Thursday in the Octave of Easter 

Hello, I’m Father Matt Allman, and I’m speaking with you today from the Redemptorists North American Novitiate in Tlalpizahuac, Mexico.

The risen Christ, after appearing in the midst of the disciples, showing them his wounds, eating a piece of baked fish, and opening the disciples minds to understand the Scriptures, concludes today’s Gospel passage by saying to the disciples, “You are witnesses of these things.” Yes. The disciples have now seen and heard the risen Lord. They have experienced him in his transformed, resurrected body, so yes, they are now witnesses, at least in the more passive sense of that word. But I think it is important to remember that Christ doesn’t just want passive witnesses. 

Witnesses who never make the effort to testify don’t do anyone much good in the long run. If we are going to be faithful to our baptismal call and our role as disciples today, It’s vital that sooner or later we make the turn that Peter accomplishes in our first reading. It’s vital that we go from simply being people who have seen and heard, to being people who speak, people who testify, people who overcome our fears with the help of the Holy Spirit, and who stand before the world to proclaim the good news about Jesus Christ risen from the dead. 

I like how in the Gospel, Jesus finishes his encounter with the disciples by saying, “You are witnesses of these things,” and then when Peter is giving his speech to the crowd in the Acts of the Apostles, he echoes those exact same words, “The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.”

Today may we pay attention to all the ways that the risen Lord enters our lives, touches them and blesses them. But then may we also complete our transformation into effective witnesses by actually giving testimony, sharing with others what we’ve seen and heard in the Risen Christ.

May God bless you today and always. Amen.