By Jonathan Camiolo

 

    I have seen thousands of young people on retreats singing with their whole being.  I have seen friends, college students, high school students and middle school youth in tears in front of the Eucharist in adoration.  I have seen 800,000 youth at mass together at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto and similar amounts in 2005 in Cologne, Germany.  I have seen young people bring their families back to church.  I have seen hearts healed.  I have seen conversion and transformed lives.  I have seen families come back together and friendships repaired.  I have seen forgiveness and mercy.  I have seen youth lead other young people to Christ.  I have seen humility and generosity that has awed me.  I have seen houses built and repaired.  I have seen the poor loved and the hungry fed with compassion.  I have seen a passion for Christ in young people I never imagined.  I have witnessed all these things and more in the many years of ministry.  

I have seen my life change.  I have seen depression turned to joy.  I have seen my greatest suffering turn into a blessing.  I have seen my life find new direction through answers to prayers.  I have seen anger become peacefulness.  I have found strength at time when I felt helpless and inadequate.  I have received love that I did not deserve and forgiveness when I was ashamed.  I have received generosity and gifts that many never do.  I have witnessed all of this in my own life.

 

    At the end of the Gospel this week, Jesus said to his apostles, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name, to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”  The key words are – You are witnesses of these things!  The apostles had seen Christ’s life, death and seen the resurrected Christ Jesus.  They had seen Him in all the aspects of life, heard all the words He said, shared meals and seen how He treated people.  They had all seen changes in their lives by following Jesus.  They were witnesses, and it was their time to share what they had witnessed.  They did, and that is why we are here and the Church is alive today!

 

    There are still witnesses living today all over the world.  Our Church, and Christianity everywhere, is dependent on active and real witness of Christ in the world today.  You and I may not have seen Christ walking in the flesh or during His trial, death and resurrection, but we have all seen Him at work.  I am a witness of Christ’s life-changing power.  I am a witness of His forgiveness, mercy, joy, hope and peace.  I am a witness.  You too are to be a witness.   Just as Christ commanded His apostles to be witnesses, He has called us to be witnesses TODAY!  Will you respond?  How?

 

    HAPPY EASTER!!!  5 weeks of celebration left!!!  JESUS IS RISEN!!! BE A WITNESS TO EASTER HOPE AND JOY!!!  Change your habits, change your life.  Help someone change their habits; you will help them change their life!