Even though the disciples had the testimony of Mary, the testimony of Peter and John, the testimony of the disciples who had met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, even though their very topic of conversation had been the resurrection, when the risen Jesus appears in the Gospel today, the disciples are panicked, fear-stricken, and confused.
Why? Because they did not understand. So, Jesus offers them peace, he meets them in their ignorance, and then helps them understand what has happened by opening the scriptures for them.
Here is a perfect model for evangelization. We are to go out into the very confused world, a world which denies Christ, which is really afraid of embracing Christ, offering peace to them, and helping them to understand.
It is one of the Act of Mercy to instruct the ignorant. Not only are we to proclaim THAT Jesus rose from the dead, but we must help them understand it, help them realize how that changes everything.
Instructing the ignorant is listed as first among the spiritual acts of mercy. We see Jesus instructing his disciples throughout the Gospels, and he even commands the apostles very clearly: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
While much of the world has heard about Jesus Christ, most are ignorant of what Jesus actually taught, the truths which are passed on faithfully and taught clearly by the Holy Catholic Church.
To Communicate the truth of our faith is certainly more than memorizing a lecture and entries from the catechism. We are to witness to the resurrection in our way of life: what we buy, when and where we work, how we talk, how we dress, why types of entertainment we engage in, are engagement in politics and volunteer work, all this must point to the our belief that Jesus is risen.
But still, to be able to communicate clearly the Catholic faith, to be able to open the scriptures and help people understand, we must prepare ourselves for this work through study—the constant “renewal of our minds” as St. Paul says. To not only explain what we believe but why we believe it.
Many people know that the Church teaches that abortion, contraception, homosexual activity, IVF, are sinful, but not really why she teaches these things—the biblical foundations and also the natural law and the science behind them.
The Spiritual gift of understanding is given to every Catholic in their baptism—He’s “opened our minds to understand” and we are to cultivate that gift to the best of our ability, through prayer and study, that we may give ever clearer and faithful witness to the resurrection of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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Filled with paschal joy, let us pray more earnestly to God that he, who graciously listened to the prayers and supplications of his beloved Son, may now be pleased to look upon us in our lowliness.
1. For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely, the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.
2. For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace given by Christ.
3. For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness which no one can take from them.
4. For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ Our Lord.
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