REFLECTION on PENTECOST

Pentecost A (12 June 2011)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

He breathed fire on them

There is a series of films about Narnia and the latest is “the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” One of the characters is a little bit of a brat. He is called Eustace. In one point of the movie he is turned into a dragon, a fire-breathing dragon. When he breathes, the fire comes bursting forth from his mouth. Fire is something that is very powerful. It burns, it si hot (of course!) – it has energy and power and many uses. It can be used to provide heat and warmth, to drive a machine, to purify and clean and also to forge, like a sword that needs to be toughened will be put in the furnace as part of the process of forging the steel and making the sword tough.

This image of fire is one way that the Holy Spirit is commonly presented. Sometimes the Spirit is water, or a dove but also fire. In the account of Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles, we find “when the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” (see Acts 2, 1-11).

The Spirit comes as a strong wind and then appears to the apostles as tongues of fire, which come to rest on each one of them. So the gift of the Spirit is to the whole Church but it is also personal. An interesting question to ask is what is my personal experience of the Holy Spirit? Sometimes the Spirit can remain as rather abstract and mysterious person – we pray to Jesus, of course, and to the Father, yes, but the Holy Spirit? What was the effect of the coming of the Spirit in those first disciples? “They were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2,4). The crowd of listeners were amazed because they heard them speaking in their own tongues of the mighty acts of God (Acts 2, 11). The Spirit gave the disciples boldness to witness their faith. As Christians we need this same boldness to share about what God is doing in our lives. This weekend I went to celebrate a mass in a parish fiesta. I had prepared a homily but when I got there it seemed that they were going to use different readings. There were some details of the celebration such as giving a flower to Mother Mary and I was getting a bit lost and of course was worried how I would adapt the homily with only minutes to go. What to do? Ask the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit and strengthen all believers to be bold witnesses of God’s love. And the homily? It came out fine of course thanks to the previous prayerful preparation and the mighty work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of all the listeners!

With the coming of the Spirit our Lord wanted to transmit fire. In one moment of his earthly life he announced “I have come to set the earth on fire and how it wish is was already kindled!” (Luke 12,49) How is our love for Jesus? Is my heart on fire or has the fire gone out? The Spirit comes to set our hearts on fire. To burn up all our resistances and fears. That is why Jesus comes to his disciples and tells them “Peace be with you!” (See John 20, 19-23) After saying this he breathes on them. I love this moment! It reminds us of the breath of God at the beginning of creation, breathing the life giving Spirit into man (Gen 2,7). Jesus said to the disciples “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.”

Imagine Jesus breathing on the disciples. It is a gesture of intimacy because you cannot breath on someone unless you are close to them. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them, this Spirit of fire. It is as if Jesus blows fire on them. Have you ever seen someone blowing fire? It is rather dramatic. But this happened to the disciples. This timid group, who were behind locked doors because of fear of the Jews received the fire of the Spirit and everything changed. They started to proclaim the Word of God with boldness. They became crazy fire starters! Setting many hearts on fire for God. There is a song by a band called the Prodigy and it is called “I’m a crazy firestarter!” Those disciples gathered together received the fire of the Spirit when Jesus breathed on them and they really became crazy fire starters.

Each one of us as Christians, receiving the Holy Spirit are also called to set many hearts on fire. As parents, they are the first ones to transmit the faith to their children. But if they are only lukewarm in their task, then often the love of God in the family can grow cold. A young student in a University who is on fire with the love of God can give such a good testimony to others. I remember a Catholic rugby player who did not got rowdy and drunk with his teammates. What a great testimony he was and he inspired me so much.

Let us ask that with the coming of the Holy Spirit we too may be filled with fire! That when we speak about God it will be like fire is coming out of our mouths. Each one of use, when filled with the Spirit can light the fire of God’s love in many hearts, with our words and our actions. Come Holy Spirit and set our hearts on fire for love of God and neighbor. Amen.

6th Sunday of Easter

6^th Sunday of Easter A

(29 May 2011)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Prepare yourself for a great gift

When you are waiting for a gift as a child a common advice is “Hold out your hands and close your eyes.” The more ambitious you are the wider apart you hold your hands (as it means you are expecting a bigger gift!) In two weeks is coming a huge gift that is so great that the Son of God stretched his arms out wide on the cross for us and for our salvation. What or who is this gift? The Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? Once I went to celebrate a funeral mass for a woman in her 70’s who in her hayday was a Miss Philippines. I talked about the eternal life – the beauty that lasts for ever. Afterwards I asked a friend for some feedback. “How was the homily?” I asked him. He replied “the Holy Spirit is a great guy!” I think and hope he was telling me that the Holy Spirit through the preaching was able to touch the heart of each person. Or maybe my homily was so bad that he was telling me in a roundabout way! The liturgy of the Church today is all about the Holy Spirit because in two weeks we will celebrate Pentecost but we need time to prepare our hearts to receive such a great gift.

If we are able to talk about who is the Holy Spirit we have to give thanks to the so-called Capadoccian Fathers. There were three of them - Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa and their friend Gregory Nazianzen. They came from a region called Cappadocia (modern day Turkey) and lived in the 4^th century. At that time some doubted that the Holy Spirit was really God but the Capadoccian fathers fought for the divinity of the Holy Spirit. They said that if he is not God that we can never be sanctified. Eventually they won and their doctrine was incorporated into the creed of Nicea-Constantinople “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, with the Father and Son he is worshipped and glorified and has spoken through the prophets.” The second reading of today (1 Peter 3. 15-18) asks us to give reasons for our faith if we are asked. Thanks Capadoccian Fathers for your hard work and perseverance and for giving reasons for the faith of the Church in the Holy Spirit.

Each one of us has to be ready to give reasons for our faith. Many parents are often asked challenging questions by curious children. Great! It is a chance for them to fulfil the promise they made at the baptism of their children to be responsible for their child’s education in the faith. And for those who are able, or who are more able, how wonderful when you see Christians who can explain why the Church says what she does on some issues as euthanasia. Each and every Christian has a responsibility to be able to share the faith of the Church. We must not just leave it to others. Remember that evil happens when good people do nothing. Do I study my faith so I can give an explanation of the hope I live in?

The first reading today (Acts 8, 5-8. 14-17) )describes the work of the early Church in spreading the Gospel. Philip is in Samaria doing great things – miracles, driving out evil spirits and curing paralytics and cripples. The people were so happy that “the rejoicing rose to fever pitch”! Wow, sounds like a real party going on down there. When a person starts to listen to the Word of God similar things happen. Maybe before the person was paralysed, inactive in their faith. Sometimes vices can be paralysing like gambling or drinking – they can really cripple family life. When people live with hatred and a lack of forgiveness these are modern day evil spirits which need to be driven out. What evil spirits do we live with? Maybe the voice of pessimism “I will never change” or “I cannot get out of this mess.” Don’t think the devil only goes round with a cape and two red horns – often the bad spirit will work in our thoughts. The gospel can help us to become much stronger as people. I have met so many people in twelve years as a missionary, working in different countries, whose lives really change and undergo a “miracle” as they start to listen to the Word of God, praying with it and trying to live it out.

The Holy Spirit which Jesus promises us comes to help us in our needs. Jesus calls him the Paraclete which means helper, guide and comforter - "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.” (See John 14:15-21) The Paraclete will comfort us, console us and of course give us strength for the battle. One main task of the Spirit in us is to help us to pray.

One Saint who understood this is St Patrick, the patron of Ireland. Once he had a vision of the Holy Spirit praying inside of him, strengthening him. He wrote about it in his Confessions (dated 450AD) “And on a second occasion I saw Him praying within me, and I was as it were, inside my own body , and I heard Him above me - that is, above my inner self. He was praying powerfully with sighs. And in the course of this I was astonished and wondering, and I pondered who it could be who was praying within me. But at the end of the prayer it was revealed to me that it was the Spirit. And so I awoke and remembered the Apostle's words: 'Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we know not how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for utterance.' And again: 'The Lord our advocate intercedes for us.'” How great to know the Paraclete helps us to pray! (See Romans 8, 26). Thanks St Patrick for that amazing insight and sharing your experience of the Spirit with us. May each one of us do our part to make the Spirit more known and loved.

So let us prepare our hearts each day and especially as we approach Pentecost to receive a most wonderful and precious gift, the Holy Spirit. Amen.

5th Sunday of Easter

Don’t be afraid to ask directions!

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, was a man who discovered many secrets of the spiritual life in a self-imposed exile in a cave. He learned to discover the movements of the Spirit within and eventually produced his now famous, spiritual exercises. Many people have benefited from the insights of St Ignatius by attending Ignatian retreats. The focus of such a retreat is to put order in the inner life. Sometimes we are a little disordered externally because inside is a little chaotic! If you listen to the love life or emotional life of many people today it is quite disordered! Why? It can often be a reflection that inside all is not quite in order.

One important insight that St Ignatius had was the importance of asking. This may seem rather obvious and it is often overlooked. How vital it is on our Christian lives. Often we limit our asking to asking only for material gains – but we have to ask will this actually help us to love God and our neighbour more when we already have more than we need and are still not satisfied. Maybe it is better to ask for a sense of gratitude for all we already have and the gift of knowing how to enjoy it more. We should never be afraid to see what is lacking in us and then to present our petitions to God.

In the gospel of John today (John 14, 1-12) the disciples are asking Jesus all sorts of things and he responds to them. Thomas tells Jesus that he does not know the way and Jesus gives him that well known reassurance “I am the Way.” Surely a prayer that our Father will endeavour to respond to is when we ask to be able to follow Jesus more in our everyday lives. Asking helps you not to get lost. They say, well most women say, that men do not like to ask. They say that men would rather be lost, struggling to find their way with the map, than ask directions. We should try hard to overcome this tendency as we do not know the way to heaven by ourselves!

When Jesus says he is the Way it reminds us that he became man for us and for our salvation. Everything he said, lived and suffered is for us and for our salvation. The challenge for us is to live the very mysteries of Christ’s life in our flesh, or rather to let him live them in us. It is not just to look at Jesus and admire him. He wants us to join him. There is a film by Woody Allen where a bored woman goes to the cinema to watch a film about a handsome man who is dancing. Every time the man is searching for a partner she cries as she wishes it could be her. The amusing thing is she goes to watch the film every day until one day – a big surprise. The protagonist of the film steps out of the screen and invites her into the film to dance with her. In a sense, this is when we really start to grow in our following of Christ –when we don’t merely remain as spectators but we really enter into the drama. That is why Jesus makes the invite to those who love him, “Follow me!” This invite is ever relevant for every follower even today because the Lord is alive.

Of course we have a lot to learn so that we can truly let him live in us and love in us. One thing is fascinating – life takes on a new meaning when we really make an effort to follow the way Christ shows us. It is not that we totally change and become holy in one instant but every step counts. He can build us up step by step or brick by brick. In fact in the second reading today (1 Peter 2, 4-9) St Peter says “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.” And Jesus is a wise builder – he can use every experience even the ones that we find negative or would want to reject for not being of good enough quality – “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” This refers first and foremost to Jesus as he was the first one to be rejected but it also applies to the way he works. He is the world’s greatest recycler! Even our sins, which really are our garbage, when it is presented to him can be transformed by his mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation, and actually make us more humble and stronger people.

How can we know the answers to the questions we have then? Why to keep asking if there are no ready answers? The first reading gives us a clue – the disciples dedicated themselves to the Word of God – “they dedicated themselves to prayer and ministry of the Word” (see Acts 6, 1-7). How many treasures and pearls there are hidden in the Word of God. How many answers to the many questions we have are hidden there. Will we spend some time each day reading the Scripture? How about increasing your prayer time by 5 minutes each day? Don’t say you don’t have time. An easy solution is to take 5 minutes off our TV time or Facebook time! Wow, that can be a real sacrifice. Good luck and I wish you well.

Don’t be afraid to ask directions – God has given us a Way in Jesus. There is no need to be lost any longer, just follow the Way indicated. Of course, to really know the way we need to pray, to spend time daily with God’s word. If not we reach old age singing the old song of Frank Sinatra “And now, I’ve reached the end, I did it my way”! Let us not do it our way but God’s way – and this is to follow Jesus, the Way. Amen.

REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

4^th Sunday Easter A (15 May 2011) Fr James McTavish, FMVD

We have a good shepherd!

I remember once being at school and feeling totally lost. I was a new boy in the school and felt alone. I remember making a prayer to Jesus to help me and immediately after a fellow pupil approached me who was later to become a great friend. In Jesus, we really have a good shepherd who knows us, who knows all our needs and when we are lost he comes to find us. He will leave the 99 sheep of the flock in search of the lost one and when he finds it he carries it joyfully home on his shoulders. How many times Jesus the good shepherd has come to rescue us – in that moment of being lost in sadness and he sends a friend to cheer us up, or going astray like a lost sheep and we encounter a person like a teacher or a priest who can give us good advice to set us on the right track again.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday and it is also a day when we pray for vocations. How great to respond to our vocations, the vocation we all received in our baptism. We are not meant to be lost sheep all our lives but can enjoy participating with Jesus as shepherds. Two days ago we celebrated the lives of three little shepherds – Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia, the little shepherds of Fatima. They were only 7, 9 and 10 years old so age is no barrier to being a shepherd. Sometimes in our modern world we struggle to envisage what it is like to be a shepherd as the only sheep we see are on TV or in the movies. Recently I went on a pastoral visit to Australia and was able to visit a real Aussie sheep farm. It is hard work to be a shepherd!

Each one of us has sheep that are entrusted to us. If you are a parent then perhaps you have little sheep to take care of to nourish in the faith. Some occupations really have shepherding as a component like being a teacher and having to guide a flock of school kids. Even some of our friends and relatives can be like lost sheep. It is interesting that often people are “lost” do not at first appear to be so. I met a man at a birthday dinner. I asked him how he was. He told me he was fine. He was well dressed, had a gold watch and was smiling. Then he reassured me that he was fine which I found interesting as it was as if he was trying to convince himself not me. Before we sat down at the table he said “Really my life is fine.” I told him that that was great. When we were at the table he said “Actually just between us two, my life is a total mess.” Many people are lost in money, lost in vices like alcohol or gambling, lost because they do not know what their life is for. We all need a shepherd to guide us!

Jesus declares himself to be the good shepherd because there are many bad shepherds around. He said “I am the good Shepherd and the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.” The figure of God being a shepherd was very common in the old Testament and we are all quite familiar with the famous psalm 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.” We have a good shepherd in Jesus, who suffered for us. The second reading today declares that “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:21-25)

Let us be joyful this day. We may be a little foolish at times and go astray like lost sheep but we have a good shepherd who is vigilant, who loves us and cares for us. He will give his life for us. Let us show that gratitude by trying to be shepherds to others remembering what he said to Peter “If you love me, feed my sheep.” Amen.

III Sunday of Easter

3rd Sunday of Easter

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

“Stay with us”

There is a popular film called “Bruce Almighty” where Bruce is given the chance to be God for a short while. He takes advantage of this situation to try to woo his ex-girlfriend called Grace. He can use all his powers but is not allowed to interfere with free will. He places many signs in the path of Grace such as carving “Bruce loves Grace” on hundreds of trees as she walks by, placing cloud shaped love hearts in the sky and many other gimmicks. None work so he asks God how can you get someone to fall in love with you without touching their free will. God replies that he doesn’t know but if Bruce finds out to let God know.

It reminds us that the greatest lover is God himself and he is always searching for ways to woo us and draw us to himself – a stunning sunset, a child laughing, a sick person smiling despite pain, an inspiring quote, your favourite song, the listening ear of a friend, the company of someone you trust, the consoling words of the priest during reconciliation or simply the experience of Jesus’ self-giving in the Eucharist. But at times we don’t see God’s presence and it is as if our eyes are closed.

This happened to the disciples of Emmaus in today’s Gospel (Luke 24, 13-36). We have two disciples walking away from Jerusalem, away from the difficulties and away from their community. They are talking and discussing on the way. Jesus himself draws near but they do not recognize him. Jesus listens with so much patience. One of them is rather ironic and sarcastic with Jesus as it appears that Jesus does not seem to aware of what has been happening – One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" Cleopas then explains everything – the death of Jesus, the women not finding his body at the tomb – he has really analysed the events but does not understand them. Jesus then says to him "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer 1 these things and enter into his glory?" (Luke 24:25-26) Jesus then goes on to explain the events in the light of the Scriptures.

What can we learn from this episode? We live many situations and many“A Virgin ever attentive to God’s word, she lives attuned to that word; she treasures in her heart the events of her Son, piecing them together as if in a single mosaic (cf. Lk 2:19,51).” events but not always do we understand all the events. It is like a mosaic – a bigger picture made of many small pieces. A mosaic usually takes a bit of work to put together – there are many small pieces of ceramic which have to be assembled in the right way. But when it is finished it displays a beautiful scene. If we are able to piece the events we experience a wonderful fruit – integration. It is to feel integrated. The opposite is to feel disintegrated or dispersed. How can we understand the events of our lives? We need the light of the Word of God. As the psalmist explains “Your Word of Lord is a lamp for our path and a light for our feet.” The many events that occur have to be enlightened and illuminated by the Word. I felt uneasy watching the celebrations over the death of a wanted terrorist recently. We should not always accept the things in the world around us. The Gospel can help purify cultural values.

After Jesus explains the Scriptures they ask him to stay with him - “Stay with us for evening comes and the day is almost over” – it is true without Jesus who is the light of the world, everything becomes dark. It is beautiful to see how obedient Jesus is – he goes in to stay with them. And during the breaking of the bread their eyes are opened. May we too open our eyes in the breaking of the bread to recognize his great love for us in every Eucharist. And may Mother Mary teach us how to recognize the presence of Jesus in our everyday lives – she who kept the Word in her heart and was able to put together the events of her life “piecing them together as if in a single mosaic” (Verbum Domini 27).

II Sunday of Easter

(Divine Mercy Sunday)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Wounded healers

Today is the second Sunday of Easter and also the Feast of Divine mercy. This is the newest feast in the Church’s calendar having been introduced by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000. It is a celebration of the mercy of God. The best definition of mercy I have come across is by the Jesuit moral theologian called Jim Keenan - mercy is “to enter into the chaos of another.” Once I met a Vietnamese sister in Philippines. She had just come back from visiting the women’s prison. She had been delivering some Vietnamese food she had made for a prisoner there. It turns out that the prisoner had cheated her in foreign currency changing, not once but twice! The first time the Sister thought that maybe it was her error. After the second time the money changer was discovered cheating others and thrown into prison. The Vietnamese sister was still visiting her in the prison. She felt compassion for the dishonest money changer. Why? Because the money changer had been cheating people to earn more money to pay for the medicine of her baby who had leukaemia. As the Word of God reminds us “mercy triumphs over judgement.”

When Jesus appeared to Sr Faustina, the polish nun who experienced the divine mercy revelations, he said to her “my mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.” In the gospel today (Jn 20, 19-31) the Risen Christ reveals his mercy to the disciples. When he appeared he could have remonstrated them for being unfaithful, he could have chastised them for being cowards, he could have scolded them for betraying him at the foot of the cross. Instead he shows his mercy. He says to them “Peace be with you.” In every mass we remember this in the sign of peace. He shows them his hands and his side and then repeats again “Peace be with you.” One sign of the presence of the Risen Christ is this peace that the world cannot give. It is seen in the lives of martyrs who can even manage to go to their death with a kind of peace that this world cannot give. I think of the peace exhibited by Maximilian Kolbe, after being starved in a starvation bunker by the Nazis, he is said to have shown such peace and tranquillity even when he was put to death by lethal injection. It is the same type of peace we can experience in everyday life when we are criticised but feel peace as we have tried to do the will of God.

It is interesting to note that his disciples are behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Thomas was not with them at that time and refuses to believe. We call him “doubting Thomas” but later he will make a wonderful profession of faith “my Lord and my God!” when Jesus shows him his hands and his side. The expression “my God!” caught my attention in prayer. It reminds me of the joke of the 4 mothers arguing about who’s son was the greatest. One was boasting that her son was a priest and that in the streets the people shouted “Father!” The second said her son was a Bishop and cried out “my Lord!” The third said that her son was a Cardinal and people cried out “Your eminence!” The last mum said “That is nothing. My son weighs over 300 pounds. When he walks in the street the people shout ‘my God!’” What actually is it that makes me recognize the presence of God?

What convinced Thomas was Jesus asking him to place his fingers in the nail holes and his hand in the pierced side. Answering exactly to the request of Thomas the week before. How great that we too can express our wants and desires to God too! What is the meaning of the wounds of the Risen Christ? Well Christ does not come back anatomically perfect or “physically healed.” His wounds are still there. It reminds us that the body of Christ still suffers today and that the living Christ is still wounded. We can see that around us in wars, violence, brokenness and many other manifestations of the wounds of Christ. But Christ is not only the wounded patient but he is also the good Doctor. There is no wound that cannot be healed by the medicine of his merciful love. He has the remedy! Whenever we see the wounds in the world of today we must not forget to go to the Good Doctor and ask for the remedy.

Each one of us too is called to be vessels and channels of his mercy for the world of today. Sometimes we feel more wounded than healers! Once in a mass a young Eucharistic minister gave the body of Christ to a depressed man who told the minister that after mass he would kill himself. The minister came into the sacristy visibly shaken. The priest who was advising another person told the minister to go and listen to the person. The minister said he would have difficulty as he was also a bit depressed of late. He went and half an hour later came back beaming. “I was really able to help him because I knew a bit how he felt!” he said joyfully. The priest said to him “Never forget that we are all wounded healers ... wounded healers.”

Let us enjoy this Divine Mercy Sunday, receiving the medicine of the mercy of God to soothe all our wounds and heal our brokenness. May Jesus the Good Doctor teach us how to share his merciful love to many. And may we not shirk or withdraw in fear at the task of healing given to us. May our weakness not frighten us – we are after all wounded healers. Amen.

Easter Sunday - REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

Easter Sunday A

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Witnesses of the Resurrection

Last night we celebrated the Easter vigil. In one moment we brought the lit Easter candle into the darkness of the Church hall where all the lights had been turned off. One little boy was mesmerised by the Easter light. His eyes lit up when he saw the candle enter the darkness. He was pointing with his finger with an enchanted gesture on his face. That episode helped me very much to enter into the celebration. How great to be able to spot the light in the darkness – “the light shines in the darkness and darkness has never put it out” (John 1,5).

The Lord is risen, the resurrection has occurred but we need eyes of faith to see it. It is interesting that in the Resurrection appearances, not one person recognized the Risen Christ, neither the disciples, neither Mary Magdalene. The Risen Christ reveals himself – through the breaking of the bread (disciples of Emmaus), a personal dialogue (Mary Magdalene) or a miracle (the beloved disciples recognizes Him after they unexpectedly land a big catch). They did not see the bodily Jesus as they did before as now he has a glorious body. How can he be seen then? The women go to the tomb and are told by an angel not to seek the one who is alive among the dead. This is a very wonderful counsel for us too – not to look in the tomb for the Risen Christ! What can that tomb be? Certainly one big tomb, which is very invigting is the tomb of pessimism, the tomb of bad memories, the tomb of rancor (and how many times we waste time there!), the tomb of hopelessness. But Christ is not in the tomb, he is risen, alleluia.

We need to ask for new eyes. Eyes that are capable not to notice only the darkness but that can see the Easter light shining brightly. St Paul in the second reading of today talks about seeking what is above and not what is here below - “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4) How can we seek what is above? One way is to put into practice what the Holy Spirit is asking and not to follow the desires of our flesh, or the wants of the ‘old man’.

When I first met the Verbum Dei community in Sydney Australia, after a few months I got the chance to go to the Philippines to spend time with the Verbum Dei community there. While I was away I lent the Sisters my little car, it was a Daihatsu Charade. A severe hailstorm struck Sydney and damaged property and cars. When I returned to Sydney after the enjoyable Philippines trip I phoned up the Sisters to inquire about my beloved little car. I was worried about it and asked them if the front windscreen had been smashed. I was relived upon hearing that it was not. As I walked to their house to pick up my car I was thanking God that my car had been saved. That was until I saw my car. True enough the front windscreen was intact but the rest of the car was smashed to smithereens! The other windows were broken and it had hundreds of deep dents where the large hailstones had struck it. I started to complain to God. Then I discovered that all cars affected by the storm would get a full insurance rebate so I thanked God once again! One way we can live a risen life is by being more generous especially with what we have.

The Lord is also risen in our relationships, in that relationship that maybe we have taken for granted, in that relationship that maybe is strained or even dead. Here the Lord has resurrected! It reminds me of the Christian art in the catacombs. Sometimes the Lord’s resurrection is symbolized by the phoenix. This mythical bird after its death in fire would rise up again from the ashes. St Clement (the fourth Pope) in his first epistle to the Corinthians cites the phoenix as an emblem of the resurrection. “Let us consider that wonderful sign [of the resurrection] which takes place in Eastern lands, that is, in Arabia and the countries round about. There is a certain bird which is called a phoenix. This is the only one of its kind, and lives five hundred years. And when the time of its dissolution draws near that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense, and myrrh, and other spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis. And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode. The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed.”

Of course the description of St Clement is rather colourful – well he is writing in the second century AD and if he had Google one quick search would have confirmed that the phoenix is actually a mythical creature. Still it is beautiful to cite from early Christian writings and see that the analogy of faith still holds true today. St Clement than asks “Do we then deem it any great and wonderful thing for the Maker of all things to raise up again those that have piously served Him in the assurance of a good faith, when even by a bird He shows us the mightiness of His power to fulfill His promise?”

Christ is risen, like the phoenix and death no longer has power over him. We are all called to be witnesses of his resurrection. How can we be witnesses? Well the Church in her wisdom gives us the Octave now, eight days to discover the power of the resurrection. Each day the Liturgy will offer resurrection appearances to reflect on. St Peter stated that Christ appeared only to those “who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10, 41). We too have to eat and drink with the risen Christ. In what sense? Well we can eat ad drink with Jesus in the Eucharist, the sacrament of his body and blood, a privileged place to open our eyes of faith, to see his risen presence there. But there is another banquet table where we can eat with him. The table of the Word of God. St Jerome stated “The flesh of the Lord is true food and his blood true drink; this is the true good that is reserved for us in this present life, to nourish ourselves with his flesh and drink his blood, not only in the Eucharist but also in reading sacred Scripture. Indeed, true food and true drink is the word of God which we derive from the Scriptures ” (Cited in Verbum Domini, footnote 191)

So the Scripture is a privileged place to eat and drink with the risen Christ. We need to pray folks! We need to contemplate the Easter mystery and in our prayer to experience the risen Christ. In this way we can truly become witnesses of the resurrection!