of your disciples, to see you every day in a loving relationship with all around us, Amen.