 Perhaps at some time in our lives we have had occasion to say “I’m with him (or her)” for some reason. In essence there is nothing wrong with it unless we are trying to impress others or validate ourselves because of who we want to be seen with; then its usage would be selfish. But if we say it to profess commitment or discipleship, then our motivation would not be selfish, but rather, it would be an act of humility and praise since we are taking the focus from ourselves and putting it solely on the other. To proclaim that we are followers is a way to attract others to this leader, too, and therefore, becomes a way of glorifying the one we are professing to be with. This is what the first followers of Jesus did, and if we profess to be His followers as well, we must realize that with this declaration comes risks, but it also comes with powerful graces if we stay the course. At Easter our discipleship is transformed after the sacrifices of Lent. Thus, our efforts at conversion are now expressed as shouts of “Alleluia to the Risen Lord!” Our joy makes His complete. But do keep in mind that challenges will continue and some of our responses to them may disappoint us. But if we falter, we can allow the grace of the Resurrection to continually transform selfish motivations into holy ones, and death to renewed life with Jesus. In other words, the graces received at Easter renewed our hearts and thus heightened our ability to live the proclamation, “I am with Him! I am with the Risen Lord Jesus!”  To explore this a bit more, let us turn to the Gospels to observe the behaviors of the disciples, particularly the Apostles. After the Apostles began to follow Jesus, they experienced both the ups and downs of professing discipleship. As was expected, there were times in which it was easy to act in ways that said, “We’re with Him,” such as when Jesus worked a miracle or preached to a favorable crowd. They also ‘rose to the occasion’ in some challenging situations, clearly sticking with Jesus when He was accosted by the religious authorities. An especially notable challenge was the time when Jesus preached the Bread of Life Discourse and most of His followers left Him because it seemed too much for them to accept. When questioned by Jesus as to the Apostles’ intentions, Peter spoke for them: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life….” (John 6:22-71) However, there were also times when their courage was lost and they abandoned the Lord, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Jesus was arrested, they all ran away so as not to be associated with Him. Later that night, Peter vehemently denied Jesus three times, declaring, “I do not know the man!” (Matthew 26:72) That is, “I’m not with Him!” And of course, the worst abandonment was that of Judas, who separated himself from Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, betraying Him to the authorities, and with a kiss, no less.  But everything changed when Jesus resurrected on the third day. Peter had repented; and though in hiding, it seems that all of the apostles (less Judas) were doing similarly. Finally, with wonder and awe they saw and experienced Jesus again, now risen. The amount of grace that must have been flowing as Jesus breathed on them is unfathomable. As Jesus indicated would happen, especially at the Last Supper (John 14-17), these men were transformed. * This is because they had grown in faith and in understanding; just as we do during Lent, the planted seeds were watered and came to fruition after being sorely tested. Though the process needed to be completed in them by the Risen Christ over a 40-day period, they would soon be rushing out into the streets in joy: “And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim,” (Acts 2:4) in a way declaring, “We’re with Him!” The rising of Jesus unleashed great power, not just over the forces of evil, sin, and death, but with the healing, saving, merciful power that comes to those who believe, commit themselves to Him, and work to spread the Gospel, joining in His glory. The Rising of Jesus has given us great power!  In our Easter joy, it is important to keep in perspective the meaning behind our Lenten sacrifices, and especially what took place in our prayer. Easter grace now empowers us to live our discipleship by saying in words and deeds, “I am with Him.” And good as that is, it is not enough to only let others know; we need to intentionally stay present to Jesus by keeping Him company in the same way as we accompanied Him through Holy Week, by doing His will discerned through continuing our prayer, study, reflection, and good works. While we know that it is important to say, “Lord, I am not leaving you alone. I am with you,” when we are meditating on His suffering, let us not forget that He loves to hear it not only when we come to Eucharist, but throughout the day. Just as He is always with us, we need to always be attentive to Him. This Easter let us rejoice in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, the one to whom every knee must bow! And let us add to His joy by declaring, “Lord, I am with you! I am yours!”  May we live our lives as a declaration of our commitment to Jesus! May we experience joy and gratitude for such a great gift as the salvation offered by our Risen Lord! And may we never lose sight of the power of the Resurrection in our lives! Let us meet rejoicing at the empty tomb of Jesus! He is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia! Peace!
©Michele L. Catanese * I am specifically referring to the Apostles, but we know there were 120 gathered disciples in the Upper Room. If they were always there, or if they arrived little by little, we do not know. Of these, there is only one person we can safely say was there the entire time, however: Mary the Mother of Jesus. (Acts 1:14-15) Images: 1. My photo; Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, central panel of The Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck, St. Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. 2. Painting; Bread, artist unknown. 3. My photo; Flower in Keukenhof Gardens, Holland. 4. Icon; The Risen Christ by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you wish to obtain a copy you can find this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-risen-christ-014-william-hart-mcnichols.html 5. Painting; Isenheim Altarpiece, The Resurrection, by Matthias Grünewald. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. |
Heart Speaks to Heart
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