I Am With You

I am with you

Scripture:

Matthew 28:16-20,

Psalm 33:12,

Romans 8:14-17.

Dear sisters and brothers,

Let us listen to the gospel text for our reflection on the Blessed Trinity Sunday.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew (Matthew 28:16-20):

‘The eleven disciples went to Galilee,

   to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them,

   “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

   baptizing them in the name of the Father,

   and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”’

Reflection

The today’s gospel text starts with mentioning the number.

It reads as ‘the eleven disciples’.

What does it mean?

Does it make any sense for us as the followers of Jesus Christ?

Yes.

Because, every word in the scripture is with full of life.

The Word of God is active and alive.

It is a two-edged sword.

It not only gives us a message about the past but also conveys a message for our contemporary life, family, society and the Church.

What is it, then?

The scripture conveys that there are twelve disciples, who were called by Jesus Christ after his intense prayer to be with him personally to be sent out.

If it is so, why only the eleven disciples…

What did happen to the one?

Because, we read in today’s gospel text, the eleven disciples, we need to ask a question what happened to the one.

We all know the answer for the question.

We all know who that one person is.

We too have a knowledge of the one.

Who is the one then?

It is Judas.

We know that he was called by Jesus Christ.

He listened intently to the message of Jesus.

Nevertheless, he betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

Why did he do what he did?

You may think that I am now going to justify Judas’ action.

No.

I am not going to do that.

There is a proverb in Tamil, one of the oldest languages in the world.

It goes like this: ‘You have to drink water if you have eaten salt’ (I approximately translated the proverb).

It conveys that every action has a reaction.

Judas faced his own consequences of what he did.

Was it his destiny?

As Christians, we have a destiny to be in communion with our God, the Father, after our death.

Therefore, it is not a destiny.

Was it with a purpose?

Yes, it is a purpose.

Every action of ours, has a purpose.

God has created us with a purpose.

This is my strong belief.

We are not here without a purpose.

We are here with a purpose.

We are born in a particular region, language, culture, belief system, family with a purpose.

Neither we choose to be born in a particular family nor the family choose us.

Judas too was born for a purpose.

Jesus Christ knew about it.

He knows everything before the creation and after the creation of the world.

‘Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!’ (John 8:58).

Again we read:

‘Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered’ (Luke 12:7).

God created every one of us with a purpose.

Judas was also created for a purpose.

I repeat that we too are created for a purpose.

Secondly, we need to realise that our purpose in the world has to end one day.

We complete our journey on this earth starting with our birth and ending with our death going back to God, the Father.

There is a birth.

There is a death.

It is inevitable.

We cannot do anything.

Science has developed a lot.

But there is no answer when we die in a natural world.

The today’s gospel reading categorically conveys a message when it mentions about ‘the eleven disciples’ only.

Yes, dear sisters and brothers,

Judas had a purpose.

He completed it.

He went back to God.

Some may argue back how come Judas went back to God.

As Christians, as the followers of Jesus Christ, we all know…

God is all-forgiving.

God does not show any partiality.

God treats everyone equally without our own merits.

We are here because of His grace.

Life is a gift.

It depends on what we do with our gift of life.

Judas misunderstood the gift of life.

He exploited it.

But, God’s grace was generous.

I am sure that Jesus forgave him.

He prayed for his persecutors on the Cross.

He would have surely forgiven him.