Have you ever witnessed an automobile accident or any accident? Wouldn’t you know it Christmas Eve my daughter was rear ended going home. She is a nurse and had to work Christmas Day. She was upset but no one was hurt except for the cars.
Years ago, I was heading home from work one day and I was tired. There were three cars in a row and I was the third car. The traffic light turned green and the first car in line went through. The second car started to go through but was hit by another car from the side who had gone through the red light. I stopped of course to offer assistance but there were no serious injuries and I gave my telephone number to the driver and thanked God it was not me.
Weeks later an insurance agent called and I gave my deposition over the phone. The other car had clearly gone through a red light.
In our Gospel readings today we have an eyewitness accounts from Saint John and Saint Peter concerning the Ressurection . They saw and believed that the tomb was empty. All that Jesus had promise had come true. The Son of Man would rise again on the third day.
Anytime Jesus says Amen should give us pause to pay attention. When Jesus says Amen, Amen that is really a time to listen to His words.
Saint John in our first reading today in 1 John 1:1-4 doesn’t say Amen, Amen but does repeat himself twice. This should be cause for us to pay attention. He first says, What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it... and goes on to say, what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you.
Saint John uses “we”. He was not the only witness to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. All the people who followed Christ were witnesses. Jesus appeared to many after His death and Resurrection.
Why do people doubt? Why don’t we live better lives so we can be in fellowship with all the Saints and the Trinity?
It seems strange in a way that after celebrating the Birth of Christ two days ago that we are talking about his Resurrection, but the scripture is talking about how we witness our faith by passing what we witness to the next generation.
Pope Francis recently spoke of how to evangelize. In his address to the Roman Curia on December 21st the Pope said, Proclaiming the Gospel, adds the Pope, “does not consist in besieging others with apologetic speeches”, in shouting “the truth of Revelation” in peoples’ faces. Even less “is it necessary to fling truths and doctrinal formulas on others as if they were stones”. Because “the literal repetition of the announcement in itself has no effect, and can fall into emptiness, if the people to whom it is addressed have no opportunity to meet and taste in some way God’s tenderness, and His healing mercy”.
Saint John doesn’t say he but we which means you and me are the witnesses for today.
God Bless you always,
Bob Burford
