The theme, "Come and See" means that we ourselves must first be witnesses of Christ, of His resurrection, which is the first condition for the apostolic ministry. The capacity to be effective communicators of truth and love presupposes that we are immersed in the Word and are consecrated to Jesus. We must know the gospel and our doctrines well, so that we can give a reasonable account for what we believe (2 Pt 3:16). Thirdly, to "Come and See", means that communicators must be in the world, to have first-hand knowledge of the situation. Effective communicators do not just sit in an arm-chair and write. They must be with the people as Jesus was, living in their midst, carrying their infirmities, their pains, their frustrations and their sins in His body.

When we have not encountered the Holy Spirit personally, our witnessing tends to be on the level of intellectual conviction which can change quite easily in the face of harsh realities, trials and challenges in life. Quite often, we find such people so active in church one day, but within a few months they have changed their religion or given up the faith or active involvement in the church. The way to ignite our faith and make it truly come alive is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. But baptism in the Holy Spirit is more than just being prayed over or be baptized. As we await the Feast of Pentecost, can we spend some time with the disciples at the Upper Room, praying as we wait for the descent of the Holy Spirit anew?

After going through the external forum of assessing a candidate for a leader, we must find the internal forum, for our discernment cannot be merely on the external qualities alone. That was why they prayed and trusting in Jesus, drew lots asking Jesus to make the choice known. This would mean in today’s terms, after all the deliberation and prayer, each one must vote from his or her heart to see which one should be chosen for the office. Yet, this is still not enough for a person to begin his office. He needs the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Without such empowerment, the witnessing would be ineffective because all witnessing must be carried out under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Can we, as leaders of our communities, allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our ministry?

In today’s gospel, the Lord said to the apostles, "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all mankind. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Like the disciples, the Lord has chosen us not for ourselves but for mission. We must be clear what this mission is: to continue the mission started by Christ in extending the Kingdom of God by having everyone under the rule of the gospel, the love of God.

To fulfill this mission, we need to: (i) pray and be empowered by the Holy Spirit, (ii) be in communion with one another and the Church, and (iii) undertake on-going formation. What step do we - you and I - need to take today to be mission-ready? 

Deep in the heart of every man, man is looking for fulfillment, meaning and purpose. All of us seek love, truth and meaning, besides comfort for our body as well. This is because we are made of body and spirit. Unless the Spirit of truth enlightens our minds and touches our hearts, no amount of reasoning can lead a person to find faith in Christ. How can we allow God’s Spirit to touch our hearts so that we can find faith in Christ?

The foundation of Christian love is the prior love of God given to us in Christ Jesus. Christian love, unlike that of the world, does not originate from the human person but from God Himself. It is our experience of God’s unconditional love and mercy for us that gives us the capacity to imitate Him in loving one another, including our enemies. Is my love exclusive, or do I share it generously with others?

Being a Christian is to follow Christ, which means, to take up our cross daily and follow after Him. In today’s gospel, Jesus in no uncertain terms warned His disciples, “if they persecuted me, they will persecute you too.” Indeed, we will face trials, opposition and persecution from within and from without. As Christians, we do not belong to this world. The world in this sense means the worldly values and individualistic and materialistic trends of society. This is why the world hates us because we are not one with the worldly values of society. How can we continue to witness to Christ in the face of persecution today?

Very often many who are engaged in the ministry cannot sustain their programs or their mission; they start well with great enthusiasm, but such excitement and euphoria do not last. Whilst all the disciples loved Jesus and had the common desire to bear fruits for the Lord’s vineyard by bringing more disciples to the Faith, yet between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians there were tensions. But it was their love for each other that prevented the communities from going their separate ways. Their love for each other is seen in the way they were willing to compromise and accommodate each other’s sensitivities. How can we show love to others in our communities today, in order to bear lasting fruits?

To find complete joy, our joy must be that of Jesus’. His great joy was to be one with the Father in everything, as a beloved Son desiring to give glory to His Father. His first secret was to bask in the love of the Father.  The second secret of Jesus’ joy was to pour out the joy that He received from His Father to us; “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.” How can we imitate His example, and so experience true joy ourselves?

To remain in the True Vine of course means to be in union with our Lord. It means to let His Word live in us, that we share His mind and His heart. It is only when we allow His word to live in us, that we can dwell in Him. We must be founded on the Word of God. If we want to remain in the Vine, we must also listen to the Magisterium; the Pope and his college of Bishops. At the end of the day, the fruits of communion: of love, joy and unity, is the sure sign that God is with us and we are with Christ, the True Vine. How can we remain connected to Jesus the True Vine by our actions?