As a result, what really matters is how each one of us lives the mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus. The Easter season provides the opportunity to discover again and again how it impacts our lives.
Wherever we encounter Christ, the effects of His Resurrection extend to us. Encountering Christ clearly flows from the reception of the Sacraments: When we receive the Eucharist and when we receive forgiveness for our failings and sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to name but two of the Sacraments. I name those two specifically because we can—if we want to—avail ourselves of these daily.
These next 40 days or so of celebrating Easter invite us to set our sights on Jesus, raised from the cruel death of the cross by God’s loving hands only to come alive again as the Risen Christ present to us all in so many remarkable and simple ways. Our task is to open ourselves to the Risen Christ, to the many ways that He’s present to us and to continue to grow as women and men of faith, hope, and love because of His presence. Our mission, these next few weeks during the Easter season and beyond, is to discover Christ in those persons we meet and in the situations that make up our lives.
One of the first examples of the missionary work of the apostles among the gentiles, an example we should strive to imitate is found early in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 8:26-40).
The Ethiopian eunuch was seated in his chariot while traveling home from Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he was reading aloud Isaiah chapter 53, which contains the ‘suffering servant’ narrative. A few verses later, he read:
“The foreigner joined to the LORD should not say, ‘The LORD will surely exclude me from his people’; Nor should the eunuch say, ‘See, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose what pleases me, and who hold fast to my covenant, I will give them, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; an eternal name, which shall not be cut off, will I give them.’” (Isaiah 56:3-5).
As a foreigner and a eunuch, this passage of grace, love, and hope must have also spoken to his heart, preparing him to wonder how these things might be accomplished. Unbeknownst to him, the prophesy of the suffering servant, which he was then pondering, provides the key. A divine appointment with Philip would soon reward his curiosity with understanding. And we subsequently learn, he was reading without understanding the meaning of what he was reading. When I thought about this scene it struck me as strange. I can't think of anyone who, while going on a journey, would pass the time on a plane or train by reading a book that they couldn't understand. Obviously, the next question is why was the eunuch reading Isaiah of all things?
St. Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, tells us that the eunuch had made the trip to Jerusalem to worship. Somehow, he had heard about the one true God and that the great temple at Jerusalem was the most sacred place to worship God. Since he was an important and powerful man in Ethiopia, he was able to arrange to journey to Jerusalem to see the temple and to worship there. He must have been impressed with the temple and sincerely worshipped there. During his stay at the temple, the eunuch had obtained a copy of the prophecies of Isaiah the prophet. He began to read the prophecies on his homeward journey, but since he was not familiar with the writings and customs of the Jews, he was unable to understand the meaning of the text. But he seems to have had a sincere desire to know and understand the book of Isaiah.
At this point God intervened to help the eunuch. He sent an angel to direct Philip to rendezvous with the eunuch on the Gaza road. Next, we see the Spirit at work, directing Philip to the chariot to converse with the eunuch. The Spirit was also at work in the eunuch and he willingly asked Philip to join him in the chariot and to explain the meaning of the text he was reading. Remember, the eunuch was reading one of Isaiah's great prophecies about the coming of the Savior. Philip explained the prophecy and used this passage as a point of departure for explaining the life of Jesus and his teaching and preaching to the eunuch.
The thing that strikes me about this story was the willingness of the eunuch to believe. Sitting with Philip in his chariot he was a very eager listener to the story of Jesus. After an initial question he was content to listen and learn. When they came to the water, the eunuch eagerly asked to be baptized, and Philip baptized him. The eunuch embraced the faith and became a follower of Jesus.
The story of the eunuch ends as strangely as it began. After they came out of the water Philip just disappeared and the eunuch never saw him again. St. Luke tells us that the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and that he went to a town called Azotus where he continued to preach the good news. The eunuch continued on his journey home and he rejoiced as he went. He rejoiced to know and follow Jesus. He was a convert and follower of Jesus, and we can be sure that he told his family, friends and acquaintances in Ethiopia about Jesus.
At this time of the year, we are ordinarily welcoming catechumens and candidates who have been joined to the Church at Easter. Of course, with the restrictions on social distancing, we are temporarily unable to do so in our usual manner. To my brothers and sisters who this virus has affected in this way, I can only pray for their continued patience. But maybe they will identify with this story and share in a sense of wonder, as they share a similar experience of being drawn into a new relationship accompanied by revealed truth. All who are called to a relationship with Christ can share in that wonder. We have sensed that God is patiently drawing us toward a future and hope that is rooted in His Son Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life we read about in the Gospel (John 6:44-51).
Are we prepared to recognize the divine appointments happening all around us? God is calling us to journey with Him. Preparation and curiosity are needed, as well as patience and endurance. Let's journey on and be taught by God as we go on our way rejoicing. Thanks be to God.
No comments:
Post a Comment