Soul Food for Sundays

Soul Food for the Third Sunday of Easter (14th April) 2024

Reflections 14th April 2024
Luke 24:35-48

The Author: Ronan Barry
calendar_today Date: March 26, 2024 - 2 minutes read

“You are witnesses of these things.”

“Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” This question, or a variation of it, marks the beginning of nearly every courtroom scene as a witness takes the stand. The response carries with it a commitment to truth that extends far beyond casual conversation. It serves to awaken the conscience, bringing intentionality and seriousness into the circumstances of the testimony. The narratives shared by witnesses hold significance, as they are among the most powerful forms of testimony, each one conveying its own truth.

A characteristic of the story of Easter is inherently one of witness.

As recounted by Luke, the women are astounded by the sight of the empty tomb and the news of Jesus’ resurrection. It was an unimaginable and probably unbelievable event to their eyes. As they grapple with the experience, their memory is jogged; Jesus had hinted at this before. They piece together the narrative, the entirety of Jesus of Nazareth’s story, and collectively bear witness to the most remarkable revelation of all time.

The testimony of the women at the tomb holds more than just the absence of a body. They testify to the fullness of God’s incarnation and promise. Remembering all that Jesus had taught them about who God was, is, and will be, they break their silence just as the tomb was broken open. The story of a Saviour can no longer be concealed; it must be shared, proclaimed, preached. This is the Gospel – the good news worth repeating.

Let us go and be a “witness of these things”! Luke 24.48

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

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Ronan Barry

Ronan is Director of Spiritan Mission Ireland, set up in 2017 to respond, in line with Spiritan charism, to the current context of the Irish Spiritan Province and Church. He was part of the Spiritan education team for over ten years. He lives with his family in Co. Kildare.