“’Witnessing Jesus Christ’ – by thought, by word, by deed!”
(Based on Acts 16:11-15 and Jn 15:26-16:4– Monday of the 6th Week in Eastertide)
Every Christian is expected to be a witness to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, in one’s everyday life.
In a random survey conducted, as to why many Christians don’t speak about Christ to others, some of the common answers given by Christians were as follows:
“I am not sure what I have to say!”
“My lifestyle doesn’t match what Christ expects of me!”
“I may not be able to give convincing answers, when questions are asked!”
“I am not sure if I will be called as a hypocrite – or living by double standards!”
“I don’t really care about speaking about Christ etc…”
“I think it is not my duty. It is the duty of the leaders of the Church. First let them do…”
And prominently…
“I am afraid what others will feel…!”
“I feel anxious if I will be rejected and be side-lined by all!”
What about us?
Do we witness to Christ, daily?
Do we speak about and witness the Love of God to people?
What answer do we have?
The Gospel of the Day is an assurance and an invitation by Jesus to live by the Power of the Holy Spirit…
… and thus be a “Witness of Jesus and His Kingdom!”
One of the primary tasks of Jesus, as he left this world, was to “Strengthen His Disciples”
He knew very well, how each one of them would go through periods of crisis, after His Departure.
When things go on well, life seems to be easy…
… But when hardships and loneliness creeps in, life seems to be too difficult!
As long as Jesus was with them, the disciples would have an easy life…
… But with the departure of Jesus, they would have to face a difficult life!
And so Jesus prepares them by assuring them of how the Holy Spirit would strengthen them:
“When the Counsellor comes, Whom I shall send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth… He will bear witness to Me, and you also are witnesses..
I have said all this to you, to keep you from falling away!” (Jn 15:26-27, 16:1)
Jesus knew that all his disciples had weaknesses …
Some would be unsure of what answer to be given when questions were asked
(Like Peter who would deny Jesus, when questions were asked – Lk 22: 54-61)
Some would only worry about their own positions and comforts
(Like the disciples at the Last Supper, who would discuss the one who is great among them – Lk 22: 24)
Some would be afraid of the people and the society around
(Like the disciples who would run away and abandon Jesus – Mk 14: 50)
Some would prefer to choose riches and money, than Jesus
(Like Judas who would betray the Lord for the sake of money – Mk 14: 10-11)
Despite these weakness and fragilities, the Lord did not give up on them
He invited them to “Be open to Receive the Holy Spirit and thus to Live a Powerful Life of Witnessing!”
By this Power of the Person of the Holy Spirit, the disciples became powerful witnesses to the world, bringing many people to experience the Love of the Lord …
… as we read in the Acts of the Apostles…
“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyati′ra, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
We too have our own weaknesses in witnessing to the Lord, in this modern society…
Some of us…
… are not sure of what answers to be given to questions that are asked about faith
Some of us…
… like to remain in our own comfort zones
Some of us…
… are afraid of “what other people will think” and if I will “lose my name and esteem in the society”
Some of us…
… give more importance to the false promises of the world, and don’t make a clear-cut choice for God and His Kingdom (Mt 6:33)
To each of us too, the Lord invites to “Be open to receive the Holy Spirit and thus to Live a powerful Life of Witnessing!”
Yes, He doesn’t give up on us.
Let us renew our commitment to the Lord, everyday..
… and by His Spirit, with boldness and courage, “Stand Firm for the Gospel Values”
Let us “Witness Jesus Christ” – by thought, by word, by deed!
May the life and witness of St Damien – whose feast we celebrate today be an inspiration for us.
His dedicated life of serving lepers in the island of Molokai, and finally become a leper himself
… is a mighty challenge for all of us, to “Witness Jesus Christ” – by thought, by word, by deed, especially in this time of the pandemic!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
“EACH FOR THE OTHER” – “A UNITY IN TWO”
God created man and woman together and willed each for the other. The Word of God gives us to understand this through various features of the sacred text. “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him.” None of the animals can be man’s partner.
The woman God “fashions” from the man’s rib and brings to him elicits on the man’s part a cry of wonder, an exclamation of love and communion: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”
Man discovers woman as another “I”, sharing the same humanity.
Man and woman were made “for each other” – not that God left them half-made and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons…
… in which each can be “helpmate” to the other
… for they are equal as persons (“bone of my bones…”)
… and complementary as masculine and feminine.
In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming “one flesh”, they can transmit human life: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”
By transmitting human life to their descendants, man and woman as spouses and parents co-operate in a unique way in the Creator’s work.
In God’s plan man and woman have the vocation of “subduing” the earth as stewards of God.
This sovereignty is not to be an arbitrary and destructive domination. God calls man and woman, made in the image of the Creator “who loves everything that exists”…
Reflection Capsules 