Fifth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 54
Lectionary: 54
After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news
to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”
They appointed elders for them in each church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”
They appointed elders for them in each church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
R. (cf. 1) I will
praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them make known your might to the children of Adam,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them make known your might to the children of Adam,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2REV 21:1-5A
Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people
and God himself will always be with them as their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,
for the old order has passed away.”
The One who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people
and God himself will always be with them as their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,
for the old order has passed away.”
The One who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
AlleluiaJN 13:34
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 13:31-33A, 34-35
When Judas had left them, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
5th
Sunday of Easter – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Acts 14:21-27
Last week we heard of Saint Paul’s experiences at Antioch in Piscidia during his first missionary journey. That visit had ended on a sour note as Paul and Barnabas were expelled. The reading ended with “the two shook the dust from their feet in protest and went on to Iconium. Their disciples knew only how to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:51-52). Today we hear of the conclusion of this first missionary journey where Paul and Barnabas retrace their steps back through Antioch in Piscidia on their way back to Antioch in Syria where they had begun their journey.
21 After they [Paul and Barnabas] had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
These are towns from which they had been driven. Like Jesus who was driven from Nazareth (Luke 4:29-30), they return to preach again.
22 They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith,
Although beleaguered, the apostles exhort the faithful to the unflinching practice of Christianity. Recall that persecution is a reward of discipleship.
saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.
Paul and Barnabas see that a structure and an institution are set up locally. The structure possibly resembles the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 5, 22; 21:18). It is significant to note that the elders are not elected by the congregation, but appointed by the traveling apostles (the bishops). These newly appointed elders have a share in the hierarchical and priestly ministry of the apostles, from whom their own ministry derives.
24 Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. 25 After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished.
Saints Paul and Barnabas return to Syrian Antioch by journeying through the cities they have visited – in reverse order. Their journey, which began around the year 45, lasted for four years.
27 And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
This figure of speech, “door of faith,” is also used by Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:9 and 2 Corinthians 2:12. Here it signifies the access to salvation that God had given the Gentiles through the missionaries.
2nd Reading - Revelation 21:1-5a
For the past three weeks we have had as our second reading an account of John’s privileged vision of the heavenly liturgy where he has seen the eternal sacrifice being offered to God the Father by His Son, the New and Eternal High Priest and Sacrifice. We have heard also the prayers being offered by the faithful. We now go to the end of John’s account as he describes the Heavenly Jerusalem. It was Jesus’ mission to go to the earthly Jerusalem to offer His sacrifice – this shows us the path that we must follow to reach the Heavenly Jerusalem so that we can dwell with Him there forever.
21:1 Then I [John] saw
Saint John begins this, the last and lengthiest in the final series of visions, with the words “And I saw.” Although this is the seventh vision in the series, it is the eighth occurrence of the phrase “and I saw” – the number eight being associated in Hebrew numerology with the resurrection and regeneration (Hebrew males were circumcised on the eighth day, Jesus was resurrected on the eighth day).
a new heaven and a new earth.
The term used here for “new,” kainos, means newness in kind – of superior quality. The term neos would have been used to denote newness in chronology. Creation must be renewed in order to befit redeemed humanity (see Isaiah 65:17-25). Adam’s work of heavenizing the earth has been completed by Jesus.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
The “sea” is the laver outside the Holy Place in the Temple, where the Levitical priests performed ritual ablutions prior to offering sacrifice. Saint Peter describes this as the destruction of “the present heavens and earth” (2 Peter 3:7), making way for “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13). Because of the “end of the world” terminology used in this passage, many have mistakenly assumed that Saint John is speaking of the final end of the physical heavens and earth, rather than the dissolution of the Old Covenant world order, the “world” as the Jews knew it. The Temple of the New Covenant, over which Jesus presides as High Priest, is infinitely superior to the Temple of the Old Covenant, presided over by Moses (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews
3:1-6).
2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
It comes down from heaven therefore it is of divine origin (James 1:17). God is the architect and builder of the city (Hebrews 11:10). It is holy because it is definitively consecrated to God.
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
A symbol of the union of the faithful with their Lord. Saint John’s clear identification of the City as the Bride of Christ serves as another demonstration that the City of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, is a present as well as future reality. The “Bride” of the weekly Eucharistic wedding feast (Revelation 19:7-9) is the “beloved city” of the Kingdom of Christ (see Revelation 20:9). We are in the New Jerusalem now, as the Bible categorically tells us; “... you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven...” (Hebrews 12:22-23).
3 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
The voice renews the old promises (see Leviticus 26:11-12; Ezekiel 37:27).
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them (as their God).
The plan from the beginning was that God would be the father, and His creation would be the child of the covenant (Genesis 17:8; Exodus 29:45). The theme we see echoed throughout the Old and New Testaments is “I will be their God and they will be my people.”
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17.
and there shall be no more death or mourning,
Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 20:13.
wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away.”
The old covenant disappears, with all those repulsive characteristics that gave it the appearance of a creation enslaved to sin.
5a The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
This is the only passage in the book of Revelation in which God Himself speaks. He declares that everything described in our reading today will be accomplished. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 43:18-21. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17). The messianic times, the end times, have begun.
Gospel - John 13:31-33a, 34-35
We are all familiar with the ten commandments. We use them as part of our examination of conscience prior to receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance or Confession). All of Jesus’ instruction was based on the Hebrew scripture; with one notable exception – He gave us one new commandment. Even this commandment is rooted in Hebrew scripture although the root was not counted in the 613 Levitical commandments (Mark 12:29). The time of this reading is at the last supper just after Jesus has predicted His betrayal and prior to their leaving for Gethsemane, which means “oil press” – suitable since it is located on the Mount of Olives.
31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
The glorification of the Son is that of the Father; the one is effected in the other. This glorification will happen immediately. Judas’ departure has started the event.
32 (If God is glorified in him,) God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once.
The glorification of the Son is contingent on the fact that the Son has already glorified God by fulfilling His mission (see John 17:1-5).
33a My children,
Actually, “little children” the only occurrence of this word in this gospel. Sets the tone of the departing patriarch addressing his decedents.
I will be with you only a little while longer. 34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This commandment is new because it is grounded not so much in the love commands of the Jewish tradition (Leviticus 19:18), but in the self-offering love (agape) of Jesus.
35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The living out of this commandment is to become the distinctive mark of the Christian community among outsiders (see also Luke 17:23b).
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Acts 14:21-27
Last week we heard of Saint Paul’s experiences at Antioch in Piscidia during his first missionary journey. That visit had ended on a sour note as Paul and Barnabas were expelled. The reading ended with “the two shook the dust from their feet in protest and went on to Iconium. Their disciples knew only how to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:51-52). Today we hear of the conclusion of this first missionary journey where Paul and Barnabas retrace their steps back through Antioch in Piscidia on their way back to Antioch in Syria where they had begun their journey.
21 After they [Paul and Barnabas] had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
These are towns from which they had been driven. Like Jesus who was driven from Nazareth (Luke 4:29-30), they return to preach again.
22 They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith,
Although beleaguered, the apostles exhort the faithful to the unflinching practice of Christianity. Recall that persecution is a reward of discipleship.
saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.
Paul and Barnabas see that a structure and an institution are set up locally. The structure possibly resembles the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 5, 22; 21:18). It is significant to note that the elders are not elected by the congregation, but appointed by the traveling apostles (the bishops). These newly appointed elders have a share in the hierarchical and priestly ministry of the apostles, from whom their own ministry derives.
24 Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. 25 After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished.
Saints Paul and Barnabas return to Syrian Antioch by journeying through the cities they have visited – in reverse order. Their journey, which began around the year 45, lasted for four years.
27 And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
This figure of speech, “door of faith,” is also used by Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:9 and 2 Corinthians 2:12. Here it signifies the access to salvation that God had given the Gentiles through the missionaries.
2nd Reading - Revelation 21:1-5a
For the past three weeks we have had as our second reading an account of John’s privileged vision of the heavenly liturgy where he has seen the eternal sacrifice being offered to God the Father by His Son, the New and Eternal High Priest and Sacrifice. We have heard also the prayers being offered by the faithful. We now go to the end of John’s account as he describes the Heavenly Jerusalem. It was Jesus’ mission to go to the earthly Jerusalem to offer His sacrifice – this shows us the path that we must follow to reach the Heavenly Jerusalem so that we can dwell with Him there forever.
21:1 Then I [John] saw
Saint John begins this, the last and lengthiest in the final series of visions, with the words “And I saw.” Although this is the seventh vision in the series, it is the eighth occurrence of the phrase “and I saw” – the number eight being associated in Hebrew numerology with the resurrection and regeneration (Hebrew males were circumcised on the eighth day, Jesus was resurrected on the eighth day).
a new heaven and a new earth.
The term used here for “new,” kainos, means newness in kind – of superior quality. The term neos would have been used to denote newness in chronology. Creation must be renewed in order to befit redeemed humanity (see Isaiah 65:17-25). Adam’s work of heavenizing the earth has been completed by Jesus.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
The “sea” is the laver outside the Holy Place in the Temple, where the Levitical priests performed ritual ablutions prior to offering sacrifice. Saint Peter describes this as the destruction of “the present heavens and earth” (2 Peter 3:7), making way for “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13). Because of the “end of the world” terminology used in this passage, many have mistakenly assumed that Saint John is speaking of the final end of the physical heavens and earth, rather than the dissolution of the Old Covenant world order, the “world” as the Jews knew it. The Temple of the New Covenant, over which Jesus presides as High Priest, is infinitely superior to the Temple of the Old Covenant, presided over by Moses (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews
3:1-6).
2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
It comes down from heaven therefore it is of divine origin (James 1:17). God is the architect and builder of the city (Hebrews 11:10). It is holy because it is definitively consecrated to God.
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
A symbol of the union of the faithful with their Lord. Saint John’s clear identification of the City as the Bride of Christ serves as another demonstration that the City of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, is a present as well as future reality. The “Bride” of the weekly Eucharistic wedding feast (Revelation 19:7-9) is the “beloved city” of the Kingdom of Christ (see Revelation 20:9). We are in the New Jerusalem now, as the Bible categorically tells us; “... you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven...” (Hebrews 12:22-23).
3 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
The voice renews the old promises (see Leviticus 26:11-12; Ezekiel 37:27).
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them (as their God).
The plan from the beginning was that God would be the father, and His creation would be the child of the covenant (Genesis 17:8; Exodus 29:45). The theme we see echoed throughout the Old and New Testaments is “I will be their God and they will be my people.”
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17.
and there shall be no more death or mourning,
Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 20:13.
wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away.”
The old covenant disappears, with all those repulsive characteristics that gave it the appearance of a creation enslaved to sin.
5a The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
This is the only passage in the book of Revelation in which God Himself speaks. He declares that everything described in our reading today will be accomplished. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 43:18-21. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17). The messianic times, the end times, have begun.
Gospel - John 13:31-33a, 34-35
We are all familiar with the ten commandments. We use them as part of our examination of conscience prior to receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance or Confession). All of Jesus’ instruction was based on the Hebrew scripture; with one notable exception – He gave us one new commandment. Even this commandment is rooted in Hebrew scripture although the root was not counted in the 613 Levitical commandments (Mark 12:29). The time of this reading is at the last supper just after Jesus has predicted His betrayal and prior to their leaving for Gethsemane, which means “oil press” – suitable since it is located on the Mount of Olives.
31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
The glorification of the Son is that of the Father; the one is effected in the other. This glorification will happen immediately. Judas’ departure has started the event.
32 (If God is glorified in him,) God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once.
The glorification of the Son is contingent on the fact that the Son has already glorified God by fulfilling His mission (see John 17:1-5).
33a My children,
Actually, “little children” the only occurrence of this word in this gospel. Sets the tone of the departing patriarch addressing his decedents.
I will be with you only a little while longer. 34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This commandment is new because it is grounded not so much in the love commands of the Jewish tradition (Leviticus 19:18), but in the self-offering love (agape) of Jesus.
35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The living out of this commandment is to become the distinctive mark of the Christian community among outsiders (see also Luke 17:23b).
Meditation: "Love one another
as I have loved you"
How does God reveal his
glory to us? During his last supper with his disciples on the eve of his
sacrifice on the cross, Jesus speaks of his glory and the glory of his Father.
What is this glory? It is the cross which Jesus speaks of here. The cross of
Jesus reveals the tremendous love and mercy of God the Father and his beloved
Son for the human race. John the Evangelist writes, "For God so loved the
world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
The true nature of love
There is no greater glory and honor that one can offer than the willing sacrifice of one's life for the sake of another. This is the true nature of love - the total self-giving and free offering of one's life for the good of another. A mother who loves her child will do everything in her power to nurture, protect, and save the life of the child. A soldier devoted to his country's welfare, will endure any hardship and suffering and willingly sacrifice his own life to defend his people. God the Father showed the unfathomable depth of his love and mercy by willingly offering his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. To ransom a slave God gave his only Son. That slave is you and me and the whole human race which is bound in sin and death and separation from God.
There is no greater glory and honor that one can offer than the willing sacrifice of one's life for the sake of another. This is the true nature of love - the total self-giving and free offering of one's life for the good of another. A mother who loves her child will do everything in her power to nurture, protect, and save the life of the child. A soldier devoted to his country's welfare, will endure any hardship and suffering and willingly sacrifice his own life to defend his people. God the Father showed the unfathomable depth of his love and mercy by willingly offering his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. To ransom a slave God gave his only Son. That slave is you and me and the whole human race which is bound in sin and death and separation from God.
The cancer of sin is
healed by Christ's merciful love
Paul the Apostle tells us, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The Lord Jesus died for our sins to bring us abundant new life in his Spirit and to restore our nature in the true image and likeness of God. The cancer of sin shows us the ugliness of greed, hatred, and envy which destroy the very core of our being and rob us of life and love. That is why evil infects the world which God created out of his boundless love and goodness. God did not create evil and suffering, but through suffering he conquers evil with goodness, truth, and mercy and righteousness.
Paul the Apostle tells us, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The Lord Jesus died for our sins to bring us abundant new life in his Spirit and to restore our nature in the true image and likeness of God. The cancer of sin shows us the ugliness of greed, hatred, and envy which destroy the very core of our being and rob us of life and love. That is why evil infects the world which God created out of his boundless love and goodness. God did not create evil and suffering, but through suffering he conquers evil with goodness, truth, and mercy and righteousness.
That is why Jesus gave
his disciples a new commandment and way of love - not a commandment that
replaces the Old Covenant commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself. This
new commandment transforms the old commandment with the love and mercy which
the Lord Jesus poured out for us on the Cross of Calvary. There death was
defeated, and sin was covered with merciful love and forgiveness, and Satan's
power was crushed through Godly meekness and obedience. Jesus proved that love
is stronger than death. That is how we overcome the world and conquer our
enemies - Satan, who is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning,
the world which stands in opposition to God, and our own sinful pride and fear
of death.
The love of Christ
conquers all
The Father has glorified his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, by raising him from the dead. And the Lord shares his glory with us and with all who believe in him as their Lord and Savior. Augustine of Hippo wrote, God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love. God's love is direct, personal, and wholly oriented to our good welfare and happiness. What can hold us back from loving the One who suffered and died for us and who offers us abundant joy and happiness with him forever? Nothing can separate us from that love except our own stubborn pride, envy, and self-deception. Satan rebelled out of pride and envy - he wanted to be God's rival. Adam disobeyed because he listened to Satan's lie and deceptive promise to glory apart from God. We sin because we love ourselves more than we love God and our neighbor. Only the cross can break the curse of sin and bring full restoration of body, mind, and soul.
The Father has glorified his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, by raising him from the dead. And the Lord shares his glory with us and with all who believe in him as their Lord and Savior. Augustine of Hippo wrote, God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love. God's love is direct, personal, and wholly oriented to our good welfare and happiness. What can hold us back from loving the One who suffered and died for us and who offers us abundant joy and happiness with him forever? Nothing can separate us from that love except our own stubborn pride, envy, and self-deception. Satan rebelled out of pride and envy - he wanted to be God's rival. Adam disobeyed because he listened to Satan's lie and deceptive promise to glory apart from God. We sin because we love ourselves more than we love God and our neighbor. Only the cross can break the curse of sin and bring full restoration of body, mind, and soul.
We are called to love as
Christ loves us
We were made for glory - the glory which comes from God and which lasts forever. That glory can only be obtained in the cross of Jesus Christ. And the price for that glory is the total offering of our lives for the One who loved us first and who died on the cross to save us from everlasting death and destruction. God offers us the free gift of faith which enables us to believe in his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who frees us from slavery to sin so we can live as sons and daughters of God. The distinctive mark of the followers of Jesus is love - a love not bound by fear, greed, or selfishness - but a love full of compassion, mercy, kindness, and goodness.
We were made for glory - the glory which comes from God and which lasts forever. That glory can only be obtained in the cross of Jesus Christ. And the price for that glory is the total offering of our lives for the One who loved us first and who died on the cross to save us from everlasting death and destruction. God offers us the free gift of faith which enables us to believe in his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who frees us from slavery to sin so we can live as sons and daughters of God. The distinctive mark of the followers of Jesus is love - a love not bound by fear, greed, or selfishness - but a love full of compassion, mercy, kindness, and goodness.
God's love has been
poured into our hearts
How can we love one another as Christ has loved us? Paul the Apostle tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Jesus poured out his Holy Spirit on his disciples at Pentecost and he pours out his Spirit today on all who believe in him. If we yield our hearts to Jesus and submit to his will for us, then the Holy Spirit will purify all that is unloving, unkind, and unforgiving in us. The Lord wants to transform our minds so we can understand his word of truth and life which has power to set us free from ignorance, unbelief, deception, and prejudice.
How can we love one another as Christ has loved us? Paul the Apostle tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Jesus poured out his Holy Spirit on his disciples at Pentecost and he pours out his Spirit today on all who believe in him. If we yield our hearts to Jesus and submit to his will for us, then the Holy Spirit will purify all that is unloving, unkind, and unforgiving in us. The Lord wants to transform our minds so we can understand his word of truth and life which has power to set us free from ignorance, unbelief, deception, and prejudice.
This is the power that overcomes the world - the triumphant cross of Christ
which breaks the destructive forces of sin, hatred, and division. And we share
in the power of Christ's victory by embracing the cross which the Lord
Jesus sets before each one of us. What is the cross that I must take up daily
in order to follow the Lord Jesus? When my will crosses with God's will, then
his will must be done. The cross of Christ sets us free to live no longer for
ourselves but for Christ and his kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness
(moral goodness). Our calling and privilege is to serve as Christ has served
and to love and he has loved. That is the way we share in the glory of our
heavenly Father who gave us his beloved Son who laid down his life for each one
of us.
The distinctive mark of every disciple and follower of Jesus Christ is love - a love that is ready to forgive and forget past injuries, to heal and restore rather than inflict revenge and injury. The cross of Jesus is the only way to pardon, peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Every other way will fail or fall short of the glory and victory which Jesus Christ has won for us through his death and resurrection. If we embrace his love and truth and allow his Holy Spirit to purify and transform our hearts and minds, then we will find the inner freedom, joy, and strength we need to love without measure, to forgive without limit, and to serve without reward - save that of knowing we are serving the One who wants to be united with us in an unbreakable bond of peace and joy forever.
"Lord Jesus, your love knows no bounds and surpasses everything I could desire and long for. Fill me with the fire of your love and with the joy of your Holy Spirit that I may freely serve my neighbor with loving-kindness, tenderhearted mercy, and generous care for their well-being."
The distinctive mark of every disciple and follower of Jesus Christ is love - a love that is ready to forgive and forget past injuries, to heal and restore rather than inflict revenge and injury. The cross of Jesus is the only way to pardon, peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Every other way will fail or fall short of the glory and victory which Jesus Christ has won for us through his death and resurrection. If we embrace his love and truth and allow his Holy Spirit to purify and transform our hearts and minds, then we will find the inner freedom, joy, and strength we need to love without measure, to forgive without limit, and to serve without reward - save that of knowing we are serving the One who wants to be united with us in an unbreakable bond of peace and joy forever.
"Lord Jesus, your love knows no bounds and surpasses everything I could desire and long for. Fill me with the fire of your love and with the joy of your Holy Spirit that I may freely serve my neighbor with loving-kindness, tenderhearted mercy, and generous care for their well-being."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ's love goes
further than anything previous, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"He plainly
indicates the novelty involved in his command here - and the extent to which
the love he enjoins here surpasses the old idea of mutual love (Deuteronomy
6:5) - by adding the words 'Even as I have loved you, you also should love one
another.' ... The law of Moses mandated the necessity of loving our brothers as
ourselves, yet our Lord Jesus the Christ loved us far more than he loved
himself. Otherwise, he would have never descended to our humiliation from his
original exaltation in the form of God and on an equality with God the Father,
nor would he have undergone for our sakes the exceptional bitterness of his
death in the flesh, nor have submitted to beatings from the Jews, to shame, to
derision, and all his other sufferings too numerous to mention. Being rich, he would
never have become poor if he had not loved us far more than he loved himself.
It was indeed something new for love to go as far as that! Christ commands us
to love as he did, putting neither reputation, wealth or anything else before
love of our brothers and sisters. If need be, we even need to be prepared to
face death for our neighbor’s salvation as our Savior's blessed disciples did,
as well as those who followed in their footsteps. To them the salvation of
others mattered more than their own lives, and they were ready to do anything
or to suffer anything to save souls that were perishing." (excerpt from COMMENTARY
ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 9)
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, JOHN 13:31-33a, 34-35
(Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145; Revelation 21:1-5a)
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, JOHN 13:31-33a, 34-35
(Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145; Revelation 21:1-5a)
KEY VERSE: "I give you a new commandment: love one another" (v.34).
TO KNOW: After Judas left the Upper Room to betray the Lord, Jesus began his final discourse to his disciples. As he stood on the threshold of his passion and death, Jesus prepared his eleven remaining disciples for the work that he would hand over to them when he was raised by God in glory. On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a set of commandments that would form Israel as the people of God (Ex 20:1-17). Now Jesus gave his followers a "new commandment": to love one another in the same way that he had loved them. This meant that his followers must be willing to lay down their lives for others as he did. By their love and devotion to one another, the world would recognize that they were Jesus' disciples.
TO LOVE: Do I try to love others in the way that Jesus does?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to understand what it means to be your disciple.
Sunday 24 April 2016
Sun 24th. 5th Sunday of Easter.
Acts 14:21-27. I will praise your name for ever, my
king and my God—Ps 144(145):8-13. Apocalypse 21:1-5. John
13:31-35.
Heralding a new creation
The Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus renews
the covenant God made with earth at the very beginning of the biblical
narrative. This drama of salvation does not end with just a raising of one man
from the dead. It is a drama where a second Eden, the ‘new heaven and new
earth’ (Apoc 21:1) will spring up with the arrival of the second Adam.
As we await this second arrival of the second Adam,
the Gospel of John suggests that we can see glimmers of what this second Eden
will look like. This is done by obeying the Lord’s commandment to love one
another; in the same way that Christ the Bridegroom loves the Church to herald the
new creation.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
The Hero in You
|
There is a tremendous hero inside each of us, a person who can
face a crisis and bring to bear inner strength, vitality, courage, and
compassion. As you appreciate and develop the heroic qualities within you that
protect you and your loved ones from darkness and allow the Spirit to thrive,
you can begin to trust even more firmly that there is no need to panic. There
is great reason to have faith, hope, and love.
April
24
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
(1577-1622)
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
(1577-1622)
If a poor man needed
some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back.
Complete generosity to others characterized this saint's life.
Born in 1577, Mark Rey
(Fidelis was his religious name) became a lawyer who constantly upheld the
causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed "the poor man's
lawyer," Fidelis soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he
saw among his colleagues. He left his law career to become a priest, joining
his brother George as a member of the Capuchin Order. His wealth was divided
between needy seminarians and the poor.
As a follower of
Francis, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. During a severe
epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and
cured many sick soldiers.
He was appointed head
of a group of Capuchins sent to preach against the Calvinists and Zwinglians in
Switzerland. Almost certain violence threatened. Those who observed the mission
felt that success was more attributable to the prayer of Fidelis during the
night than to his sermons and instructions.
He was accused of
opposing the peasants' national aspirations for independence from Austria.
While he was preaching at Seewis, to which he had gone against the advice of
his friends, a gun was fired at him, but he escaped unharmed. A Protestant
offered to shelter Fidelis, but he declined, saying his life was in God's
hands. On the road back, he was set upon by a group of armed men and killed.
He was canonized in
1746. Fifteen years later, the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith,
which was established in 1622, recognized him as its first martyr.
Comment:
Fidelis's constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, "Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain." His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of "the poor man's lawyer" by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world.
Fidelis's constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, "Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain." His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of "the poor man's lawyer" by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world.
Quote:
"Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation" ("Justice in the World," Synod of Bishops, 1971).
"Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation" ("Justice in the World," Synod of Bishops, 1971).
LECTIO DIVINA: 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (C)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, April 24, 2016
The new commandment:
to love the neighbour as Jesus loved us
John 13:31-35
to love the neighbour as Jesus loved us
John 13:31-35
1. LECTIO
a) Opening prayer:
a) Opening prayer:
Lord Jesus, help us understand the
mystery of the Church as community of love. When you gave us the new
commandment of love as the charter of the Church, you told us that it is the
highest value. When you were about to leave your disciples, you wished to give
them a memorial of the new commandment, the new statute of the Christian
community. You did not give them a pious exhortation, but rather a new
commandment of love. In this ‘relative absence’, we are asked to recognize you
present in our brothers and sisters. In this Easter season, Lord Jesus, you
remind us that the time of the Church is the time of charity, the time of
encounter with you through our brothers and sisters. We know that at the end of
our lives we shall be judged on love. Help us encounter you in each brother and
sister, seizing every little occasion of every day.
b) Reading:
31 When
he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God
has been glorified. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn
glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. 33 Little children, I
shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told
the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.
34 I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. 35 It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognise you as my disciples.
34 I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. 35 It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognise you as my disciples.
c) A
moment of prayerful silence:
The
passage of the Gospel we are about to meditate, recalls Jesus’ farewell words
to his disciples. Such a passage should be considered a kind of sacrament of an
encounter with the Person of Jesus.
2.
MEDITATIO
a)
Preamble to Jesus’ discourse:
Our
passage is the conclusion to chapter 13 where two themes crisscross and are
taken up again and developed in chapter 14: the place where the Lord is going;
and the theme of the commandment of love. Some observations on the context
within which Jesus’ words on the new commandment occur may be helpful for a
fruitful reflection on their content.
First,
v.31 says, «when he had gone», who is gone? To understand this we need to go to
v. 30 where we read that «as soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went
out. It was night». Thus the one who went out was Judas. Then, the expression,
«it was night», is characteristic of all the «farewell discourses», which take
place at night. Jesus’ words in Jn 13,31-35 are preceded by this immersion into
the darkness of the night. What is the symbolical meaning of this? In John,
night represents the peak of nuptial intimacy (for instance the wedding night),
but also one of extreme anguish. Other meanings of the dark night are that it
represents the moment of danger par excellence, it is the moment when the enemy
weaves plans of vengeance against us, it expresses the moment of desperation,
confusion, moral and intellectual disorder. The darkness of night is like a
dead end.
In Jn
6, when the night storm takes place, the darkness of the night expresses an
experience of desperation and solitude as they struggle against the dark forces
that stir the sea. Again, the time marker "while it was still dark"
in Jn 20:1 points to the darkness which is the absence of Jesus. Indeed, in
John’s Gospel, the light of Christ cannot be found in the sepulchre, that is
why darkness reigns (20:1).
Therefore,
“farewell discourses” are rightly placed within this time framework. It is
almost as if the background colour of these discourses is separation, death or
the departure of Jesus and this creates a sense of emptiness or bitter
solitude. In the Church of today and for today’s humanity, this could mean that
when we desert Jesus in our lives we then experience anguish and suffering.
When
reporting Jesus’ words in 3:31-34, concerning his departure and imminent death,
John recalls his own past life with Jesus, woven with memories that opened his
eyes to the mysterious richness of the Master. Such memories of the past are
part of our own faith journey.
It is characteristic
of “farewell discourses” that whatever is transmitted in them, especially at
the tragic and solemn moment of death becomes an inalienable patrimony, a
covenant to be kept faithfully. Jesus’ “farewell discourses” too synthesize
whatever he had taught and done so as to draw his disciples to follow in the
direction he pointed out to them.
b) A
deepening:
As we
read the passage of this Sunday of Easter, we focus, first of all, on the first
word used by Jesus in his farewell discourse: “Now”. «Now has the Son of man
been glorified». Which «now» is this? It is the moment of the cross that
coincides with his glorification. This final part of John’s Gospel is a
manifestation or revelation. Thus, Jesus’ cross is the «now» of the greatest
epiphany or manifestation of truth. In this glorification, there is no question
of any meaning that has anything to do with “honour” or “triumphalism”, etc.
On the
one hand there is Judas who goes into the night, Jesus prepares for his glory:
«When he had gone, Jesus said: “Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in
him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn
glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon” (v.31-32). Judas’
betrayal brings to maturity in Jesus the conviction that his death is «glory».
The hour of death on the cross is included in God’s plan; it is the «hour» when
the glory of the Father will shine on the world through the glory of the «Son
of man». In Jesus, who gives his life to the Father at the «hour» of the cross,
God is glorified by revealing his divine essence and welcoming humankind into
communion with him.
Jesus’
(the Son’s) glory consists of his «extreme love» for all men and women, even to
giving himself for those who betray him. The Son’s love is such that he takes
on himself all those destructive and dramatic situations that burden the life
and history of humankind. Judas’ betrayal symbolises, not so much the action of
an individual, as that of the whole of evil humanity, unfaithful to the will of
God.
However,
Judas’ betrayal remains an event full of mystery. An exegete writes: In
betraying Jesus, «it is revelation that is to blame; it is even at the service
of revelation» (Simoens, According to John, 561). In a way, Judas’ betrayal gives
us the chance of knowing Jesus better; his betrayal has allowed us to see how
far Jesus loves his own. Don Primo Mazzolari writes: «The apostles became
Jesus’ friends, whether good friends or not, generous or not, faithful or not,
they still remain his friends. We cannot betray Jesus’ friendship: Christ never
betrays us, his friends, even when we do not deserve it, even when we rebel
against him, even when we deny him. In his sight and in his heart we are always
his “friends”. Judas is the Lord’s friend even at the moment when he carries
out the betrayal of his Master with a kiss» (Discourses 147).
c) The
new commandment:
Let us
focus our attention on the new commandment.
In v.33
we note a change in Jesus’ farewell discourse. He no longer uses the third
person. The Master now addresses “you”. This «you» is in the plural and he uses
a Greek word that is full of tenderness “children” (teknía). In using this word
and by his tone of voice and openness of heart, Jesus concretely conveys to his
disciples the immensity of the tenderness he holds for them.
What is
also interesting is another point that we find in v.34: «that you love one
another as I have loved you». The Greek word Kathòs «as” is not meant for
comparison: love one another as I have loved you. Its meaning may be consecutive
of causal: «Because I have loved you, so also love one another».
There
are those who like Fr. Lagrange see in this commandment an eschatological
meaning: during his relative absence and while waiting for his second coming,
Jesus wants us to love and serve him in the person of his brothers and sisters.
The new commandment is the only commandment. If there is no love, there is
nothing. Magrassi writes: «Away with labels and classifications: every brother
is the sacrament of Christ. Let us examine our daily life: can we live with our
brother from morning till night and not accept and love him? The great work in
this case is ecstasy in its etymological sense, that is, to go out of myself so
as to be neighbour to the one who needs me, beginning with those nearest to me
and with the most humble matters of every day life» (Living the church, 113).
d) For
our reflection:
- Is
our love for our brothers and sisters directly proportional to our love for
Christ?
- Do I see the Lord present in the person of my brother and sister?
- Do I use the daily little occasions to do good to others?
- Let us examine our daily life: can I live with my brothers and sisters from morning till night and not accept and love them?
- Does love give meaning to the whole of my life?
- What can I do to show my gratitude to the Lord who became servant for me and consecrated his whole life for my good? Jesus replies: Serve me in brothers and sisters: this is the most authentic way of showing your practical love for me.
- Do I see the Lord present in the person of my brother and sister?
- Do I use the daily little occasions to do good to others?
- Let us examine our daily life: can I live with my brothers and sisters from morning till night and not accept and love them?
- Does love give meaning to the whole of my life?
- What can I do to show my gratitude to the Lord who became servant for me and consecrated his whole life for my good? Jesus replies: Serve me in brothers and sisters: this is the most authentic way of showing your practical love for me.
3.
ORATIO
a)
Psalm 23:1-6:
This
psalm presents an image of the church journeying accompanied by the goodness
and faithfulness of God, until it finally reaches the house of the Father. In
this journey she is guided by love that gives it direction: your goodness and your
faithfulness pursue me.
Yahweh
is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.
Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger,
for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.
Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger,
for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
b)
Praying with the Fathers of the Church:
I love
you for yourself, I love you for your gifts,
I love you for love of you
And I love you in such a way,
That if ever Augustine were God
And God Augustine,
I would want to come back and be who I am, Augustine,
That I may make of you who you are,
Because only you are worthy of being who you are.
Lord, you see,
My tongue raves,
I cannot express myself,
But my heart does not rave.
You know what I experience
And what I cannot express.
I love you, my God,
And my heart is too limited for so much love,
And my strength fails before so much love,
And my being is too small for so much love.
I come out of my smallness
And immerse my whole being in you,
I transform and lose myself.
Source of my being,
Source of my every good:
My love and my God.
(St. Augustine: Confessions)
I love you for love of you
And I love you in such a way,
That if ever Augustine were God
And God Augustine,
I would want to come back and be who I am, Augustine,
That I may make of you who you are,
Because only you are worthy of being who you are.
Lord, you see,
My tongue raves,
I cannot express myself,
But my heart does not rave.
You know what I experience
And what I cannot express.
I love you, my God,
And my heart is too limited for so much love,
And my strength fails before so much love,
And my being is too small for so much love.
I come out of my smallness
And immerse my whole being in you,
I transform and lose myself.
Source of my being,
Source of my every good:
My love and my God.
(St. Augustine: Confessions)
c)
Closing prayer:
Blessed
Teresa Scrilli, seized by an ardent desire to respond to the love of Jesus,
expressed herself thus:
I love
you,
O my God,
In your gifts;
I love you in my nothingness,
And even in this I understand,
Your infinite wisdom;
I love you in the many varied or extraordinary events,
By which you accompanied my life…
I love you in everything,
Whether painful or peaceful;
Because I do not seek,
Nor have I ever sought,
Your consolations;
Only you, the God of consolations.
That is why I never gloried
Nor delighted in,
That which you made me experience entirely gratuitously in your Divine love,
Nor did I distress and upset myself,
When left arid and small.
(Autobiography, 62)
O my God,
In your gifts;
I love you in my nothingness,
And even in this I understand,
Your infinite wisdom;
I love you in the many varied or extraordinary events,
By which you accompanied my life…
I love you in everything,
Whether painful or peaceful;
Because I do not seek,
Nor have I ever sought,
Your consolations;
Only you, the God of consolations.
That is why I never gloried
Nor delighted in,
That which you made me experience entirely gratuitously in your Divine love,
Nor did I distress and upset myself,
When left arid and small.
(Autobiography, 62)
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