The apostles were afraid and huddled in a dark room. We all get frightened in the dark times, and we all need someone to hang onto. Jesus understands that, as he makes so clear in today’s gospel. “I’m not a ghost,” he says to his friends. “I’m very real; I’m here; and you can count on me. So don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here for you, closer than your breath, closer than your heartbeat. I’ll always be here, even when its very dark.”
Jesus’ words comfort his friends and calm them, and that’s good. But it isn’t enough so far as he’s concerned. He wants more for them and for us, a lot more than just peace and quiet. He wants to transform us into new people, who see the world in a new way - and respond to it in a new way.
That’s what Catholicism is. Catholicism is trying to see the world as God sees the world.
Jesus wants to transform us into people who understand what it means to be made in God’s own image and what it means to be entrusted with wonderful gifts.
He wants to transform us all into people who understand that our greatest joy - our only lasting joy - is to be found in building family and bringing one another to wholeness in the sight of God. He sends up to build family in our homes, in our church, in our social circles, in our workplace by sharing the gifts he has given us and helping one another to be whole.
Jesus also wants to help us see that the cost of being transformed - and being transformers - is always high, but the cost of not being transformed, the cost of staying mired in ourselves and stuck in our fears is even higher. For the choice of not being transformed leaves us with little or nothing of the only joys that truly warm the heart and enliven the spirit.
Our being transformed is God’s hope and desire for us, God’s will for us. And it will happen and continue happening for each of us, if we trust in God’s presence which is closer than our breath, if we draw strength from the love which is closer than our heartbeat. And then, we build family, help one another be whole, beautiful people.
God wills us to be whole and to be filled full, which means he wills us to be transformed and then to be transformers of one another. How can we settle for anything less?
Build family by sharing our gifts, Love God, serve others, make disciples, be transformers.
Today’s gospel
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