Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday of 6th Week of Easter, Year B, May 12th, 2021
Texts: Acts 17:15.22-18:1; Ps. 148: 1-2.11-14; John 16:12-15
Pope St John Paul II says, “Faith and reason are the two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” When it comes to the truth of natural order reason is proficient but when it comes to divine truth, it gets stuck and becomes blank at a point. At a point in the search for divine truth, reason has to submit to faith. In today's first reading, the people could flow with Paul until the point he started to talk about resurrection. Resurrection is a divine truth. It is said, "Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, 'We will hear you again about this.'" This shows that resurrection is an object of faith. Reason cannot lead us to the point of salvation; it is faith that saves, not reason. It is by faith we are justified and pleasing to God.
Jesus, in today's gospel reading, reminds us that we need the Holy Spirit to attain the divine truth. He says, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth". Holy Spirit is the gift of faith; He is given to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit comes to the aid of our reason, banishes the darkness of our reason and enhances it to grasp the divine truth.
Paul, in the first reading, reminds us that God is not far from us; in Him we live, move and have our being. God is close to us, that we might feel Him and know Him. He puts it thus: "Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’" In these words, Paul talks of God who will to reveal Himself to us; God who will to be known and has brought us close that we might know Him. God's willingness to reveal Himself and to be known reaches its peak in sending His Son to us. God's willingness to reveal Himself in Jesus Christ reaches its climax in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Resurrection reveals Jesus as God. With resurrection we know that Jesus is God among us.
Resurrection is an action of God. The belief in resurrection leads to belief in God; we cannot hope in resurrection without faith in God. Resurrection is an uncommon act of love by which God reveals Himself to us. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see God who reveals Himself and will to be known. God will to be known as person, one who is open for communion, relationship and communication. By resurrection we come to know God as one who is with us, as one who is among us, as one who is not far from us, as one who lives with us always. Resurrection is the uncommon show of love by God to humanity; it is a great blessing to us. It is for our good that God raised Jesus from the dead. God raised Jesus from the dead that we might have faith in Him and be saved.
Lord our God, we thank You for blessing us with the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant us the grace to persevere in the love You have shown us in the resurrection. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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