WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

Tuesday within the Easter Octave: 7th April, 2015

Acts 2: 36-41; Jn 20: 11-18

'What are we to do?' ask the people cut to their heart! That is the first sign of a transformed people: being cut to the heart and wanting to do something about it. I remember a gathering of teachers that I addressed in the beginning of this academic year (2014-2015). There were over 200 of them and at the end of the meeting one teacher walked up to me and said: 'Fr. I want to do something... I just can't continue the way I am. Tell me now, what should I do?' And I gave him a suggestion, and now he is part of our Evangelisation Team! I was amazed that out of the 200, there was one who was cut to his heart and changed his course in life.

If we allow the Risen Lord to encounter us through the numerous ways he usually does, we will be cut to our hearts! The Lord has a suggestion for the future course of action: Go and Announce! He would say he is going to the Father and would ask us to continue what he started. The disciples took it to heart and they did an enormous work... what about you and me today? How frequently do we have this pressing question in our hearts: What are we to do? What am I to do? 

GET BACK TO GALILEE

Monday within the Easter Octave: 6th April, 2015

Acts 2: 14,22-33; Mt 28: 8-15

The conspiracy to malign the name of Jesus and his apostles had not stopped even after having had Jesus killed. Now after the resurrection, it gets more urgent and more intense, because the opponents were already feeling the mounting pressure. Jesus in his ever cool fashion tells his disciples to get back to Galilee- Galilee, where Jesus went about doing good, where Jesus was living and moving with them day in and day out, where Jesus was sharing their daily concerns and making them feel so cared for, loved and attended to.

The lesson for us is: at times of conspiracy, at times of troubles and uncertainties, what do we need to do? Let us get back to Galilee: let us get back to the wonderful experiences we have had with Jesus. Let us get back to the basic lessons we have learnt from Jesus. Let us get back to the fundamental values that Jesus has always been offering us.Thus we will never be disoriented and we will see a light that will pierce through the present cloud.