Homily for Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter

The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then we can believe in all that He said and did. However, if He did not, our faith would be in vain, as Saint Paul reminds us.

Following His Resurrection, Jesus did not appear to the Pharisees or the general public, but only to His Apostles and a few select followers. The only witnesses to the fact that His body was not in the tomb on the third day were the Apostles. Despite the grave danger they faced, these ordinary and fallible humans did not deny the Resurrection. Instead, they bravely offered their lives in martyrdom as a testament to their unwavering belief in what they witnessed.

At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed not only for His Apostles, but also for all those who would believe in Him through their word. Although the world may not have known Jesus, these chosen people did. He entrusted them with the mission of sharing that knowledge so that all who believe in Him could be united on earth and in the presence of God in heaven.

Jesus relied greatly on His Apostles, and now He relies on us. Our sharing of the faith is a continuation of what the Apostles took on after the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. May we be faithful to that mission, thus guiding others to the same.