Commentary on the Gospel of
"Today we are six days past the challenge of Lent: the trauma of the crucifixion and the joy and celebration of the resurrection. As with the ebb and flow of major events and milestones in our daily lives, we may be experiencing a bit of a let down from the intensity of the Easter climax. Our hopes at the beginning of Lent may have been to experience new direction, perhaps a renewed insight into our vocation as a result of our encounter with the risen Christ.
You may ask "now what?" My reflective response is informed by the continuing formation of our mission statement in the School of Dentistry and today's Gospel reading. Last year our faculty enthusiastically adopted four Jesuit inspired charisms as essential components of the School's mission. These included the ideals of forming our students to be women and men with and for others, to manifest personal care of the whole person in cura personalis, to strive for the Magis, and to promote a faith that does justice. However, the foundational charism was omitted (thank you Father Hauser!): seeing God in all things and indeed all people.
Today's Gospel relates the doubt of the disciples to those who witnessed a post-resurrection encounter with Jesus risen. For me, Jesus' rebuke of the unbelief and hardness of heart provides two directives as the post Easter answers to "now what?" The first is to strive not only to see God in all people but to listen to their messages with an open heart and mind; to be attentive to their witness to the kingdom. The second is for ourselves to become externally focused to follow the command of Jesus to "Go unto the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature". We will be better able to do this if we first open ourselves to those who witness and proclaim to our doubts."
