Travelling through the highways of Mountain Province in
2006 helped me appreciate the gift of sight and of faith; and discern their
distinction. A friend of mine, a priest
from Baguio, invited me to do a little excursion to the northern region to have
a breath of fresh air away from studies.
After a couple of days chilling in his place, the City of Pines, we
decided to go to Sagada and Bontoc. Going up on an off-road jeep at
mid-afternoon, we were soon passing through the highway known as the highest point
of elevation. It was just before sundown. The altitude gave me the excellent vantage
point from where to see the breath-taking grandeur of the mountains around me.
Seen against the background of the retiring sun, the whole scenery filled my
eyes with sheer delight of witnessing greatness, beauty and melancholy all at
once. A couple of days later, coming
back at dawn, we were passing through the same place again, only this time, at
sunrise. The sight was exhilarating. The colossal and expansive mass of
mountains highlighted by the gentle rays of the morning sun held me spellbound. Soon, I was misty-eyed and felt like
exploding.
My eyes witnessed an awesome scenery. But there was something
unseen that kept my heart pounding and burning with unexplainable sense of
jubilation and admiration. It was something I believed in: Beyond what met my eyes was a strong and
undeniable presence. It was the presence of Him who is Himself Beauty,
Grandeur, Might, Intelligence, Purpose, and Graciousness. The Creator.
The gift of sight is a delight. But most of what is
essential in life are unseen. They are believed.
Today’s gospel (Jn 20:19-31) proclaims this truth: “Blessed
are those who have not seen and have believed” (v. 29). The blessedness of Easter is not so much the
delight of seeing as it is the courage, the peace, and the faith of someone who
believes! This is discernible in John’s
account of what happened in that closed room as the risen Lord appeared to his
fearful disciples.
In the gospel reading, the risen Christ appeared to them and
freed them from three obstacles to a blessed Easter life: The paralysis of
fear, the alienation of guilt, the anxiety of doubt.
Freedom from Fear.
The death of the Master on the cross on Good Friday sent the disciples to
hiding. Out of fear, they holed up in a room afraid of a possible crack down on
the followers of the crucified Messiah. Today’s gospel, however, recounts how
Jesus dispelled their fear by offering them his peace: “Peace be with you.”
Jesus’ appearance threw away the paralysis caused by fear and, once again,
enabled them to rejoice in freedom and, more importantly, to possess the
courage to embrace the mission of proclaiming the gospel.
We can always hide in fear; stay safe in our comfort zones; live
with a non-committal attitude in life. But the Risen Lord invites us to believe
in the blessedness of Easter life—a life characterized by courage. The courage
to engage in the challenges of life. The
courage to move on after a door is closed, venturing into the newly opened
windows. The courage to proclaim in whatever we do the greatness of God in our
lives.
Freedom from Guilt.
The disciples were guilty of running for
their own lives and abandoning their Master.
Aside from the paralysis of fear, they were also alienated by their
guilt. So as Jesus dispelled the fear of the disciples, he proceeded in
breathing into them the Holy Spirit, to become the source of forgiveness: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you
forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (v. 22-23). Hereafter, the apostles and their successors would
be Jesus’ representatives in the world to impart his peace by absolving the
guilt of those who repent.
We can helplessly succumb to our weaknesses and live in the
alienation of guilt, heightening each day our feeling of unworthiness. But a blessed Easter life summons us to live
in God’s “ocean of mercy.” Today is the Feast of Divine Mercy. But the happiness
of the one who believes in the Risen Lord is the joy of feasting in God's mercy not just today but all the days of one's life.
Freedom from Doubt.
The encounter between Jesus and Thomas demonstrated
how Jesus overcame doubt. Jesus yielded to Thomas’ obstinacy showing the latter
the evidence he was looking for as a requirement for his belief. Thomas went
down in history as the doubting apostle; yet when we come to think of it, his scepticism
saved us from our own doubts. Thomas had disproved any theories that suggest
the resurrection as mere hallucination of the part of the apostles. He had seen
the Risen Lord in his own eyes in the very terms he demanded. Hence, his
proclamation of faith, “My Lord and my God!” can also be ours. Our only
difference with him: without seeing we
believe. And blessed are we.
A blessed Easter life is living in faith and confidence that
God is victorious. The risen Lord has conquered sin and death. He offers us grace
and life. There is no use dwelling in our paranoia and the unsettling anxieties
over the uncertainties in life. We can
let go of our compulsion to be in control of everything. We can be happy. Just
believe. Let God be God and let us have
a blessed Easter life.
