We find The Great Commission at the of Matthew's Gospel (Mt 28:16-20). The disciples have gone to Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had instructed them. Then Jesus tells them the following: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.

Jesus gave this command just before he ascended into heaven and as you can see it essentially instructs the apostles what to do and say after Jesus leaves this earth.

Can you imagine how these apostles must have felt about bringing the word of God to all nations? Like any human being they would have felt the weight of the world on their     shoulders. Uncertainty, anxiety, and doubt would be emotions that would be with them as well.

They worship Jesus. They knew about his passion, death, and resurrection. To them Good Friday appeared to be the end for Jesus. But they see Jesus for the first time since he was arrested and they deserted Jesus when he needed them the most.

Let’s not be too hard on the apostles. I think we can understand their doubt. We might experience that we wouldn’t have done much better. Jesus isn’t rebuking the disciples. He understands their doubt and is speaking to their faith. Ours as well. Through our own baptism we are made children of God and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. This means that we are commissioned as well to help spread the word of God. It tells us we have a mission in life as well. This can be realized quickly, takes some time in our lives, or unfortunately it may never happen as well.

 As believers and followers of Jesus Christ we know that we are nothing without God in our lives. We will feel a sense of doubt just like those first apostles. However, we can find solace and peace. We believe that God is right there beside us with every step we take. We too can go forth and make disciples of all nations. But this depends upon our level of faith and trust in God to step out into the great unknown in our world today.

 Lent remains with us today. Time lingers for us as we continue to make a transformation in our lives to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ. We remember that we are Easter people not just at this time of our liturgical year but each and every day that God gives us life here on earth. Let’s not let doubt hinder us as we continue to grow in our faith today and every day moving forward in our efforts to help spread the word of God.

 Amen

Deacon Tom Cuddihy