T he community of faith to which we belong is still led by the risen Jesus and empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit. If we find ourselves sometimes unbelieving and hard of heart, like the disciples who at first did not dare to believe the testimony of Mary Magdalene or the Emmaus couple, let’s listen once again to the testimony—the witness of the New Testament, plus that “cloud of witnesses” that populate the next two thousand years…

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

Acts 4:13-21

Psalm 118:1+14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21

M ark 16:9-15  Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. (10) She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. (11) But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. (12) After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. (13) And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. (14) Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because  they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. (15) And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

Meditation by Dennis Hamm, S.J.

T he Gospel reading gives us an abbreviated account of three appearances of the Risen Lord. The first two show how the early church’s mission got off to a stumbling start. The risen Christ first appears to Mary Magdalene, but the guys don’t believe her. Then he appears to the couple on the country road, but again the other disciples don’t believe their report either. So when Jesus appears to the others, the eleven, he scolds them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, and then, now that they are convinced by first-hand experience, boldly sends them off “to preach the gospel to every creature.” Fortunat ely for us, they get up and do it.

It takes experience to move the mission forward.  And the reading from Acts gives us a great example of how powerfully that works. The previous chapter, Acts 3, tells about the wonderful sign of the resurrection the Lord works through the mediation of Spirit-filled Peter and John. A beggar at the temple gate, paralyzed from birth, begs for aid, and Peter gives aid beyond the beggar’s wildest dreams. Peter says, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk!” Then he takes the man by the hand, hoists him up, and the man not only stands; he walks and starts leaping. Since the beggar was a familiar figure who had been begging there for some forty years, the by-standers were amazed. And the temple authorities were stunned. They thought they had quelled the popularity of Jesus and his teaching by having the Romans execute him. But here were two of his country-bumpkin followers, right there in the temple, performing a spectacular healing in the name of this executed man and causing even more of a stir than the Jesus they thought they had got rid of.

All that is behind today’s episode, where the Sanhedrin tries to intimidate Peter and John to get them to stop this talk about the dead teacher. But they discover that it is hopeless to stem the excitement around the healed paralytic, now leaping about in their temple precincts. They tell them to shut up about this Jesus; Peter and John say, pointedly, “Should we obey you--or God?”

Great story from the early church, you might say. But Luke wrote it, and the church continues to read it, not to have us reminisce about the amazing days of the early Church, but because Luke’s narrative tells about the people who follow Jesus after Easter and Pentecost—which of course includes us!

The community of faith to which we belong is still led by the risen Jesus and empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit. If we find ourselves sometimes unbelieving and hard of heart, like the disciples who at first did not dare to believe the testimony of Mary Magdalene or the Emmaus couple, let’s listen once again to the testimony—the witness of the New Testament, plus that “cloud of witnesses” that populate the next two thousand years and the heroes we know who demonstrate the vitality of the faith we share with them—and even our own experience of love offered and prayers answered. It is the same post-Easter Church that we meet in the Acts of the Apostles. Let’s raise our expectations!

Supplementary Reading

Being an Overcomer

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

"Why does it seem that those involved in Christian enterprise find the way so hard? It seems as though it is harder for those who are committed Christians in business. Have you found this to be true?" This was the comment from a business associate recently. My answer was a definite yes. In fact, if you were not a Christian and sought to do a similar business without regard to maintaining a biblical philosophy, the way would be much smoother sailing. It makes us think of the prophet who asked, "Why do the wicked prosper?" (see Jer. 12:1)

It is a spiritual principle of which we speak. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan before they entered the Promised Land, they fought only two battles. Then after they entered the Promised Land, they fought 39 battles. The way of the cross is not paved with lilies; it is paved with grace. When we seek to honor God in our business life, we will be met with opposition from the spiritual forces of this world. This is why each of us must commit ourselves to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and to be as gentle as doves but as wise as serpents.

Do not be surprised when you find the way harder as a believer than when you were a non-believer. You now have more at stake among the spiritual forces that desire you to be defeated and ineffective.

Stand firm against the evil forces that desire to keep you from walking in freedom in the Promised Land. Jesus is your victory for every battle you will encounter. Call on His name. --OS Hillman

EL SHADDAI Radio Program:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1