Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
At so many points in the Gospel, the imperfect humanity of Christ’s disciples is on full display as they gradually grow in knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual fortitude. Peter attempted to correct Jesus for prophesying his suffering and death. The apostles thought Jesus was going to let them perish in the storm aboard their little boat on the Sea of Galilee. Many walked away after the Bread of Life discourse. The disciples fled for their lives when Christ was arrested. Peter denied him three times. The disciples locked themselves away in hiding after Jesus’s crucifixion. Thomas point blank refused to receive the testimony of his brothers about the Resurrection.
It’s important to understand that the disciples were expressly chosen because of their imperfections. Throughout salvation history, God intentionally chooses the weak, the lowly, the uneducated, and the totally unqualified for many of his greatest tasks. And there’s a certain divine logic at play in this dynamic. If a great person does great things, their accomplishments could easily be attributed to their own worldly talents. But when people perform works that are clearly beyond their natural capabilities, the divine power at work in them shines forth in striking, undeniable ways.
Like the disciples, we too are flawed and deeply imperfect in so many ways. But if we contemplate the utter transformation that took place in their lives (particularly after they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost), we realize that Christ invites us each to the same type of transformative relationship and will work wonders through our own lives if we allow him to.