To live in Him IS TO LIVE THE life of Charity

 Charity is the hallmark of our Christian living. Though today we are divided into many denominations still, Christians as a whole we are known for our charity. To be a follower of Christ it to be like Christ who went about doing charity. This charity was rigorously followed by the apostles and the first community of believers. The first reading of today taken from the acts of the apostles 2:42-47 clearly portrays that the believers in Christ lived in perfect brotherhood; they prayed together, they broke the bread together, they ate together and they held everything in common. The Jews of that time were astounded by the miracles done by the apostles. The miracles were not only the supernatural works of the apostles like healing the sick and casting the devils. The sharing of goods, living as a family, feeding the hungry, helping the poor… were also considered as miracles. To accept Christ is not just to believe in Him. To accept Christ is to live in Charity. The Jews wondered how was it possible for the believers in Christ to live in community? How were the apostles able to unite the people from different categories together? Thus, they called this way of living as a miracle.

Slowly, the community grew larger and larger and became one great universal church. The larger community of Church has its root in smaller community of first believers in Christ.  As follower of Christ we need to live in perfect brotherhood. We have to live together as one larger community (church) with one heart and soul. Like the first believers, we have to pray together, break the bread together, eat together and have everything in common. But due to the temptations from devil and the limitation of human beings to fall into the trap of the devil that one community (church) is divided into many denominations today. The perfect brotherhood is broken.

Even after this division, we were able to live together and accept each other to the extent that all of us share one human species. But the devil wanted further division in men and made us individualists’ and consumerists’. As a result, we stopped praying together, we kept the food for ourselves, we closed our doors for the strangers and never cared for each other. Now, with the lease of Covid-19 pandemic we are realizing the need for community living. We are realizing that to live in charity is not just a Christian but a human. Individualism and consumerism are contrary to our human nature. Community living is the base for humanity. Christ did not give any new law to humanity rather, He showed the humanity that charity as the essence for their living. To be precise, “Together we live, divided we fall.” Now there is no using in blaming any generation as the cause for this way of living and division. The reality is that now we are facing the threat to humanity. The covid-19 can be fought only by our togetherness, only by our brotherhood, only by staying at home for good of the other, only by sharing our food and goods with the other who are in need.

For this to happen, we need to believe in Christ. All the divisions in the history happened due to lack of faith in Christ. Lack of faith in Christ leads to lack faith in other. Lack of love for Christ leads to lack of love for others. Believing and loving Christ is pre-requisite for loving other. Our belief in Christ would push us to believe in others, our love for Christ push us to love others. St. Paul says that his love for Christ pushed him to spread the gospel of love and live the life of love. In the Gospel of today taken from John 20:19-31 says that St. Thomas lacked faith in Jesus’ resurrection. He wanted physical signs to believe in Jesus. But when Jesus encountered him with His wounds and pierced side, St. Thomas felt ashamed for his unbelief by acclaiming “ Jesus, My Lord and My God.”  Today we may also be like St. Thomas waiting for some signs and miracles from Jesus to believe. Remember, the greatest miracle is not the revelation of supernatural help but the manifestation of our natural love. For this to happen we need to place our belief in Christ. So that in line with the second reading of today taken from 1 peter 1:3-9 we can say that “we believe in Him though we have not seen Him.” If we believe in Him, we live in Him. To live in Him is to live in charity - the life of charity. Let us revive our Christian living and human living.

 As we keep the Divine Mercy Sunday today, let us implore Jesus mercy on humanity that we may live in perfect brotherhood by praying together, eating together, sharing our goods in common and above all loving each other as human beings. Let the Mercy of God the Father, come on humanity through Jesus Christ to eradicate the covid-19 pandemic from the surface of this earth.