(Audio)
The celebration of the resurrection should motivate us to share the good news with others.
Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.
Of what have we seen and heard? Christ risen from the death, victorious! This is too momentous for us to keep it to ourselves. It is a fact of such importance that all of reality is impacted by its truth. We can't allow other people to silence us. We can't allow the fact that we are often "uneducated men" to stop us. Neither self-doubt nor opposition from others is important enough to threaten the world's access to the message of the resurrection.
For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (see Romans 9:16).
The world has heard Jesus is risen, but many do not yet believe. Jesus himself really does want to appear to unbelievers through his body, the Church. Through charity they will know. Confirmed by signs and wonders they will know. No other explanation will be left than that Christ is risen. He is truly risen!
He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."
God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (see Romans 8:30).
We when gather together Jesus is with us. He is in our midst. He reveals himself to us.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised
Have we really received this revelation? The litmus test of this reception is how eager we are to share it.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."
It won't feel like an obligation when what we proclaim is death defeated and victory over the grave. But perhaps it still feels more like a dead letter and an obligation to us. If so, Jesus wants to speak to us today, now, to show us that he is risen and nothing will ever be the same.
"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
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