Called To Become Witnesses
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“You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48) These are the last words of the gospel reading for the third Sunday of Easter. When Jesus appears on Easter Sunday, he does so not only to prove that he is alive but also to send the disciples on a mission of announcing the gospel to the world. That is why Peter will repeat a similar phrase while preaching on Pentecost as we can read in the first reading from the Acts. But what exactly are they witnesses of? What does it mean for me to be a witness to Jesus?
At the basic level, to be a witness means to have an experience of something. An eyewitness has seen an occurrence or incident to which he may testify. To be a witness means to have a direct exposure or access to a person or situation which gives certain experience of that fact. Although, the apostles were not physically present at the moment of Christ’ resurrection, they were undoubtedly witnesses to the fact that he was alive after his passion and death. The fact of seeing Jesus after his resurrection was absolutely an enormous grace and privilege for them. But it also would mean that only a limited number of people could be called witnesses to the resurrection of Christ in a proper sense. If that were the case, the resurrection of Christ would remain a fairytale, myth or legend that is only spoken of as something of the remote past. Yet what we celebrate on Easter Sunday is of a different kind.
Like the Twelve, we are called as well to be witnesses to the resurrection of Christ in our times and place. And our testimony is equally valid and real as that of those who have seen Jesus after his resurrection because it is based on the experience of the presence of Jesus in the Church today and in our lives. Christ who is present in the word of God, in the sacraments and in the community of the Church comes to meet us in the daily circumstances of our lives. He does so in order to share with us the gift of his very life through which our sins are being forgiven and our lives renewed. And that does not come from us, but it is being accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who believe.
And so, in this way we become witnesses to Christ and to his love as well. It does happen when we welcome the transforming power of God’s grace in our lives and make it shown through love. The Church needs such witnesses today. In the upcoming weeks, we will have a possibility in our parish to hear testimonies of such witnesses. May by listening to them we will rediscover our call to become witnesses to the risen Christ.
