FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
OUR THEME FOR 2021
(Part 21)
OUR MISSION – 11
May 1, 2021
Today’s readings:
Acts 13:44-52
Psalm 98:1-4
John 14:7-14
Faith in Jesus is key to eternal life. And faith in Jesus comes as the word, the good news of salvation in Jesus, is proclaimed. If this word is rejected, then there is no faith in Jesus, then there is no salvation, then there is no eternal life. As Paul and Barnabas told the Jews, “you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life” (Acts 13:46). Paul and Barnabas then turned to the Gentiles, who accepted the word. The result? “All who were destined for eternal life came to believe.” (Acts 13:48b).
So Jesus came to bring salvation to all. But this salvation needs to be proclaimed, so that those who hear may believe and put their faith in Jesus. We see then the infinite importance of the work of proclamation or evangelization. And so Jesus commanded the apostles, and through them us, “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47).
The apostles and the disciples then proclaimed Christ and did it with signs and wonders. In fact, Jesus had made an astonishing statement. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” (Jn 14:12). Faith works wonders. With faith the size of a mustard seed, you can make mountains move. Today miracles still happen through the hands of God’s workers. But for the many, doing greater works than Jesus did does not mean we are greater than him (obviously), but that we will do a wider work and reach more people than he did in his public ministry. And indeed, today the gospel has reached the ends of the earth and the Church brought to all nations.
Jesus said another astonishing thing. “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” (Jn 14:13-14). Now this is not just a formula, where we end our prayer with “in Jesus’ name we pray.” What asking in Jesus’ name means is that we are conformed to Christ, that we are striving to do God’s will, that we have been taking on the mind and heart of Jesus, that what we ask for is for the glory of God. As such, when we ask in Jesus’ name, we are just affirming what he himself would have done.
So we have Jesus’ command to proclaim the gospel and be his instruments of salvation, and we have his assurance of power and help. We have everything that we need. Now there certainly will be rejection, as with the Jews. There will even be persecution, as with the Jews inciting men and women of prominence to reject and expel them (Acts 13:50). But we just carry on. The disciples just moved on “and went to Iconium.” (Acts 13:51). “And the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region.” (Acts 13:49).
Remember: we go as commanded by Jesus himself. We go in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have God’s assurance. “The Lord has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations” (Ps 98:2). As those sent, as the Lord’s disciples, we must then be “filled with joy and the holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52). And this joy, because of God’s salvation, must be brought to the ends of the earth and shared with all the nations. “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.” (Ps 98:4).
