Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter: Reflection by Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 

YET YOU DO NOT BELIEVE

image from: John 6:47: Whoever believes has eternal life. (praisejesustoday.com)

(John 6:35-40)

Jesus told the crowd: "But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.”  Jesus said this within the context of His teaching that He is the Bread of life and the need for all to come to Him and believe. But unfortunately, they refused to believe in Him.

Why is it like this? A good number of us come to see Jesus in the religious practices we perform without believing.

Do we really believe in the outward signs of inward grace Jesus has left for us?

Do we believe in the grace we received at baptism? Do we believe in the Spirit of Christ we received at Confirmation?

Do we believe in the Real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist? In the forgiving power of Christ in the Confessional? In the vow exchanged at Matrimony? In the promises made at Ordination? In the efficacy of the Anointing of the sick?

We are encouraged to believe in the things we do as Christians. We are called upon to pay attention to what Christ is doing among us, for us, within us and with us. We are charged to celebrate the sacraments and conduct our Divine worship in a dignifying manner demonstrating to everyone around us and especially to God who sees beyond pretence and human deceit what we believe in.

We show our faith in what we do by the serious respect we accord the various celebrations, by the preparations we make in view of each of them, by the disposition and comportment with which we approach Christ at prayers and in handling spiritual things.

Let us not be behaving in such a way that people and even God himself wonder if we really have faith in what we do. Let people not wonder if we are really Christians. If we are actually priests. If we are truly Christian Fathers, Mothers, Youths, Children etc. It is unfortunate that we have been baptised, yet we do not believe. Ordained yet we do not believe. Wedded in the Church yet we do not believe. Do you believe?

LET US PRAY

Oh God, You have done many miracles for us that should make us believe in You. You continue to give us the signs to heaven, but we live in disbelief. We are doing a lot of things we don't really seem to believe. Our actions show it. Forgive us. Grant that we may see You in the Church and indeed in our lives and believe in what You're doing for us. May we never take You for granted all the days of our lives. Amen

God bless your Wednesday (Easter, Week 3)

Rev Fr Julian O EKeh