ພະລັງແຫ່ງການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດ

ປະຈຸບັນນີ້ ຄຳ ເວົ້າກ່ຽວກັບການອ່ານ
ສຳ ລັບວັນທີ 18 ກັນຍາ 2014
ເລືອກ. ຄວາມຊົງຈໍາຂອງ St. Januarius

ບົດເລື່ອງ Liturgical ທີ່ນີ້

ຫຼາຍ ອີງໃສ່ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດ. ໃນຖານະເປັນທີ່ St Paul ເວົ້າວ່າໃນມື້ນີ້:

…ຖ້າຫາກວ່າພຣະຄຣິດບໍ່ໄດ້ຖືກຍົກຂຶ້ນມາ, ແລ້ວການປະກາດຂອງເຮົາກໍເປົ່າຫວ່າງ; ເປົ່າ, ເກີນໄປ, ສັດທາຂອງທ່ານ. (ອ່ານຄັ້ງ ທຳ ອິດ)

ມັນບໍ່ມີປະໂຫຍດຫຍັງເລີຍຖ້າພຣະເຢຊູບໍ່ມີຊີວິດຢູ່ໃນທຸກວັນນີ້. ມັນຈະ ໝາຍ ຄວາມວ່າຄວາມຕາຍໄດ້ເອົາຊະນະທຸກຢ່າງແລະ "ທ່ານຍັງຢູ່ໃນບາບຂອງທ່ານ."

ແຕ່ວ່າມັນເປັນທີ່ແນ່ນອນວ່າການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ຄວາມຮູ້ສຶກຂອງໂບດເລີ່ມຕົ້ນ. ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ ໝາຍ ຄວາມວ່າ, ຖ້າຫາກວ່າພຣະຄຣິດບໍ່ໄດ້ລຸກຂຶ້ນ, ເປັນຫຍັງຜູ້ຕິດຕາມຂອງພຣະອົງຈະໄປສູ່ຄວາມຕາຍທີ່ໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງພວກເຂົາໂດຍບັງຄັບໃຫ້ຕົວະ, ການແຕ່ງຕົວ, ຄວາມຫວັງບາງໆ? ມັນບໍ່ຄືກັບວ່າພວກເຂົາພະຍາຍາມສ້າງອົງກອນທີ່ມີພະລັງ - ພວກເຂົາເລືອກຊີວິດຂອງຄວາມທຸກຍາກແລະການບໍລິການ. ຖ້າມີອັນໃດ, ທ່ານຄິດວ່າຜູ້ຊາຍເຫຼົ່ານີ້ຄົງຈະປະຖິ້ມຄວາມເຊື່ອຂອງພວກເຂົາໂດຍປະເຊີນ ​​ໜ້າ ກັບຜູ້ທີ່ຂົ່ມເຫັງພວກເຂົາເວົ້າວ່າ,“ ເບິ່ງແລ້ວ, ມັນແມ່ນເວລາສາມປີທີ່ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ຢູ່ກັບພຣະເຢຊູ! ແຕ່ບໍ່, ລາວໄດ້ໄປດຽວນີ້, ແລະນັ້ນແມ່ນສິ່ງນັ້ນ. " ສິ່ງດຽວທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ຮູ້ສຶກເຖິງການຫັນປ່ຽນຮາກຖານຂອງພວກເຂົາຫລັງຈາກການສິ້ນພຣະຊົນຂອງພຣະອົງນັ້ນແມ່ນ ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ເຫັນພຣະອົງຊົງຟື້ນຂື້ນມາຈາກຄວາມຕາຍ.

Not only these Apostles, but several dozen of the first popes were also martyrs—they and thousands of others, all of them claiming that they had ພົບ the life-changing power of Jesus through the message of the Cross, like St. Januarius. 

…we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor 1:23-24)

I mean, today, we hear many inspiring speeches and wise insights on how to make the most of one’s life. But would you die for them? Yet, there is something in the Gospel that moves people to the very core of their being, changing and transforming them so that they literally become a “new creation.” That is because the “Word of God” is Jesus, the ພະ ຄຳ ໄດ້ສ້າງເນື້ອ ໜັງ.

ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວ, ພຣະ ຄຳ ຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າແມ່ນການ ດຳ ລົງຊີວິດແລະມີປະສິດທິພາບ, ຄົມຊັດກວ່າດາບທີ່ມີຄົມສອງດວງ, ເຈາະເຂົ້າເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າລະຫວ່າງຈິດວິນຍານແລະວິນຍານ, ຂໍ້ກະດູກແລະໄຂກະດູກ, ແລະສາມາດແນມເຫັນຄວາມຄິດສະທ້ອນແລະຄວາມຄິດຂອງຫົວໃຈ. (ເຮັບເລີ 4:12)

Today’s Gospel gives us insight as to why so many have willingly given their lives in following Jesus Christ—because He gave their lives back to them:

Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.

I understood that the Church had a Heart, and this Heart was burning with love. I understood that only Love gave motion to the members of the Church: that if Love were to be extinguished, the Apostles would no longer proclaim the Gospel, the Martyrs would refuse to pour out their blood… —St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Manuscript B, vs. 3

And after 2000 years, nothing has changed. I am thinking of the testimony of a prostitute who slept with over a thousand men. But she encountered Jesus and His power, converted, and married. She said that on their honeymoon, it was “like the first time.” I have listened to testimony after testimony of men and women alike who have been inexplicably delivered from evil spirits, alcoholism, nicotine and drug addictions, sex addictions, greed, lust for power… you name it—all at the name of Jesus.

And Christ continues to resurrect the dead. My friend, the late Stan Rutherford, had been dead for several hours from a terrible industrial accident. He was tagged and placed in the hospital morgue, when what he thought was a little nun, tapped his forehead, “waking” him up, telling him that it was time to go to work (he later learned that it was the Blessed Mother, as he was a Pentecostal then). And then there is the story of pastor Daniel Ekechukwu of Nigeria who was dead and partially embalmed for nearly two days after a car accident, who suddenly came to life at his funeral. ^[1]cf. ພຣະວິນຍານປະຈໍາວັນ Want to hear more? Fr. Albert Hebert collected 400 true stories ^[2]cf. Saints who Raised the Dead, ປື້ມ TAN of saints who raised the dead. There are endless testimonies that reveal the power of the Resurrection.

And then there are the incredible stories of the late Canadian missionary Fr. Emiliano Tardif who had a powerful healing ministry. When he entered into one town, he wondered why the people weren’t coming to the church. A parishioner replied, “Because you’ve already healed them all!” ^[3]ເບິ່ງ Jesus Lives Today! These were miracles of cancer vanishing, the blind seeing, and limbs reshaping in front of their eyes.

Brothers and sisters, as the Storm we are entering into gets darker and more fierce, we need to remember that Jesus is not dead—He is risen! And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ^[4]cf. ເຮັບເລີ 13:8

Expect miracles. Expect signs and wonders. Expect Him to use you.

Show your wondrous mercies, O savior of those who flee from their foes to refuge at your right hand. (Today’s Psalm)

These signs will accompany those who believe:in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. (Mark 16:17-18)