Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the second Week of Easter, April 17th, 2026.
Our meditation today has the theme: Become the Instrument of God. Our Christian life as expected to be in the spirit of Easter is not only a true practice during this Easter season but also during our life time on earth. The resurrection of Jesus Christ indeed animates all our life. The period after resurrection is a period when Jesus Christ is not physically present with all His followers, unlike when He was still living and walking with His diciples and people of His time. After resurrection, He went up to heaven to be with the heavenly Father. But as He had promised, He is forever with us at all times, because His Spirit lives with us in the Church and in the society as well.
What must we do to ensure that our faith aligned with the spirit of Easter? The inspiration from our readings today can give us the answer, and it is true to say that we need to become the intruments of God. The ministry of Jesus Christ carried out by the Holy Church as a community of the People of God continues to occur to this day, with her main mission is to serve the humanity and the world. Who are those human beings to be ministered by the Church? It maybe each one of us, our brothers or sisters and friends. It maybe people we don't know who they are or where they are from. It maybe persons God has entrusted to us to be educated and cared for.
Becoming the instrument God for us is a basic Christian vocation, as the Psalmist says: Here I am Lord, to do Your will (Ps. 40). The goal of this vocation is to make the Lord truly present in a real and a personal way through the ministry of Jesus Christ Himself, who saves, heals, teaches, speaks of truth, comforts, and forgives. This vocation is given to everyone of us who chooses the way of life as priest, religious and lay person. To carry out well this vocation means each of us acts in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and makes His works realized.
We are given an example of the apostles who bravely defended the truth of the Gospel preached, even though they were tried and imprisoned by the Jewish Religious Court. A famous Jewish priest, Gamaliel, also spoke in the name of truth and at the same time defended what the apostles fearlessly did. Both the apostles and Gamaliel had proved to be the real instruments of God in preaching and teaching the true faith. Then another occasion also shows us the practice of this truth. The apostles became the instruments for the feeding of thousands of people who were hungry after a full day following and listening to Jesus away from the city. A child who provided a small portion of bread and fish also proved to be the instrument of God for the miracle of multiplication of bread and fish. They were the instruments of God's mercy for the urgent needs of people at that moment.
We can be the instruments of God in any given condition in our lives today, especially the conditions that really needs urgent solution or treatment. It all depends on our willingness and commitment to do.
Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O generous and merciful Lord, strengthen us in every step and work that we take, so that we can be your true and useful instruments, especially for the benefit of our needy brothers and sisters. Hail Mary, full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...
