If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Our Gospel this morning ties in beautifully with what was proclaimed to us in yesterday’s Gospel.  In Msgr. Ramacciotti’s homily yesterday, he reflected on the following statement recorded in yesterday’s Gospel…

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

When they saw HIM, they worshiped.  What would you do if you saw Christ in the flesh, having arisen from the dead; appearing to you again in flesh and blood?I’m sure you too would worship.  Msgr.’s reflection was on the next statement…but they doubted.  After all the miracles, after suffering the scourging and death on the Cross; after rising from the dead and coming back to them in His resurrected body – they still doubted who He was?  Msgr. thinks the line but they doubted was not meant to reflect on if they believed in Christ or not, it was meant to mean that they doubted themselves in carrying on the mission Christ had ordained them to do.  They didn’t doubt Christ – they doubted themselves.  But once Christ breathed on them, gifted them with the Holy Spirit, how that doubt changed.  We have been reading about this the entire Easter season.  They no longer doubted.  They no longer feared.  They were no longer ashamed to shout from the mountain tops that Jesus Christ was the Savior promised by God.  And they shared their strength, their wisdom, their love of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to anyone who would listen.  They converted the unfaithful by the thousands.  They inspired many people along the way to do the same and that tradition, that spirit of evangelizing still continues today.  They were willing to die, without fear, to make sure this message was proclaimed.

So let’s look at our Gospel being proclaimed to us today…

The disciples said to Jesus,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone…In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.

Each of you will be scattered to his own home…does this sound eerily familiar today?  Are we experiencing that doubt now that was professed to us yesterday?  I believe we are.  But take courage, be stouthearted and have faith.  What is faith?  I don’t know if I am the true authority on faith but you can look it up online and find a number of ways to define it.  Faith, simply put, is trusting in something with the confidence that is is true.  Want some biblical backup?  Click this.

In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world…Christ has conquered the world for us.  Christ has gifted to us the Holy Spirit so that we too can conquer this world;  that we too can conquer our doubts; that we too can have the faith of Abel, Abraham, Moses, the Twelve Apostles, the Communion of Saints, our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph.  Faith tells me that all of these people had doubts about their role in Salvation History; faith also tells me that they all conquered their doubts, that each one of them came out of their own scattered homes and that they came to believe in God’s mission.  We are now called to do the same.  As I say to each of you every morning I post…

Be not afraid; just have faith.

Do something great for our Lord today – trust in God and trust in His mission for you.  Do not doubt your abilities but believe that you too can do the good works God has ordained you to do.  Let us not be scattered anymore, let us have faith in God alone.  Live your life honoring God.

God’s will, not mine, be done.

Be not afraid; just have faith.

Jesus, I trust in You.

He must increase; I must decrease.

Lord, if You wish, You can make me clean.

But you man of God chose righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness.  Compete well for the faith.

Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion – inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us so that in difficult moments, we may not despair nor become despondent but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.