These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
(Jn 14:27-31)
Peace is Christ’s farewell gift to us. But peace is not just the absence of war, peace is the fruit of justice. Pope Paul VI reminded the world of this truth when he told the United Nations:
If you want peace, then work for justice.
Christ Jesus being found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him . . . .
(Phil 2:6-11)
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you
because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.
(1 Jn 3:18-24)
Deeds are always more important than words. Perhaps, the gospel writers were aware of that as well when they portrayed Saint Joseph. In the Scriptures, Saint Joseph never utters a word . . . instead he acts, and that made all the difference.
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said,
“Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him,
“My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him,
“Have you come to believe
because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen
and have believed.”
(Jn 20:26-29)
Everyone seems to think that Thomas actually touched the Risen Lord . . . but the gospel doesn’t say that at all. In response to what Jesus says to him, Thomas gives the highest confession in all the New Testament, “My Lord and my God!”
On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’” Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
(Mk 16:5-8)
Mark’s gospel ends with that remarkable statement that the women “said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mk 16:8). The gospel writer was perhaps a little too smart for the audience. The gospel writer intends that WE, the hearers of the gospel, should be the ones to go and tell the leadership the good news that “he has been raised.” Unfortunately, the church misunderstood the gospel writer’s intention and was never satisfied with the ending. So through the years various “endings” to the gospel have been added. But these ”endings” rob the gospel of its punch. Because the women were told to go and tell the disciples and Peter . . . but they didn’t because they were afraid. And so the proclamation of the Good News is up to us. And just who is this “young man” clothed in a “white robed?” Perhaps he has something to do with the young man who followed Jesus and that they tried to seize in the garden "wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked" (Mk 14:51-52). Obviously, the young man is not an angel . . . he must be one of the recently baptized!”
