June 10, 2018 — Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GN 3: 9-15; PS 130: 1-8; 2 COR: 4:13–5:1; MK 3: 20-35

The Feasts of May and June have been called a “liturgical love feast.” They should help us to realize the persistent love of God. On May 20, we received the Holy Spirit Who pours the love of God into our hearts. The following Sunday we celebrated the Blessed Trinity. On June 3, last week, we celebrated the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Out of love Christ gave us the gift of Himself. He is always available to us, ready to listen and ready to support.

This past Friday, we commemorated the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the revelations of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus promised, “Sinners shall find My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy. I will console them in all their troubles.” What we hear in the Word at every Mass should be a source of inspiration and affirmation about the love of God toward us.

Adam and Eve were certainly aware of God’s love. In the First Reading from the Book of Genesis, when they “hear” that God is in the garden, they know full well that He wants to be with them. It is difficult for us to conceive of how intimate and close God was to that first couple. What made them “afraid” of God was sin, something that probably makes all of us afraid of the Lord at times. Ever since Adam we as humans have tended to run from God’s presence and we surely do not always wish to listen to His Word.

Nevertheless, we must always keep in mind that we are made in God’s image, so as fearful of Him as we may be, we still want to be in the presence of God. As we note in the reading, Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin. That is something we may tend to do as well — blame others for our sins and faults. In 2 Samuel, David declares, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Each of us has to consider taking that responsibility for our actions as David did.

St. Paul had a way with words to be sure. During Paul’s lifetime many felt his Paul’s life was a failure. At the height of his success in life, he chose to leave it for a career that from our perspective is much higher. We view St. Paul as the great evangelizer and the equivalent of an Apostle. Paul left a comfortable life for a life of hardship, suffering and persecution.

His message to us and to the Corinthians in this reading is that faith creates testimony. Paul believed deeply that God had a purpose in his, Paul’s, sufferings. Paul understood and embraced and truly believed in resurrection. Al the trials he faced, and all the trials we may face, are trivial in relationship to the life that is to come. Suffering can destroy us; they could have destroyed Paul. Paul recognized that we tend to see the outward, not necessarily the unseen eternal things. He speaks, nevertheless, of the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” That is where his focus was and where our focus needs to be — not the present but what is in our future.

President Abraham Lincoln is often given credit for saying “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” This was the theme of a speech he gave when he was nominated for the United States Senate in 1858. However, we see it in today’s Gospel Reading from St. Mark: “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Jesus is quoted as saying that in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Lincoln was a man familiar with scripture, and he knew that Jesus said this. He also knew most likely that most of his audience knew that. Jesus gave this answer to the Pharisees in all three instances in the Bible, including today’s reading. It was a response the Lord made when accused of being the agent of Satan. It is a logical thought because we all know that any community, including our parish, which is divided will run into problems. Success and cohesion, whether in a family or in an organization or the Church itself, is reliant upon congruency.

We face this in many ways in daily life all the time. It does not matter whether it is a sports team, a government, a family, or our own minds things must work together in order to accomplish goals. God expects unity among believers because once conflict enters into the picture, the whole organization becomes weaker. That is part of what stewardship demands of us. There are times when each of us must place his or her personal preferences to the side for the good of the group. That is never easy to do, but to be the kind of community we wish to be and need to be it is absolutely necessary. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Indeed!

June 3, 2018 — The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

EX 24: 3-8; PS 116: 12-13, 15-18; HEB 9: 11-15; MK 14: 12-16, 22-26

Although our Easter season officially ended two weeks ago, we are reminded today on Corpus Christi Sunday of that time Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist. The Gospel Reading from Mark reminds us of that time at the Last Supper: “While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many’.”

The most important liturgies in our Church are called Solemnities. Today marks the third Solemnity over the past few weeks with Pentecost and Trinity Sunday also being designated in that way. We have one more to go with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus next Friday. The word “solemnity” has as its roots two Latin words — soletand annus,which basically translates into an annual or yearly celebration. We can be proud of our traditions and our history because they have come to us directly from Jesus.

We have been celebrating the Eucharist as part of our worship since the original Feast of the Last Supper. St. Ignatius of Antioch referred to the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality,” and that is something we should never forget every time we approach to receive Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ.

In the First Reading from the Book of Exodus we hear of Moses explaining to his people God’s covenant. In the Gospel we hear Jesus say, “This is my blood of the covenant.” Of course, He is speaking of the new covenant, but one that is closely associated with the covenant explained by Moses. It is Jesus’ covenant that offers us salvation.

However, we need to note how similar our liturgies are to what happens in the First Reading. Initially the people heard the Word of God, just as we do at each Mass. Sacrifices are made; we speak of sacrifice during the whole process of the Eucharist; finally, the people receive from Moses the blood of sacrifice, just as we do in the Eucharist. The idea of covenant in almost all societies and practices involves blood.

In the Second Reading from the Book of Hebrews we hear again about the importance of blood as part of the covenant. Nevertheless, it is made clear that this is very different. It is not the blood of “goats and calves,” but the blood of Christ — “his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” for us. It also states in that reading “For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant.”

Covenant comes from the Latin word convenire,which means to come together. A covenant is basically an agreement between people, or between God and His people, that binds one to the other. A popular phrase in today’s Church is “new covenant.” Christ Himself is the new covenant between God and his people. We confirm and seal this covenant every time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. De we really understand what a remarkable thing that is? People who understand that are always overwhelmed when they approach to receive this powerful gift of the Eucharist.

As mentioned in the introduction, the Gospel Reading from St. Mark is a reminder to us of the covenant made with us by Jesus at the Last Supper. That is really what Easter was and is all about. That Gospel also emphasizes the importance of the Body and Blood. In the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) there is no mention of a “lamb” as part of the Passover meal even though that is normally an important part of that meal. A careful study of the Bible brings us to the realization that nothing happens by accident. Some scholars have concluded that the absence of the “lamb” merely meant they could not obtain one. It would seem far more likely that this was the way Jesus wanted it. It was a way of Him emphasizing that He was the Passover sacrifice, the Lamb of God.

What Jesus says, and what we do at Mass are very important. The Lord says, “Take it; this is my body.” The word “take” implies that this is not something that is forced upon us. Without food and drink we will perish; the key to the Eucharist is that without Jesus, we will also perish. This is something that when we take it, we need to take it into our innermost being. The bottom line on all this is that the Eucharist is our acceptance of the New Covenant. There is more to it than just receiving. It also means sharing and discipleship. That is the reality of the Body and Blood of Christ.

May 27, 2018 — The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

DT 4: 32-34, 39-40; PS 33: 4-5, 6, 9, 18-20, 22; ROM 8: 14-17; MT 28: 16-20

Today we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday. Note that the proper name for this day is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Throughout our Church year we celebrate the entire mystery of Christ, from His incarnation and birth to His ascension, to Pentecost (the establishment of the Church), and finally to His Second Coming in judgment. Technically we divide our celebrations into Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials.

Solemnities are the celebrations of greatest importance. Solemnities always begin the evening before with first vespers (evening prayer) and many solemnities have their own Vigil Mass. Although all Solemnities are important, they are not all Holy Days of Obligation

Today’s Solemnity of the Holy Trinity honors the Trinity. The Church has celebrated this for well more than 1,000 years, and it was made official in 1334.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#234) we are taught, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in Himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith’.”

Yet, the Trinity is one of the most fascinating, and controversial, of our teachings. When the Trinity is described as a “mystery,” that does not mean it is a total enigma, but it is a reality we can only grasp through worship and faith. A noted scholar once said that a mystery is not like a wall that we may run into, but an ocean in which we can swim.

Today’s readings thus relate in some way to our acceptance of this truth. Jesus understood that this was not an easy concept for people to grasp. That is why He responded to a question from St. Philip by saying, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” One of the more famous stories in our Church lore has to do with how St. Patrick taught about the Trinity to the pagans of Ireland. St. Patrick taught the Irish people about the Trinity using a shamrock with three separate leaves on the same stem. That is a good visual aid to help people understand the basic concept of the Trinity, but there is so much more that we can learn about the Holy Trinity than this.

The First Reading is drawn from the Book of Deuteronomy and Moses is speaking to the people. He explains to them the importance of faith, of understanding, of gratitude, and why it is necessary to follow God implicitly. When we think of the alternatives to serving God we should come to an awareness that serving God is really the only option, It is not always easy being a disciple of the Lord and serving Him, but it is the best choice we have. One of the founders of our United States republic said, “Democracy is the worst form of government ever created, except for all the others.” We could paraphrase that by saying “Serving God is the hardest, except for all the other ways.”

In the Second Reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Paul addresses the Holy Trinity from another perspective. Paul speaks of all of us as being “children of God.” However, in order to be a child of God, Paul says that it is key that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who leads and guides us — He leads us to repentance; He leads us to think little of self and much of Jesus; He leads us into truth; He leads us into love; He leads us into holiness.

Just as the Lord reminded Philip of His relationship to His Father, we need to be reminded as well. St. Paul says in today’s reading, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” We have an inheritance from the Lord. Recall in the Gospel of Luke when the rich young ruler asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That ruler misses the point. Inheritance is not a matter of doing; it is a matter of being. It is a matter of us embracing the Holy Trinity and what it means to us. That way we are truly children of God.

The Gospel Reading from St. Matthew is not lengthy, but is important to the concept of the Holy Trinity and to each of us as believers. This reading represents the end of Matthew’s Gospel and is often called The Great Commission. When they (we) are told to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it means that they are to make disciples. Note that the action word there is “make.” Also notice what the Lord says “in the name of,” not in the names of, the implication being, of course, that the three are one — our Holy Trinity. These were imperfect individuals that Jesus commissioned. We, too, are imperfect, but we, too, are commissioned and called.

May 20, 2018 — Pentecost Sunday (Mass during the Day)

ACTS 2: 1-11; PS 104: 1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 COR 12: 3B-7, 12-13; JN 20: 19-23

For us as Catholics Easter is the greatest feast in the Church; it is followed by Christmas. However, today, Pentecost Sunday is not far behind in terms of its importance. Today marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other followers of the Lord, and thus it is often called the birthday of the Church.

It was on this day, Pentecost, that Jesus fully united with His followers through the Holy Spirit. This is a great day of joy for us as it was on this day that Christ fulfilled His promise to us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#732) points out, “On that day (Pentecost), the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity.”

In a sense today is a day of the Holy Spirit. Our First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles reports, “Then there appeared to them tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Often you may see a painting or other rendering of the Apostles with a flame above their heads. That image comes from the descent of the Holy Spirit as described in this reading.

Pentecost had another name in the time of Jesus. It was also called “the day of the first fruits.” Occurring 50 days after the Passover, the people would bring the first fruits of the wheat harvest to present them to God. Although wheat was at the center, it was not necessarily the only gifts presented to God to acknowledge His gifts. Barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and honey were also brought. The people believed that not just the first, but also the best of the crop should be given to God.

This is, of course, one of the basic tenets of our idea of stewardship — that is, presenting our gifts to God in thanksgiving for God’s many gifts to us. We no longer live in an agrarian society. Many people make their living in non-agricultural ways. But for those who do, this practice, especially among Christians, is still followed. In the potato raising area of Columbia, harvesting the potatoes is a prime event. Everything shuts down as entire families go through the potato fields and harvest the potatoes, but it is also still a tradition that they do not harvest every tenth row.

When the harvest is complete, the people of the local churches return and pick that tenth row as a gift to the Church and thus to God. Do we give of our own first fruits? Do we fully understand and appreciate the many blessings God gives to us?

St. Paul expands on this idea in the Second Reading from his First Letter to the Corinthians. The idea of stewardship is also quite definite here when Paul writes, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;

there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

This tells us clearly that stewardship involves more than just material goods. We are all part of the Body of Christ, and our particular talents and gifts are necessary for the Body to fully function. We are called to serve God and one another and whatever our gifts may be, they are to be shared with others, especially those in our own faith community. Do you feel that your presence at church is your gift or do you understand that you may need to do more?

The Gospel from St. John tells of Christ visiting His Apostles after His Resurrection. This meeting happened on Easter Sunday, and it is part of the preliminary to what we celebrate today. After rising from the dead, Jesus could have gone anywhere, and He could have done anything, but He wanted to be with His people. He wants to be with us in the same way.

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” says the Lord on that occasion. He gives us a mission; He commissions for us to do what He did. Now, just as then, the Lord sends us out in the world, our world, where we live, where we work, wherever we go, to represent Him and to model Him as best we can.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa, had a real awareness of what it meant to be sent by God. She said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, Who is sending a love letter to the world. Do we also grasp what it means to share that love with all around us? We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit to assist us.

May 13, 2018 — The Ascension of the Lord

ACTS 1: 1-11; PS 47: 2-3, 6-9; EPH 1: 17-23; MK 16: 15-20

During this Easter season, many of our First Readings have come from the Acts of the Apostles. Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday which culminates the Easter season for the Church. Scholars generally agree that the Acts of the Apostles was also written by St. Luke. Today’s reading from Acts certainly gives an indication of that. It is clear that Acts is written to someone named Theophilus as it opens with “In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up.”

The Book of Luke opens by also stating that it is being written to Theophilus: “I, too, have decided…to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus.” Those who study sacred scripture love to debate who Theophilus was, but that is not important. For our purposes we are Theophilus. The name Theophilus means “friend of God,” or “God lover” which includes all of us.

Perhaps the greatest message of the First Reading, the opening verses of Acts, is the basis of the Book itself. The Gospel of Luke records all that Jesus began to do and to teach. It is the beginning of Jesus’ work. However, Acts describes how Jesus’ work continued with His disciples and followers. In a sense the Book of Acts is still not complete because the work of Jesus continues today. Today’s “Acts” may not be scriptural, but through us as disciples the Lord’s presence and works continues in the world and in His Church.

We are part of this great legacy, and that is the real message for us here: we are called, and we are expected to be the disciples who share the Good News with others.

St. Paul never states the specific reason for his letter to the Ephesians, our Second Reading. But it is certainly possible to ascertain his motivation from what he includes in the letter. In today’s reading he speaks of our approach to understanding and faith when he says, “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened.” In scripture the word “heart” tends to indicate the very core and center of life. It is much more than a realization or a comprehension. It means something we embrace and appreciate to the very foundations of our lives and the way we live them.

Paul wants the Ephesians (and us) to know that few things give us more secure and enduring hope in life than knowing that God has called us and has a specific calling for each of us to fulfill. This is complementary to what we hear in the First Reading. The hope of God’s calling has its perspective in the future. If we believe in resurrection and eternal life, we can grasp the hope which comes with salvation.

Nevertheless, Paul wants us to know that we are worthy of the calling, the command if you will, given us by Jesus. If we wish to be saved, we need to live distinctive lives here on earth. The letter to the Ephesians, and today’s passage, gives us very specific teaching on how we are to live our lives in our parishes, in our world, and in our homes.

Jesus makes it clearer in the Gospel Reading from Mark, as He addresses His followers prior to His Ascension into heaven, that they have a responsibility, and it was one they could not escape. We share that responsibility. It is part of our calling and part of what our lives as Catholics and Christians should and must be.

When we go out to do the work of God, Jesus is always with us and He works with us and through us. This is the pattern for all we do, our sense of ministry and mission. A wise philosopher once stated that signs are meant to follow believers, not believers following signs. The final verse of the Gospel — “But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” – continues to this very day. That is the message of everything we have heard in Holy Scripture today, and it is the message we should hear every time we are exposed to Holy Scripture.

May 6, 2018 — Sixth Sunday of Easter

ACTS 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48; PS 98: 1-4; 1 JN 4: 7-10; JN 15: 9-17

In today’s Gospel from the Book of John, Jesus says, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” The Lord closes this passage by saying, “This I command you: love one another.” In one form or another Jesus tells us to “Love one another” eleven times in the Bible. St. Paul also includes this commandment in his writings as do others, including passages in the Old Testament. Obviously, one could do an entire reflection on what this love means, what it entails, but it has a much greater depth than just talking about it. “Love,” like “stewardship” implies action.

There is something impressive about St. Peter as reflected in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter has clearly grasped what Christ meant when He instructed His followers to “Love one another, as I have loved you.” The passage begins with Peter arriving at the house of Cornelius, who in deference to Peter, falls at Peter’s feet to pay him homage. Peter’s response says everything to us about how to treat others and how we ourselves need to view our own lives.

Peter says, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.” Prior to that Peter lifts Cornelius up. The deep faith of Cornelius is well documented in Acts. We learn that Cornelius sent his servants to get Peter and bring him there. Cornelius had certainly heard of Peter and knew of his past and his involvement with Jesus. However, Cornelius also realized that he was a Gentile, and so there may have been some fear on his part that Peter might reject him, or even hesitate to enter his house. Peter’s response to this show of respect from Cornelius is an example of the love about which we are speaking. Peter felt that Cornelius should not show this reverence to Peter, and Peter also felt he should not receive it.

Peter would be the first to tell Cornelius and others that the reverence offered him should be offered to Jesus Christ Himself. As Jesus said, we are to love as He loves us. Peter did that.

The passage from the First Letter of John that comprises our Second Reading could not be more specific on our call to love one another. John opens with “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” We have reflected previously on what words are used for “love” in the Bible. There are two Greek words that are the originals translated as “love” in these instances. Agapaois a verb, and agape is a noun. This is not romantic love; it means affection certainly, but it also means benevolence and concern for the welfare of the one loved. It is deliberate rather than emotional or impulsive. As mentioned in the opening of this reflection, it involves action, demonstrating the forms that this Christian love should take.

St. John is explaining to us that if we know and experience God, then it will be shown in the ways we love one another. We may realize that this kind of love cannot be perfected on this side of eternity. Nevertheless, it must be present in our lives, and it needs to grow throughout our lives. This is a self-giving love that gives without demands or expectations of re-payment. It is God’s kind of love, and for us to love one another more we need to grow closer to God.

In the Gospel from St. John Jesus tells us, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” Jesus loved His followers, His disciples, and also us the way God the Father loved Him. Jesus showed His love for his disciples by teaching them, protecting them, guiding them, sacrificially serving them. God the Father did all that for Jesus.

Jesus did not say “I love you as a mother loves a child,” and He did not say, “I love you the way a husband loves his wife.” If we know Jesus, we understand that He is filled with power, wisdom, truth, holiness, devotion, submission, sacrifice, and many other traits. Yet, He chooses to summarize it for us quite simply by saying, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” That really says it all, doesn’t it? It all seems so simple, but we know what kind of an effort real love requires. That is the effort we are called to put forth.

April 29, 2018 — Fifth Sunday of Easter

ACTS 9: 26-31; PS 22: 26-28, 30-32; 1 JN 3: 18-24; JN 15: 1-8

We have previously addressed the issue of what is included in the readings which we hear at our liturgies on Sunday — that is, the Church operates on a three-year cycle with A being basically the Year of Matthew; B the Year of Mark (our current year as a matter of fact); and C the Year of Luke. One might ask “Where is John?” The Gospel of John is more or less scattered through the other three cycles. All together there are 70 passages we hear from John over the three years, 30 in B, and 20 in A and C. However, these usually occur during Lent and Easter.

The other thing unique about our Easter season, which is right now, is that the First Reading is usually from the Acts of the Apostles (and occasionally from Revelations). The Church has reasons for all of this. The choice and sequence of readings are aimed at giving Christ’s faithful an ever-deepening perception of the faith they profess and of the history of salvation. During this Holy Easter Season, Acts gives us an accurate perception of the development of the Church, and the Gospel of John is an introspective view of salvation.

While the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) provide a view of Jesus from birth to ascension, John focuses on the final 40 months of Jesus’ life, with particular emphasis on His death and Resurrection. John has been called ‘the spiritual gospel’, not because the others are unspiritual, but because it has a special way of drawing our attention to who Jesus is and challenging us to make a personal response to Him. John’s Gospel constantly calls us to a relationship of trust with the Lord. The call is not to a complex system of beliefs, but simply to believe that Jesus really is from God and that to relate to Him is to relate to God. He is God’s Word in human reality. That is essential for us to hear during Easter season.

The First Reading from Acts speaks of St. Paul coming to Jerusalem to be with the other Christians and disciples, including Apostles. Although this event occurred three years after Paul’s conversion, he was greeted with mistrust and doubt. It would have been easy for Paul to just turn his back on those who rejected him and to leave. That is something many of us might have done, but not Paul.

Paul had a great love for Jesus, as we know, but he also felt love for those who followed the Lord and were close to Him during His time on earth. Paul also probably remembered that they saw in himself someone who had persecuted Jesus’ followers; thus, Paul responded with love. If those Paul encountered him were lacking in love, Paul provided a little more love to make up for it.

As a sidelight we must take notice of Barnabas and what he did because it provides a great example to us. Barnabas welcomes Paul into the family of God simply by providing friendship to him. Hospitality is one of the Four Pillars of stewardship. Like Barnabas, we need to be welcoming and friendly to those who come into our parish.

There are three letters attributed to St. John in the New Testament. The first letter, from which today’s Second Reading comes is somewhat different from the other two. All three were seemingly written in a more general way than the letters of St. Paul. Paul’s letters were generally written to a specific community (e.g., Philippians, Corinthians, etc.) John’s letters appear to be written to the general Christian community. However, the First Letter clearly follows the spirit of John’s Gospel.

Despite the richness of this entire reading, let us concentrate on John’s statement that “… we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.” If we are in true fellowship with the Lord, we should want to do things that please Him. If we look carefully at our lives, we need to differentiate between what we do to please ourselves and what and how much we do to please the Lord. God is glorified when we do what pleases Him, even if that may not please us at a precise moment.

In the Gospel from John, Jesus uses the image of a vine and its branches. The world He lived in was filled with grapevines. Last Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday, but the branch depends on the vine even more than the sheep depend on the shepherd. We must be rooted in and connected to Jesus to function effectively. Our goal should be to bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

In Greek the word for “prune” is the same as the word for “cleanse.” When the Lord prunes us, He cleanses us. Having been cleansed, we are prepared to serve Him and others and to bear fruit. When we bear fruit, in a spiritual sense we bring honor to God.

April 22, 2018 — Fourth Sunday of Easter

ACTS 4: 8-12; PS 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29; 1 JN 3: 1-2; JN 10: 11-18

In the First Letter of St. John, from which our Second Reading comes, John declares, “Beloved, we are God’s children now.” St. John also provides us with our Gospel Reading. In that passage the Lord speaks of being the Good Shepherd. It reinforces the idea of us being the children of God as Jesus says, “…and there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Jesus is certainly our Good Shepherd. Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. It always occurs at this time of year, although Jesus is our Good Shepherd every day and every hour. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep, which is what Jesus did for us, His children.

Throughout the Acts of the Apostles we are treated to St. Peter preaching. Today’s First Reading is another example of that. Five separate times in Acts Peter preaches. His emphasis is always on Christ’s Resurrection. In one way or another in every sermon Peter states, “God raised him from the dead.”

In association with Peter’s stress of Jesus’ resurrection is the call for repentance. Peter tends to remind us that if we truly repent, our sins are forgiven. He tells us that not only are we forgiven, but we are saved, But Peter did not merely proclaim Jesus as a way of salvation, but that He was really the only way to salvation. As he states in today’s reading, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” Peter explains many times that Jesus provides us all hope, that “our hope is in the Lord.” He is the Good Shepherd on Whom we must rely.

Just as St. Peter wants us to understand and appreciate what Jesus did for us, St. John (in his First Letter, our Second Reading) wants us to know how much God loves us. John asks us to “see what love the Father has bestowed on us.” John tells us we need to not only be aware of it, but also to ponder and meditate on it intently. Do we really do that? It is important.

What might keep us from doing that? Perhaps we feel God must prove His love before we accept it. It may also be doubt, the unwillingness to trust God’s love because our lives may be filled with hurts and the pain of living. Sometimes it may just take us time to gain a complete understanding of God’s love for us.

The idea that we are all God’s children is reinforced many times in Holy Scripture. In Second Corinthians, Paul tells us that God says, “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters.” In his letter to the Romans Paul cites the Holy Spirit, saying “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Christ is the light of the world, and we are called to provide light as well, to reflect His light. That is what it means by grasping what salvation is, and accepting that we are the children of God.

Nevertheless, as we hear the Gospel of John and the reference to the Good Shepherd, that is what brings everything into focus for us. On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, we need to be aware that we remain in the Easter Season. The Easter Season is a continual celebration of the once central mystery of our Church, that Jesus gave His life for us by dying on the Cross. He saved us from our sins.

We have reflected previously on why the image of a shepherd and sheep is an important one during Jesus’ time. To be a shepherd in Jesus’ time required living a life of total self-giving. The area where Jesus lived and worked had ground that was mostly rough and rocky. Raising sheep was, nonetheless, possible. However, it required moving constantly to find pastures for grazing. Every flock of sheep needed a shepherd who would lead the flock from place to place so the sheep could eat and survive. (“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall lack.”)

Thus, being a shepherd could be very difficult. The shepherd was on duty every hour of every day. In the midst of that sheep could get lost, they could be attacked by predators, and they could be stolen by others. We as people are not that different from the sheep. Sheep without a shepherd were virtually defenseless. Look at out society. We have children who are orphans even though they have parents; we have people who long to be loved and protected. We are among those people. But we have a Good Shepherd, Who loves us and Who is with us always, because we are His children.