Saturday of the 3rd Week of Easter
Acts 9:31-42; Psalm 115:12-17; 6:60-69
Yesterday’s gospel, taken literally, would have Christ’s early disciples engage in cannibalism to attain eternal life. This absurdity triggered the discontent and departure of many followers in today’s gospel; indeed, many modern Catholics still have trouble processing the concept of transubstantiation, eventually falling back on:
- “well, if Father X says this host is the Body of Christ, then it must be so,” or
- “I’ll just go along with it for the sake of appearances,” or
- “aiyah, it’s just a wafer; come, I break a piece for you to try” (!!!)
An old priest once mentioned something similar with regards to our recitation of the Nicene Creed: When we say “I believe in God, etc.” do we even comprehend what we just said? Is that why we tend to rush through the Creed, because we really don’t understand what it all means…and don’t want to face that fact?
Al Gore popularised the phrase “inconvenient truth” in the context of global warming, but I think it applies just as well to the generally shallow depth of our belief in God, in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, in the 12 articles of faith that we recite every Sunday, often relying on projected or printed text to jog our memory. It’s a fragile faith that can, nay, should be reinforced by copious contemplation and conscious effort to close the gap between our words and our understanding. This should in turn be reflected in the way we live our lives, especially in our interactions with others.
Lord, our faith is weak. Remind us every day that you are our God. Help us to see You in and around us, and teach us to live our lives in faith, hope and love. Amen.