Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
During the Easter season, our First Readings are based on the lives of Jesus’ disciples. In today’s First Reading, we hear about Paul and Barnabas and how they “strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith.” When we think about our own lives, we know that there are many people who help strengthen our spirit and help us to persevere.
When we are very young, it is our beloved parents that open the door of faith for us. Our parents teach us all about the Word of God. Our parents lead us, by their own example, to model our behavior based upon God’s love and forgiveness. We learn about persevering throughout our lives by depending on God’s strength and His mercy.
Later on in my life’s journey, I have been blessed with a loving and supportive spouse that has shared his strong faith with me. When my husband was stationed in Iraq, we both had to stay strong in our faith, believing that he would return from his tour of duty safely. We had to keep reminding each other of God’s grace that is always with us.
With the great blessing of our children, there have also been times of serious injury and illness. My family’s faith and the prayers that we have prayed together during the years have helped us to learn that Jesus is ever present. I have seen this strength of faith in my children, who as young adults still take the time to remind each other and me too, that Jesus is our best friend who dwells within us and always loves us. Now as our youngest son is continuing his military career, in what can be a very frightening world, we find ourselves once again preparing for this next part of the journey and knowing that he will be safe in Jesus’ hands.
There are many other people in our lives who help strengthen our spirit and our faith. These are our parish priests who lead us by their amazing insights into the Word of God. Our priests help us develop a better understanding and a more reverent love for our Lord. Our parish family members also help us to develop an even closer relationship with Jesus, simply by their own testimony to our merciful God’s saving grace and by their dedication to our Lord. These are our dear friends who always have the time to pray for a sick child or a good outcome for a medical procedure. They are God’s daily miracles.
The Second Reading tells us that our Lord “will make all things new.” Here we are reminded that Jesus is always with us, fortifying us and our faith. We need not fear because God’s dwelling is here with the human race. We are not alone but constantly loved and cherished by our beloved Lord. As He gave us the Holy Spirit to lead and to guide us, so are we to lead and guide others. We are to be God’s messengers, to share God’s Holy Word with the world today, desperate to know the peace that only Jesus can bring.
We are the current day disciples of Jesus. It is our blessing to carry his message to all those we meet. We need to speak about God’s greatest commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” As we strive to renew our faith at Saint Elizabeth’s, let us renew our calling as messengers of God. Let’s share our amazing God and His mercy with all those that we meet, so that they too can be renewed by His grace and His amazing love.
~Candace Niblett