Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish

FR MICHAEL BIBLICAL IMAGERY

(Fr Michael Boakye Yeboah: Vice Rector of St Gregory Seminary, Kumasi-Ghana)

FOLLOW ME…

            We are in the Fourth Sunday of Easter and each week comes with its own intricacies. On Easter Sunday, the Easter story was one of uncertainties.  Some women who went to the tomb at dawn brought a message that was full of uncertainties. When Peter and John visited the tomb, they went to double check but they did not see Jesus; only an empty tomb and the covering cloth. This is the story of the first week of Easter.

            The second week of Easter is the week of doubt. In the doubt of Thomas, Jesus needed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt by showing them his wounded hands, legs and side to authenticate his physical resurrection. Did it remove all doubts from the minds and hearts of the disciples? I am not very sure because on the third week, Peter and the group probably unconvinced of the resurrection decided to abandon the Christ-mission and go back to practice their former trade. Why will Peter mislead the whole group? It was on a similar seashore that Jesus first met Peter and called him to be a fisher of men. If Peter could not “fish for more men”, at least he should have preserved the ones Jesus left in his care. When Jesus found him out on the shore of Tiberias, he made Peter to take a “vow” that he will finally abandon his professional trade and tend the flock of God. This time, Peter was convinced of the resurrection and so he was ready to take every risk to care for God’s flock.

            On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we like the disciples, are ready to abandon all uncertainties, doubts and unbelief and follow Jesus. In the Gospel reading Jesus himself sounds very sure that the disciples have now finally and fully accepted the Easter message of his resurrection. The inspired writer quotes Jesus perfectly well when he stated: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand…” These words of Jesus are highly assuring and comforting. One cannot hear these words and abandon the cause of the Gospel.

            The effect of the disciples’ acceptance of Jesus’ words is found in the first and the second readings. In the first reading, no matter the opposition and the threat from the Jews, Paul and Barnabas were fearless in preaching and defending the Gospel. When the Jews drove them from Antioch, they did not allow it to sadden them but went to Iconium to preach the Gospel. Though their fellow Jews rejected them, they were so filled with the Holy Spirit that the Gentile nations opened their arms for the Gospel.

            There is always a great reward in preaching the Gospel of the Lord. We will not only receive earthly rewards but great and eternal rewards await us in heaven and John in the second reading gives us a clue. After working so hard for the Gospel, Jesus revealed to John in a vision the reward that awaits him in heaven. John in the vision saw the reward of those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith standing before the throne of the lamb. The description given to those standing before the Lamb is so beatific and solemn and it reads: “…these are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb…for this reason they stand before the throne of God worshiping him day and night…”

I surely want to share in this company, what about you? OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PRAY FOR US.