What Have We Seen & Heard?

Peter and John Running to the Tomb: Eugene Burnand, Musee d'Orsay, Paris

The readings the Church has given us during this Easter Octave are so beautiful, and thought provoking. In this morning’s Gospel we hear the Evangelist Mark’s final thoughts on the Easter story. He summarizes Jesus’ Resurrection appearances, pointing out how he “rebuked” the Disciples for not believing.

In the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear how they have changed their tune! Over the course of this week we hear how Pentecost enlivened them with zeal and they went out boldly proclaiming the truth of Christ risen from the dead…which lands them in prison. Peter and John specifically get in quite a bind after healing the cripple, and today we hear how they were released. That release came with threats from the Sanhedrin and a command to stop their preaching. They are clear with their captors that such a thing will not be happening: “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

“What they have seen and heard” did not seem to change anything during those 40 days of the Risen Jesus being among them, but when ignited by the spark of the Holy Spirit they became unstoppable.

We certainly can’t blame them for not being quickly turned to evangelists that first Easter morning. The notion of a man being brutally murdered and then rising from the dead is almost beyond the scope of understanding! Peter, John, and the others were human beings with human minds and human emotions. Fear, confusion, and doubt plagued them as much as it would anyone else. Yet the Spirit gave them the boost they needed to become evangelists on fire for the truth of the resurrection!

We strive each day to grow in our relationship with the Risen One: to change the world little by little by our acts of charity and love. We look to Jesus for hope and comfort during times of crisis, especially now during this COVID-19 crisis. Yet what have we seen and heard that inspires us?

For me, my faith was handed down to me by my parents. It wasn’t so much the words they spoke, or even their taking me to Church that fired the engines of my faith, but rather their silent example. They demonstrated throughout my life a clear belief in Jesus risen from the dead by an unshakable confidence in his promise to be with us “always, until the end of the ages.” When family members or friends passed away, they spoke with clarity of how our duty was to pray for them to now be welcomed into heaven. I remember seeing them pray together not just at Church, but in the privacy of our home. I just accepted the truth of Jesus as part of the fabric of life. The notion of someone not believing the same thing was foreign to me, frankly such a thing was beyond my ability to even understand.

What have you seen and heard? This question serves for us as both a point of reflection and a call.

It is a point of reflection because those things we have seen and heard is the work of the Risen Christ in our lives, and just as he acted in our lives as children he continues to act in our lives today. Where is the Risen Christ in 2020? He is in the man who purchased a couple thousand dollars of gift cards at the grocery store and then gave them out to senior citizens going to the market during the designated hours for “at risk” populations. He is in the people in Italy who crafted poles to hold a glass on the end so they could toast with their neighbors from the balcony. He is in the nurses, doctors, priests, and others who in caring for the sick put themselves in harm’s way each day during this crisis. He is in all the work that we do throughout this COVID crisis to help our neighbor stay safe.

He didn’t wait for COVID-19 to make an appearance by the way. He is in the mutual, self-sacrificial gift of self that is exchanged between spouses each day. He is in the love of a parent toward their child. He is in the movement of a sinful heart towards reconciliation. He is in the gorgeous sunrise, the song on the radio, the laughter shared among friends, and even the smile we get from the company of our pets. We can easily miss the Risen Christ in our day if we do not take time to ask ourselves each night: what did I see and hear today?

This question is also a call, because we like Peter and John must embrace the gift of the Spirit to likewise be bold voices of the Lord in both what we say and what we do – so that others can likewise see and hear! The network of faith, and faith in action, that began with Peter and John stretching across time and history to include us today is the Risen Body of Christ. It’s how we live what we receive on Sunday morning. It’s how we make good on that “Amen” that we pronounce upon receiving the Eucharist at every Mass.

May we all ask ourselves today: what have I seen and heard? May we reflect on this question with joy, love, honesty, and gratitude for the Risen Jesus – who lives today and forevermore!!