LET CHRIST HEAL OUR DOUBTS THIS EASTER - BISHOP FRANCIS (extracted from the Catholic Standard 6^th. April, 2007)

Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne says this Easter we should allow ourselves to meet the risen Christ in those areas of our lives where our doubts reside. In a special message for the season which is printed in full below, the Bishop says troubling memories of past events have prevented us from investing in the future: "A most blessed Easter to everyone. May the Risen Lord meet and engage you in your homes, in your work places, in your travel and in your hearts and open ways to new life in Him. It was at the Sea of Tiberius, St. John tells us in Chapter 21 of his Gospel, that the Risen Lord made one of his appearances to the disciples. As we read this account we are immediately reminded of "doubt moments" from the past that arose out of previous, encounters between Jesus and disciples. Could there be a catch with one more try after an unsuccessful night of fishing? Could thousands be fed from a few loaves and fishes? Would that charcoal fire on the shore have reminded Peter of the charcoal fire in the High Priest's Palace where he disowned Jesus? As Peter jumped out of the boat did he remember the time when he doubted and sank? As Jesus broke bread and shared it would the disciples have recalled the tense anticipation as he spoke at that last supper of the giving his body and blood? In hesitating to say who he was would they have remembered their previous hesitation in answering his question to them "who do you say I am"? The Risen Lord appeared to the disciples on a number of occasions and we sometimes imagine what those moments would have been like. What did the disciples see or feel or hear? And while the externals may capture our imagination. I believe that an important Easter message and encounter with the Risen Lord awaits us as we allow ourselves to meet Him where our own doubt moments reside.

Doubt moments. "How often do they visit us and remind us of difficult or unpleasant events of our past? Those little visits that bring to the surface some guilt, fear or insecurity. A child who may have struggled, more than others, to make sense of words printed on a page may stilI in adult life feel the grip of doubt in his/her ability to attain a proficient level of literacy. The person who suffered rejection in a relationship may doubt their capacity to foster new ones. The mother/father in her/his struggle to understand a child who has rebelled and strayed, doubts their competence in parenting. Some young people in a community I once visited expressed doubts in themselves to break away.from what they judged to be irresponsible patterns of behaviour among their seniors. There were genuine ideals in their hearts but not much externally to resonate with those ideals. The doubt? Could they make a difference? Did they have what it takes to blaze new trails into the future? The disciples struggled with the same questions and it was easier for them to return to what they knew, what was safe and familiar, than to venture into the unknown: Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." They replied, "We'll come with you." They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. (In 21:3) On the national front it seems that doubts stemming from troubling events of the past and engraved in the memories of many limit the energy and interest to invest in potential and possibilities. In our celebration of Easter let us seek to meet the Risen Lord in those places in our hearts where there is doubt. Thomas, the man of doubt, was invited by Jesus to touch the wounds of the past; a touch that could remove the doubt. Such a touch in our lives from the Risen Lord may not have the spectacular appearance of the stories in scripture but if a fear, a doubt, bitterness or a haunting memory can be named and relegated to the past then we can truly say; Alleluia! He is risen”. Francis Allevne OSB

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