THE HIDDEN JOY OF BELIEVERS

Meditation for Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:26-40; Jn 6:44-51)

Let us meditate briefly on the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. The man’s conversion began from his honest and humble natural search for truth as he was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Many people today claim they are searching for the truth about religion and God’s existence, but they do it with bias and arrogance. The man listened as Philip explained to him the good news of Jesus Christ. Think about the warmth he felt within him such that he asked to be baptized immediately.

“And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.” Conversion is not about imposing the preacher’s personality, but guiding one to discover the new life in Christ, which a life lead by the Holy Spirit. Meditate on the joy of the Ethiopian eunuch after his baptism. It was a victorious joy; the joy of a new life and a new discovery. It was a joy ‘received’, not a joy ‘acquired’. This joy is the mark of the transformation that comes when one enters into the new life in Christ. This is the true energy within that underline Christian worship and lead believers forward. This joy too attracts envy and persecution from unbelievers, who judge Christianity at the level of human knowledge and wit, but they are ignorant of this secret joy that announces the presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

Hence, Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Jesus blesses us with His divine presence in the Eucharist such that even our natural self can connect to His presence. In this way, we can lift up our hearts and minds to Him, and avoid the temptation of reducing faith to the imagination of our minds. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” In this living bread is contained that secret joy that sustains faith and nourishes life. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Thursday April 27^th, 2023.

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