Pondering on the suffering, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we are preparing ourselves to experience the salvation which our Lord gratuitously grants us. This meditation on the paschal mysteries leads us to the joy and the peace of resurrection. The risen Lord commanded his disciples to be his messengers all over the world saying; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mathew 28: 19). Thus Jesus entrusted them to spread their Christ experience all over the world. Realizing this fact, St. John acclaims: “We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our eyes (1 John 1: 1). It was this Christ experience which prepared and strengthened the disciples to be the witnesses all over the world. As we experience the mercy and love of our Lord in abundance in our daily lives, we are also called to be witnesses of his message. The vocation to which we are called and the circumstances where we live are the mission territories for us. This life becomes meaningful only when we are able to live as witnesses of Christ. In all experiences, we have to prepare ourselves to realize the will of God and succumb ourselves to the will of God. Here the life of Job is a lesson for us. Even when in all sorts of pains and distresses he was able to pray; “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1: 21). When our hearts also rise to this level of dependence in God, we too will be able to find peace and tranquility in the presence of God. Peace is the very message and the gift that the risen Lord grants to his disciples as a parting gift. When we personally experience this peace and live a life in accordance with it, our lives too will be transformed as the lives that spread the peace and mercy of our Lord.

Author: Rev. Fr Joseph Mundolickal CST