Fr. Michael Williams

In the reading from Acts of the Apostles we heard how Paul and Barnabas traveled the Mediterranean world, ‘to put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith’.

The fact that they were doing this means that many followers of the Lord Jesus were disheartened and discouraged at that time. These followers of the Lord, when they first heard of Jesus, had initially been full of enthusiasm for Him. But being committed to Our Lord brought with it trials and tribulations. The first followers of Jesus were persecuted by the Roman and Jewish authorities for their faith in Him. The Romans had their own gods and they didn’t like the sound of this new one called, the Lord Jesus. As a result of this the authorities persecuted the disciples, and so many followers of Jesus gave up the faith. It was too difficult to be a follower of Our Lord, so they gave up. That is why Paul and Barnabas went around, ‘putting fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith’.

Many people today have given up their faith because it is too demanding for them. To be a faithful follower, to be a Christian, requires resilience and courage. Most importantly it requires love (as Jesus reminds us in the gospel). People give up their faith for many different reasons. Many people blame the problem of evil and suffering. They ask, quite legitimately, ‘If there is a good God why do I suffer and why do my loved ones suffer?’ I’m sure we all ask those questions, but we need to move beyond simply asking the question and search for the answer, and Christ is the answer to our questions of suffering and evil. Christ has endured suffering and evil for our sake. United with Him we must endure them in this life knowing that the final victory is His Glorious Resurrection, His victory over death.

The month of May is dedicated to Our Lady. We know that she stood at the foot of the Cross and watched her Son suffer terribly (as relayed in St John’s gospel). But despite her own sufferings Mary continued to put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith of her Son. She continues to do this from Heaven today. Our Lord sent His mother to Lourdes and Fatima (and other places) to encourage us to keep the faith, despite the difficulties. She told St Bernadette, ‘I cannot promise you happiness in this world, but in the next’. As our spiritual mother Mary’s main concern is to get us to Heaven ‘when God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness’.

But before that day comes, we must be like Paul and Barnabas (and Our Lady), ‘[and] put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith’.

So despite the difficulties, which we will inevitably encounter on the road of life, let’s keep the faith, and encourage others to do likewise.