No Take Backs

It’s the Fifth Sunday of Easter, and by now, we as Church are still happily reveling in the glory that is the Resurrection. We are victorious through the King, we are strong and united and, like the men spoken of in the First Reading, we are sent. We are ready.

It’s so wonderful to soak up the joy of Christ’s Resurrection, and sometimes we forget that we just lived through Lent. We tend to forget that, not too long ago, we were wandering in the desert. We were uncertain, afraid, and expectant.

That’s why I love the exchange that takes place in today’s Gospel. The Apostles are so real, and they present us with real-life reactions to knowing and loving Christ. There they are, sitting with Jesus after walking with Him through all His public ministry, and they still don't understand. Jesus promises them that He will have a place for them in Heaven. And what do the Apostles do? They ask for clarification; they want other signs; they express hesitation. Isn’t that what we do, too, sisters?

We are so used to people breaking their promises in our fallen world that we can have a hard time trusting God on His Word. We have been let down so many times by people we love (and, mind you, we have let people down countless times as well). We have been made promises only to have them broken in painful ways. This makes us cynical and jaded, and that can invade our approach to the Lord. Even when Jesus has made good on His promise to rise from the dead, we are still skeptical.

What’s the antidote to this flawed projection upon the Lord? He lets us know today: “Believe me.” There’s no easy way about it. The only way to grow in trust of the Lord is to actually start believing Him. When we believe Him, we will “do the works that [Jesus does], and will do greater ones than these.”

The only way to grow in trust of the Lord is to actually start believing Him.Click to tweet

As we continue to celebrate the Easter season, let’s remain hopeful in the midst of our imperfect trust, knowing that belief in Christ’s promises is not foolish or doomed, but will lead to resurrection, healing, and great miracles.

Olivia Spears is a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. You can find out more about her here.