Homily for Thursday in Octave of Easter, 13th April, 2023

Readings: Acts.3:11-26; Ps.8; Luke24:35-48

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

THE EXPERIENCE THAT LEADS TO AUTHENTIC WITNESS OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE IN THE WORLD

 

Today in a special way Jesus appeared to his disciples wishing them peace and commissioning them to bear witness to his resurrection. He commissioned his disciples with these words “you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this,” as we have it in our Gospel passage today. And as we know a  witness must be someone who has seen and experienced something and could testify to the facts of what he or she has seen.

 

So, the disciples had witnessed Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection and here comes the mission to witness this to the whole world and to proclaim reconciliation with God through Jesus. We too receive this commission of being his witnesses, through our baptism we are incorporated into the Church to authentically bear witness to the faith we profess.

 

Dear friends, it is our task to carry on this mission of Christ  throughout the whole world. If we do not, then, the world will not hear Christ’s message of reconciliation, forgiveness and victory over sin and death, thereby, making the world to remain ignorant of what God has done for us and the consequences of this ignorance is the root of the problems on our world today.

 

However, we can not bear effectiveness witness unless we have a personal experience of the risen Lord. It is this personal experience that enables Peter to bear effectiveness witness of Christ before the people as we heard in our first reading todwy, when he said: why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see. we too can do the same when  we experience the risen Lord personally in our lives.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, let us once again experience you personally in our lives and give us the grace to bear authentic witness of your presence in the world. Manifest your victorious power afresh in our lives, families, societies and the world at large. You who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.