EASTER SUNDAY III “B”
APRIL 25/26, 2009
While not developed specifically out of a Christian context, nevertheless “The 12 Steps” of Alcoholics Anonymous do offer a guide to living a life of Christian discipleship arising from our baptism. In light of today’s Scriptures, Step Twelve is particularly appropriate: “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, I will try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all my affairs.”
Through God’s grace in the sacrament of baptism each of us experienced a “spiritual awakening” and entered into a personal relationship with Jesus the effect of which is summarized by the author of the first letter of St. John in today’s second reading: “expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.” In today’s gospel, the conclusion of the story of Jesus’ encounter with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we have another “spiritual awakening” moment as Jesus reveals himself, to the early community of believers, as he did to the two disciples at Emmaus in the context of a meal. St. Luke is teaching us that it is most especially in the Eucharist that we again and again encounter and touch the risen Jesus and he us.
Step Twelve concludes by stating: “I will practice these principles in all my affairs.”
The author of the first letter of John reminds us that our “yes” to Jesus is not a one-time response to an “altar call” of “accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior” good as that is for a start. Like all freely chosen relationships, our relationship with Jesus begun through baptism, sealed in confirmation and continually nurtured and nourished in the eucharist is to bear fruit in a life marked by on-going repentance and conversion of life. As John himself states: “The way we can be sure that we know him (Jesus) is to keep his commandments. Those who say ‘I know him,’ but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them.” Daily prayer, reading and reflection on the Scriptures, availing ourselves to on-going faith education and formation through such activities as reading our archdiocesan newspaper The Witness or making time for an afternoon of spiritual reflection or a weekend retreat such as are offered by both American Martyrs Retreat House, our archdiocesan retreat center here in town, or by the parish, study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and especially participation every Sunday in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist as well as a periodic celebration of the Sacrament of Penance—all are ways that can assist us in the process of on-going conversion of keeping alive that “spiritual awakening” and growing in our faith of keeping Jesus’ commandments. Taking care of our spiritual well-being just like other areas of our life is not an option. The other day I overheard a conversation between one of our parish staff members and someone who had stopped by the office. The visitor commented that she had lost several pounds. While congratulating her on her achievement the staff p member responded, “You look great! But now the hard part comes, keeping it off. You can’t plateau because if you do everything you’ve lost will just creep back on.” True enough. And true, too, in the life of faith. A faith-life not carefully attended to will revert back to old habits or, worse, succumb to the temptations, values and lifestyles of this world to the detriment of the divine life of grace received in baptism.
Finally, Step Twelve states, “I will try to carry this message to others.” The term “gospel” means “good news” and the good news is not private revelation, but given to us to share. At the end of today’s gospel Jesus tells the disciples gathered in Jerusalem “that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins” is to be preached to “all nations” beginning in Jerusalem and that the disciples, and all who will, in turn, come to faith in Jesus through them are “witnesses of these things.” In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles we have the story of the first sermon of St. Peter as he witnesses to the truth of Jesus and calls his hearers to repentance. Such witness, however, can be costly. Peter and all the other original disciples, except by tradition St. John, ended up as martyrs. This past week I witnessed this an example of this cost of discipleship. Carrie Prejean, who represented the state of California in the Miss USA pageant, when asked a pointed question about the issue of so-called “Gay Marriage” last weekend on national television, responded that based on her Christian faith, she believes marriage to be a state valid only for a man and a woman, even while respecting the dignity of every person as a child of God. A call to repentance and conversion in a morally bankrupt culture; the truth which can set us free; practicing a spiritual awakening by witnessing to others, even at the cost of worldly acclaim. Today, like Carrie, we pray that we, too, having been spiritually awakened practice our faith in all our daily affairs as we carry the message and person of Jesus to others.