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MAY 18, 2025: FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

 

May 18, 2025

 


Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 54

 

Reading I

Acts 14:21-27

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.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
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.
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
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.
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
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.
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
Alleluia.

 

Reading II

Revelation 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.”
 

Alleluia

John 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.

 

Gospel

John 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.”

 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051825.cfm

 

 


Commentary on Acts 14:21-27; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-33,34-35

Easter is the time when we both remember and celebrate the new life which has come to us through our Risen Lord. What do we mean by this ‘new life’? Can you say that you have experienced ‘new life’ this Easter or, for that matter, in any previous Easter? Are you aware of becoming changed in any way—for the better—over the years? Or has the Easter experience simply passed you by?

The word ‘new’ appears several times in today’s readings. The passage from Revelation speaks of a “new heaven”, a “new earth” and a “new Jerusalem”. Jesus in the Gospel speaks of a “new commandment”. What’s supposed to be ‘new’?

A new life in Christ, of course, is something that can come early or late into the life of a person. For many saints it came after quite a long period of loose and immoral living without God—St Augustine and St Ignatius Loyola come to mind. For others, like Therese of Lisieux, it came relatively early. She was already a saint when she died at the tender age of 24. For most of us, it is something that may come in waves. In other words, it will not be a once-for-all experience, but something that comes at different stages in our life, each time bringing us to a deeper level of understanding, insight and commitment.

Conversion
The “new life” that the Scripture speaks of is also referred to as ‘conversion’, a turning round (Greek, metanoia). It means a radical change of vision and of our priorities in life. It means new attitudes, new values, new standards of relating with God and with people and indeed with our whole living environment of which we are a synergistic part.

In the Gospel Jesus speaks of the foundation and heart of his teaching and message. These are his parting words to his disciples before he goes to his Passion and death. What is this message? Is it to be faithful in keeping the Ten Commandments and leading a moral life? Not exactly. Does he warn us to be sure to be in church every Sunday and to go to confession regularly? Not really. Does he tell us to use all our energies in loving God? Surprisingly, perhaps, no!

What he does tell us is to love other people—and to love them as he has loved us. This, he says, is a “new commandment”. The Hebrew Testament told us to love God with our whole heart, our whole mind and our whole soul, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Jesus has added a new element in telling us that the true test of discipleship is to love other people in the same way that he has loved us. And we might remember that these words lead the way to the greatest possible love that a person can show, that is, by letting go of one’s very life for others. This Jesus will very dramatically portray in the terrible suffering and degradation which he will submit to out of love for us—out of love for me.

The only valid test
To incorporate that level of love in my life will surely call for a new way of thinking, of seeing, of behaving and of interacting with other people. And it will be the test, the only valid test, of whether I truly love God as well. Is this really the way, is this the frame of mind in which I live my normal day? Or rather, let me say, is this the way we—who dare to call ourselves Christians—live our normal days?

For it is clear that the disciple of Christ is not primarily an individual person, but an ‘inter-person’. I am defined as a disciple not by how I individually behave—my personal moral life—but by how I ‘inter-act’ with other people. The ‘solitary Christian’ is a contradiction in terms because the Christian is only to be measured by the way he/she loves and that love, by definition, involves other people. I am my relationships.*

What is love?
The word ‘love’, of course, can lead to misunderstandings. The word is used by us mainly in contexts which imply deep affection, emotional attraction and a good feeling when the beloved is around or even just thought of. That is not quite the meaning of the word in this context. The word that is used by John in this passage is the Greek word, agape.

This is not, strictly speaking, love in the mutual or romantic sense. Rather, it implies a reaching out to others in a caring attitude for their well-being, irrespective of whether there will be a similar response by the other. It is the compassion that Jesus shows for the sinner and the evil person. It would be impossible for me to love a Hitler or child abuser in the first sense. It would have no meaning and Jesus does not expect me to create such an artificial attitude.

Loving enemies
On the other hand, in terms of deep caring for the good of another, I can certainly ‘agape-love’ an evil person or any other person who causes me difficulties—who I believe has hurt me or failed me or who simply behaves in a way which I cannot accept as good. This is what makes it possible for me to ‘love’ my ‘enemies’ and to pray for them and to wish God’s blessings on them so that they may change their ways (not to suit me, but for their own well-being and to bring them back into harmony with God’s way).

It is why the true Christian disciple does not in fact have enemies. This is what Jesus is doing in praying for forgiveness for those who were nailing him to the cross. He loves them then not as close friends (obviously), but as people who truly needed enlightenment about what they were doing not just to him, but to themselves. Jesus cared; he had a deep sense of agape-love at that moment.

In the First Reading, from Acts, we see another form of agape on the part of two early missionaries, Paul and Barnabas. They went through all kinds of hardships and misunderstandings so that the message and vision of Jesus might be communicated to as many people as they could reach. And to those who were already Christians they gave support and encouragement to persevere in their Christian convictions.

In this sense then, can people say of me that I am a truly loving, caring and forgiving person? Can they say that I am a redeeming person, a person who makes hurt people whole again? It is all that Jesus, on the threshold of his suffering and death, asks of me and nothing else. It is not impossible, it is not hopelessly idealistic and it does not require massive willpower and self-control. What it does require is a change in attitude and in the way I see the world, others and myself.

Where do I fail?
I might reflect today on the ways I personally fail to be a loving, caring, compassionate and understanding person. Who are the people I really love and care for? Who are the people I cannot bring myself to love and care for—and why? Who are the people I never even think of loving and caring for—and why? Do I only love the people of my own race, my own class, my own religion?

Do I care for anybody outside the circle of my family and immediate friends? Do I love and care for my family members? Whom do I regard as my friends and why? Do I love and care in any tangible way for people who need my care—however indirectly—even though I do not know them and they can give me nothing in return, e.g. the poor, the addicted, the exploited and marginalised in my own and other communities?

Finally, do I really love myself? A great deal of our difficulty in extending love and especially forgiveness to others is our own insecurity and the fragility of our egos, which can be so easily hurt. Only those persons who are fully convinced that they are themselves lovable can reach out comfortably and unconditionally to love those who themselves cannot love, but can only hurt and hate and destroy.

It is through this constant love-centred interaction among each other that the “new heaven and a new earth” and the “new Jerusalem” can begin to come into existence. It is in our hands, and we have a perfect example in Jesus our Lord.

As disciples of Jesus, imbued with his message of agape, loving in the way that he loved us, we are called to do the same—to give support to our fellow disciples and to share our faith and our love with as many people as possible. The words of the Second Reading from Revelation apply very suitably here:

See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

It is precisely by our being an agape-filled people that God will come into people’s lives in this way. It is through this constant love-centred interaction among each other that the new earth, the new heaven and the new Jerusalem can begin to come into existence—not at some unknown future time and in some other place, but here and now. Today. It is in our hands. All we have to do is follow the lead of Jesus the Lord.

___________________________________
*This, it could be said, is the vital distinction between being a Christian and being involved in other religious or quasi-religious activities such as yoga, secular meditation or other ‘New Age’ practices to which many ex-Christians turn. However, most of these are ‘inner-centred’, aimed at personal peace of mind and developing coping skills in order to survive in a surrounding society.

Christianity is primarily concerned at reaching out, at building communities whose main concern is together to work for the transformation of our whole society in the vision of the Kingdom. It might also be said that all the other great religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, are also community-centred. Further, all of these religions include as integral parts prayer, meditation and contemplation. In truth, the aim of these religions is not limited to just helping the individual cope. And in the case of Christianity, the aim is to help with strengthening one’s understanding of and commitment to the common vision of the Kingdom.

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Sunday, May 18, 2025

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lectio

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, jwe 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. Gospel Reading – John 13: 31-35

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 recognize you as my disciples. 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.

Meditatio

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 Johns 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 color 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 todays 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. 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 Johns 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 symbolizes, 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).

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 neighbor to the one who needs me, beginning with those nearest to me and with the most humble matters of everyday life’ (Living the church, 113).

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.

Oratio

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. 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)

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)

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