Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Marcelo Cataneo SVD – Trento, Agusan del Sur
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
Introduction
What makes a Christian a witness of the Resurrection if not his or her presence among those who suffer? Saints and prophets of our time — Mother Teresa, Bishop Oscar Romero, Dom Helder Camara, and Saint Joseph Freinademetz — all found meaning in their Christian lives by dedicating themselves to the least, the poor, and the marginalized. In their service, they encountered the suffering face of Christ (cf. Matthew 25:40).
The Emmaus Lesson
The disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize the Risen Lord until He explained the Scriptures and broke bread with them (Luke 24:30–31). Their eyes were opened not by intellectual proofs but by encounter — the Word and the shared meal. In the same way, our witness is not in repeating rituals or texts mechanically, but in living the Word and breaking bread with those in need.
Living vs. Stagnant Church
A stagnant church reads the same texts without transformation. A living church is moved by the presence of the Risen Christ in its struggles to incarnate the Word and to give life for others. As Acts reminds us: “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all” (Acts 4:33).
Conclusion
To be a witness of the Resurrection is to stand with the suffering, to let Christ’s wounds shape our compassion, and to proclaim with our lives: “The Lord is risen indeed” (Luke 24:34). The question remains: do I belong to a living church that embodies resurrection hope, or a stagnant one that repeats words without deeds?
“Lord Jesus, make me a living witness of Your resurrection by serving You in the suffering of others.”
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