Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
Because the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection occurred such a long ago, sometimes it can seem as though they have little to do with our lives today. So much has happened in the mean time, and our world is very different today. In this situation it is natural to become distracted or to lose hope. I find myself having similar thoughts during this Easter season. We have undergone Lent and celebrated at Easter. We are now back to our day to day reality. How can we stay on track during this time?
The gospel lesson for today serves as a reminder that Jesus, after his resurrection and ascension, is not absent from the world. He remains with us. In the story recounted in the passage, certain people ask Jesus for a sign, just as Moses gave the people of Israel manna in the desert. It seems that the people who ask for a sign here are testing Jesus. It is as if they were saying “If you are a prophet, then prove it.” Jesus responds by rebuking them, saying that Moses did not give a sign, God did. Moses was only God’s instrument. Jesus goes on to speak of himself as ‘the bread’ and to talk about his presence in the bread broken in mass. He says that he is the bread “which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (verse 33). This is the beginning of a long discourse by Jesus on the bread of life. What is important for us to see here is that Jesus is emphasizing that he remains with us insofar as he is present in the Eucharist.
One significance of reading this passage at this time in the liturgical year is to consider what life was like for the early Christians in the wake of his resurrection. How did they respond to the fact that Jesus was no longer living among them as he did before? How does each of us respond today to the perceived remoteness of Jesus? Many early Christians expected Jesus’ second coming to happen within their lifetimes. I wonder whether this waiting was hard for them? After Lent, the post Easter season seems easy; yet it is hard. It is hard to remember, to persevere in our devotion to Jesus even after he has gone ahead to prepare a place for Christians in heaven but we do not know when he will return.
It is interesting to read the gospel reading in the light of the first reading, the account of the stoning of Stephen. Stephen bore witness to Jesus even though many around Stephen actively opposed his ministry. Stephen sees Jesus glorified in heaven, but those who are stoning him do not. They do not recognize that what he is saying is true. Perhaps they think his words are even harmful, dangerous, or blasphemous. The story of Stephen tells us that even though Jesus is risen from the dead, we cannot stop there, resting complacently. Each Christian must continue to bear witness to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
During this Easter season we are called to continue to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and to look forward to his glorious ascension and the coming of the Spirit. And in our 21st-Century lives, which often are very busy, we are called to recognize that Jesus is with us. He is present in the sacrifice of the mass, he is alive in us through the working of the Holy Spirit, and we encounter him in the other people with whom we interact on a daily basis.
- Joel Schickel