In todays Gospel, belief is a main theme Jesus urges Thomas to be believing, not unbelieving, and the author also urges us to believe.
For many years now, people have been drifting away from regular Mass attendance. People speculate on the reasons for this and there is probably a combination of reasons. But one possibility is: They dont believe any more, or at least their belief has weakened.
It may be harder to believe today because of the conditions of society. For a long time, people took faith for granted. We assumed that we all believed in God, and Jesus Christ, and life after death. We spent our time talking about what we do, not what we believe.
We need to take a hard look at our faith, because we cant take faith for granted. Faith is a gift of God, but it takes participation, courage and conviction to believe. You have to take a risk. You have to think about faith and reflect on it. You have to be attentive to it and wrestle with it.
Belief gives color and meaning to life and to death, and even to suffering. When you have faith, you are no longer dealing with a flat, dull world. It is luminous with the presence of God, and holds the promise of a destiny in Gods hands. It brings life and verve to our existence. And it is always within reach of everyone.
Dont ever take belief for granted. Think about it. Theres more to faith than simply coming to Mass, but, my, how it helps to gather at Eucharist. This is where we experience Gods presence in a unique way.
Its where we come together with other people who honestly admit their belief.
|
Feast of the Annunciation
For nearly 1,500 years Christians have celebrated the Annunciation on March 25. Besides being nine months before Christmas, it is also the time of the year when daylight gradually increases appropriate for the feast celebrating the conception of the Light of the World.
This year, however, because March 25 was Good Friday, the Church transferred the Annunciation to today, Monday of the Second Week of Easter.
A popular artistic portrayal of the Annunciation hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Created by African American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937), it depicts a simply-dressed Mary sitting on her bed, with the angel Gabriel represented as a column of light.
Tanner was the son of a Methodist bishop. A self-taught painter, he specialized in biblical themes.