Tuesday of the Fifith Week of Easter
The responsorial psalm for today, Psalm 145, contains the antiphon, “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom” (145:12). In the text of the Psalm, it explains who these friends are, God’s “faithful ones” (145:10). These faithful ones, the “friends” of the Lord, Speak of the might of the Lord (145:11), “Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom” (145:12). This is something for us to meditate on today. How can we make known to others the glorious splendor of God’s Kingdom? For, if we wish to be God’s friends, God’s faithful ones, this is something we should strive to do. Our very lives should make known to others the glorious splendor of God’s Kingdom.
As Christians, this will not be without obstacles. We see an image of some of the obstacles we might have to face, and that others have faced before us, in today’s first reading, which is a slightly longer reading of the same passage we read as the first reading this past Sunday from the Acts of the Apostles. In today’s broader context we see that St. Paul was actually stoned, which usually leads to death. And yet, such attempted execution did not prevent St. Paul and the other disciples from continuing to try to make the glorious splendor of God’s Kingdom known through their preaching.
This is something that should give us comfort. Christianity initially grew, and quite rapidly and extensively at that, in a hostile environment. We see this in the various readings we have before us during this Easter season from the Acts of the Apostles. In today’s Gospel reading we find Jesus’ equally encouraging exhortation, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus is going to the Father. Of course, before He does, He has to be beaten, scourged and brutally executed through crucifixion. Following Jesus does not guarantee a lack of suffering. But it does mean we can have a share in Jesus’ peace. It does mean we have the awesome ability, and responsibility, of making known the glorious splendor of God’s Kingdom.
There are numerous ways in which we can make the glorious splendor of God’s Kingdom known. Preaching is not the only one, by any means. Simply following Jesus, bearing the little crosses of each day with joy and hope, can go a long way to making the kingdom’s splendor known. Most importantly, we have to love others, especially when we encounter difficulties and hardships, when we find loving others a real challenge. It is then that we are best able to shine forth the splendor of the kingdom, through our lives of outpoured love. Let us strive to live out the life of Christ throughout this Easter season, so that others might come to find new life in Christ as we have found it. We should want God’s kingdom to be known, not for our own glory, but so that others can experience the abundant life that is to be had in Christ.
- Jeff Morrow