You are witnesses to this

 Third Sunday of Easter Year B

Before our Lord ascended into heaven, He gave His Apostles several enduring mandates, commanding them what to do until He returned.  We’re most familiar with the one in St. Matthew’s Gospel, which the Protestants fondly label as the Great Commission. So much ink and words have been expended on that passage, to the point that it gives us the inaccurate impression that those were the only last words of our Lord to His disciples before His Ascension, and therefore, the only words that mattered. The trouble is that this obsession, with the last chapter of St Matthew’s Gospel, ignores the final words recorded in the other gospels. Furthermore, the event of the Ascension is entirely missing from St Matthew’s Gospel. In fact, only St Luke records the Ascension with precision at the end of his gospel and at the beginning of his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles.

Today, we have Christ’s final mandate in St Luke’s version: ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’ The lectionary does a marvellous job at showing how the prophetic words of Christ at the end of the gospel would be fulfilled in the Acts of the Apostles, with St Peter and others giving witness to the gospel and calling their audience to repentance.

Let us zoom in on the last words of Christ: “You are witnesses to this.” What are the disciples called to be witnesses to? There is a certain ambivalence which may be intentional. First, this could mean that they are called to be witnesses of the gospel in its entirety. Or they could be called to be witnesses to the resurrection. Or it could be referring to what our Lord had highlighted in this mandate. Or it could be, all of the above.

But notice that our Lord is not making an exhortation here, instructing His disciples to become witnesses. He did not say, “You shall be my witnesses.” Our Lord is merely stating a fact: “You are witnesses to this.” He is not telling them what they need to do but reminding them of who they already are: witnesses!

So, what does it mean to be a witness? In a recently discovered manuscript of Archbishop Wojtyła, who later became Pope St John Paul II, he attempts to unpack the meaning of being a “witness.” He sets out his argument by making several points.

First, St John Paul II tells us that to be a witness means, being in union with Christ. It is relational rather than functional – our relationship with Christ is fundamental to the job that we must do. St John Paul II explains that to be a witness, to testify for Christ, means “uniting oneself to Christ to “see the Father” (cf. Jn 14:9) in him and through him.”

It is interesting to note that first aspect of witnessing is not something which we immediately associate with the work of evangelisation, which is to share the gospel with others, but to “see the Father” by uniting oneself to Christ, “in Him and through Him.” How could we possibly witness God’s love to others if we are unable to see Him through the lenses of Christ? The first step of witnessing requires our complete union with Christ and how He sees the Father. We recall the first calling of the disciples. They were called to “be with” our Lord before they were sent out to be “fishers of men.” A relationship with Christ always precedes His mission. If the former does not precede the latter, then our nets will remain empty and all our efforts fruitless.

Second, St John Paul II teaches that in order to be a witness, it means one must be able “to read in Christ the mystery of man.” Christ is the perfect man and if we wish to be human, then we must imitate Him. Witnessing is not the product of skilful words and eloquent speech, nor is it to be found in the method of delivery. These things are useful but they are not the most crucial thing. To be most effective and convincing, the messenger must become the message.

Witnessing ultimately means imitation. In a world which glorifies innovation and being original, the Christian call to witness goes against the current. If we are to be witnesses, we are called to imitate and not innovate. We must ultimately imitate Christ in every aspect of His life, speech, action, preference, demeanour and orientation. To be a Christian means to be a “Little Christ” or another Christ. If people are drawn to our preaching, it should be because they are drawn to Christ, we can take no credit for it. In fact, the cult of personality where so much emphases are given to the charismatic and colourful personality of the preacher or pastor, should be anathema to the Christian religion. To be more Christ-like, means dying to ourselves.

Lastly, St John Paul II highlights the sacramental dimension of witnessing. He writes, “It is the sacramental dimension through which Christ himself acts in a human being who opens himself to his action in the power of the Spirit of Truth.” If our witnessing is to bear fruit, it is not just a matter of uniting ourselves with Christ or imitating Him. Witnessing is not solely a human effort. It is always God’s initiative. It is allowing our Lord to work through us and in us, and it is for this reason that He left to the Church the sacraments, efficacious channels of sanctifying grace. Our work of evangelisation can only bear fruit, fruit that will last, if it draws its power from the fount of grace, which is made available to us through the sacraments.

The Acts of the Apostles, which is staple reading throughout the season of Easter best illustrates the above points raised by St John Paul II. We see the public ministry of the apostles flourishing, precisely because they were in total communion with Christ in His ministry, preaching and even suffering. One gets the impression, when reading the stories of the apostles is that, you’ve heard it all before. Where? In the gospels! The Apostles were copies of Christ, they gave witness through imitation, drawing others to Christ instead of to themselves. And finally, we see the early missionary communities, who were communities at prayer, communities at worship, communities which were built on the solid foundation of the sacraments. They understood that without the sacraments and active prayer life, their work of evangelising would fail. In fact, their worship would be the primary source of evangelisation, drawing so many to embrace and celebrate the mystery of Christ.

We often speak of Lent as a penitential season, an opportune time to repent. But repentance is not just something we do during Lent only. It extends into Easter and beyond, into the ordinary seasons and the cycle of life. For the gospel of repentance is not just merely calling out the sins of others. That’s a first step and a necessary one too. But repentance also is an invitation to conform our lives to Christ, and be witnesses of repentance by submitting to it daily, so that “God’s love comes to perfection in us.”