FROM A SUFFERING WORLD TO A LIFE OF RESURRECTION.

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER. YEAR A.
March 30, 2008.
(First reading: Acts 2:42-47) (Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24)
(Second reading: 1 Peter 1: 3-9) (Gospel reading: John 20:19-31).


FROM A SUFFERING WORLD
TO A LIFE OF RESURRECTION.

The nail marks on his hands and the wound on his side are the signs Jesus shows his disciples for them to see that the person who suffered and died on the cross is the same one who is now alive in front of them.

Today, the Lord Jesus continues to reveal to the world that he is alive in the suffering of all human beings. He is alive in those who suffer injustice, oppression, dispossession, aggression, destruction, for they are the bleeding wounds of God on earth.

Once we are able to see Jesus in our suffering and in the suffering of our fellow human beings, them we can move onto believing in the saving power of Jesus who, by virtue of his resurrection, brings deliverance from suffering, from injustice, from war, from falsehood, from all forms of oppression.

The gospel today is an invitation for all to participate in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus by bringing about peace, justice, truth, mutual respect, mutual understanding into our world.

The life of the resurrection.
The Acts of the Apostles describes the type of human life which attests to the resurrection, a form of life in which Jesus is present in the midst of human beings. Says the Book of Acts: "All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need" (Acts 2:44-45).

That form of life is called "communal life", a life in which human beings live in unity with with one another and with God through "the breaking of the bread and prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Communal life brings about unity:
- Unity of faith, as human beings share one conviction, one belief;
- Unity of action, as human beings share all their material wealth in common;
- Unity of hope, as human beings share one goal which is the well being of all people without exception.

Individual and collective resurrection.
Just as an individual experiences the life of Jesus when personal health and tranquility are restored, so does a collectivity also experiences it when justice and peace are restored.

Whether collectively or individually, the Lord, through his resurrection will restore for us the life we have lost; he will move us from a suffering world onto a life of resurrection.