To be fire-filled, not fear-filled - the Easter effect

WORD 2day: Friday within the Easter Octave 

April 9, 2021: Acts 4: 1-12; John 21: 1-14

Today in the Word we see, there begins the next round of efforts to contain the Good news. When Jesus spoke of it, they killed him and heaved a big sigh thinking it was all over. Little did they imagine the problem was far from settled. The Reign of God is like the seed that a sower planted in his field, the Master had said... after a brief silence, it will certainly shoot up. We see the Sadducees and the Pharisees begin to feel the startles as they see the first signs of this sprouting. That was already too strong! 

From a fear-filled bunch of rugged Jews, the apostles turned out to be fire-filled upstarts, gradually shaping up to be formidable people of God, standing for and proclaiming the Good news, namely the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the World. The Truth could not be contained... in fact, it can never be, whatever you do! Truth is what is and it shall ever be so, whether you like it or not and one day, regardless of how long it takes, it will stand up, rise up, and show itself up!

The proclamation of the apostles and the disciples, was strong because it was accompanied by signs and wonders, as the Master himself had set the model. Walking on the Sea, hauling an impossibly large catch of fish...these were no new signs for the disciples. They were merely confirmations of the continued presence of the Lord who had lived and moved with them. The disciples would not allow themselves to be stopped by anyone or anything. Soon we will begin to hear the violence that was unleashed against the new movement of the Risen Lord. Nothing, absolutely nothing, will stop them from their commitment to proclaim the Lord. That was an formidable Easter effect! 

Today, amidst the fear that is spread of this anti-human phenomenon of the pandemic, the other more dangerous ills that are these days forgotten and given a free ride into humanity (because everyoone is worried about the pandemic which no one really understands)... if we wish to be Easter people, let our life be a proclamation and a proclamation that is accompanied by signs and wonders: signs that stand counter to the self centered standards of the world today; and wonders that make people see the love and mercy of God in and through us! 

For that we need to sport with pride the Easter effect: to be Fire-filled and not fear-filled!