We celebrate the feast days of the Evangelists and the Apostles in our Church’s liturgical calendar, signifying to us their importance in the Early Church and the faith that has been passed down to us. Two days after we celebrate Christ’s birth, we celebrate the feast of St John, Evangelist and Apostle. The poetic opening words of his Gospel were proclaimed at our Mass on Christmas day, of Christ as the Word of God who came into the world.
Today, we hear from one of the last chapters in John’s Gospel, about how some of Christ’s followers arrived at his empty tomb with great amazement. These disciples had believed in Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, but they had just seen him put to death. They were trying to make sense of all that happen in the life of Jesus, wondering what his life and his death meant, wondering where God’s was directing them. Mary Magdalene and Peter were the first to reach Christ’s tomb. What they saw did match their hopes and expectations. Yet, when John reached the tomb, he went inside, he saw, and he believed.
Sometimes things happen in life that don’t make sense. Sometimes our lives take a direction that we can’t anticipate, testing our faith. Yet, we are asked to lift all of this up to the Lord and to walk by faith. We are asked to believe. Just as these early disciples were often frustrated and confused, we are called on to follow the example of St John. May we look at all that is going on around us and face our reality head-on. In the midst of the conflicting and confusing messages we receive in the world, may we have hope. May we believe.
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