Thursday in the Octave of Easter
In today’s first reading people cling to Peter and John in because of their recent healing of a crippled man. It is Peter who stresses that the healing of this man was an act of God, not of Peter or John. I often find myself relating to Peter’s befuddlement and his critical eye toward God’s all-powerful grace that we find in the Gospel narrative. Therefore, I find a lot of hope in this reading from Acts that shows Peter evangelizing despite the fact that he recently denied Christ three times in the Passion. Hope rests in the fact that we can turn our doubts into faith, help others recognize that faith as a gift from God, and rejoice in the mercy and love of God.
We see this same hope in the Gospel story, which tells of the disciples being startled and terrified by Christ’s presence until they have a physical encounter with Him that results in joy and amazement. Like the disciples, I often long for a physical reminder of God’s presence in my life to squelch my doubts causing me to lose sight of the unexplainable ways God walks with me in my life. Jesus’ response to these dynamics in today’s Gospel is one of hope - that we might continue to encounter Christ’s presence if we allow ourselves to have faith in His resurrection rather than remain in fear and doubt.
So, as we continue on this Easter journey of joy, let us rejoice at the gift of faith we have been given. In what ways are you doubting God’s presence in your life? How might you let faith overcome that doubt, trust in Christ’s presence with you, and help others recognize that presence as an encounter with God? How have you encountered Christ in your life? How are you encountering Christ right now? What hope do those encounters bring you?
Mike Bennett