August 5, 2018 — Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

EX 16: 2-4, 12-15; PS 78: 3-4, 23-25, 54; EPH 4: 17, 20-24; JN 6: 24-35

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was foretold more than once in the Old Testament. In fact, the town of Bethlehem is mentioned more than 40 times in the Old Testament. The prophet Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, and perhaps you are familiar with how often Isaiah referred to the Messiah to come. Micah states in Chapter 5 of the Book of Micah, “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathaha, least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old.” He refers to it as Bethlehem-Ephrathaha to distinguish it because there was more than one Bethlehem.

`However, King David was born in Bethlehem-Ephrathaha, as was Joseph. Bethlehem in Hebrew (Bet Lehem) means “House of Bread.” This reference to bread is one that occurs throughout Holy Scripture. We are all aware of that part of the Our Father,“Give us this day our daily bread,” but there is and was more to it than that, and is much more than providing us with enough to eat. St. Paul wrote in First Corinthians “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” — namely, Jesus Christ.

Bread is important in today’s readings. The final verse of the First Reading from the Book of Exodus is, “This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.” This reading speaks of the Bread from Heaven (manna) that fell to save the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. God provided for them, but they did not recognize what was being provided. We are provided the “Bread of Life” through the Eucharist and through our holy liturgies. Sometimes, though, we do not recognize it as we should.

In truth, we need to be changed every time we receive of the “Bread of Life.” This idea of change, conversion, is emphasized by St. Paul in the Second Reading from his letter to the Ephesians. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians lays out in many ways the spiritual journey on which we should travel. Paul is telling us we as Catholics and Christians need to walk — to live — in a different way than the world around us.

We tend to display to the world that we really are not that different at all. To have as our goal the respect and approval of the world around us is misguided. Recall from the First Reading that God met the needs of the Israelites but He did not do it in a way they expected. As Christians we must be prepared to break with the past. We do not just add the Lord to our old life. He needs to become our “new life.” That is what the Bread of Life discourse is all about. It renews us; it invigorates us; it strengthens us every time we receive it. It is not easy to see it that way or to feel that when we approach the Holy Eucharist, but that is very much what it is intended for. As Paul tells us in this reading from Ephesians, we need to “put away the old self of your (our) former life, and be renewed in the spirit of your (our) minds, and put on the new self.” It is this “new self” that recognizes the important role each of us plays as part of the Body of Christ.

The Gospel Reading from John tells of Jesus revealing that He is the Bread of Life. In terms of chronology, this happens shortly after Jesus fed the multitude. We note that the “feeding of the 5,000” occurred near Bethsaida (also worth noting that Bet (Beth) again means “house of” and “saida” means “fish.” What a coincidence! Jesus has just fed the multitude using a few loaves of bread and some fish, and Bethsaida is recorded as being the hometown of Sts. Andrew, Peter, James, John, and Philip, some of whom were fishermen. Bethsaida lies at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, and not too far west of that is Capernaum, where our Gospel is set.

Many of the same people who were “fed” at the miracle of feeding the multitude sought Jesus out. They were still hungry, but not for food as we know it, but for the Word of God — and Jesus knows that. The Lord says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” In other words, for the “Bread of Life.”

When Jesus calls Himself the “Bread of Life,” He is indicating that He wants us to lift our minds, thoughts and hearts from earthly existence and to spiritual realities. Each of us needs to put our confidence in the Lord — not in material things. If we accept the Lord and believe and trust in Him, we, too, can satisfy our spiritual hunger.

July 29, 2018 — Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

2 KGS 4: 42-44 PS 145: 10-11, 15-18; EPH 4: 1-6; JN 6: 1-15

St. John Chrysostom was particularly known for his preaching skills and his ability to communicate. In fact the name “Chrysostom” means “golden-mouthed” In defining Christ-like humility, he said, “It is having the power to take revenge, but never doing that. It is characteristic of a generous, forgiving heart.”

Although our readings on this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time do not directly address the idea of humility, that is an underlying theme in all of them.

In a miracle that anticipated Jesus’ miracle of feeding the multitude, as reported in today’s Gospel, Elisha commanded that a small amount of bread be served to 100 men. Elisha’s request is met with doubt and unbelief, but Elisha reminds them, “For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over’.” And indeed there was. God promises not only to provide, but to provide beyond the immediate need.

Elisha trusted that promise, acted upon it, and saw the promise miraculously fulfilled. We, like most people, tend to forget that God can multiply food like this. God is not dependent on how this happens, but He does touch our hearts, convert us to giving and sharing people, in ways that accomplish miracles like this. If we trust in God and live as good stewards, what we accomplish is, in its own way, a miracle.

St. Paul could not state more succinctly what our approach to living as Catholics and Christians should be. In the Second Reading from his letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges us to live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit.” Does that describe our parish community?

We might like to think it does, but that cannot happen unless we have the same kind of trust that Elisha had, and which St. Paul had, as well. Paul also says in the Second Reading from his Letter to the Ephesians, “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received.” To truly understand this call to be “worthy,” we need to understand all that God has done for us, individually and as a community. It would seem natural that if we understand what God has provided us, we will naturally want to serve and obey out of gratitude.

That sounds a lot like stewardship in action, doesn’t it? We do not do what we do necessarily because we want God to love us; we need to realize that He already loves us. Each of us in his or her own way might be considered God’s first-born. Being a child of God is almost more important than anything else, and that is why we love one another, and why we serve on another, and why we recognize that miracles occur in our lives every day.

We might not know a great deal about the Apostle, St. Philip, but he certainly is listed as an Apostle by all four Gospel writers. However, he figures most prominently in the Gospel of John, from which our Gospel Reading for today comes. The main focus of today’s Gospel is Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000, but Philip plays an important role in what we are being taught.

The Lord speaks specifically to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food to eat?” It is essential to note nonetheless that the Gospel tells us, “He said this to test him, because he himself (Jesus) knew what he was going to do.” Philip answers quite frankly, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” This is the same doubt experienced by Elisha in the First Reading, and the same doubt many of us face when it comes to putting total trust in the Lord.

Jesus knew full well what miracle He was about to perform, but He also saw this as a chance to teach His Apostles, and us, too. Philip and the others had already seen Jesus perform many miracles, and there should have been no question in his mind about the divine resources Jesus had at His disposal. Yet Philip hesitated. It is human nature to hesitate, to perhaps doubt, when it comes to believing and trusting. Yet, as with Elisha, they ate and there was much left over.

Even the Lord’s closest followers could not really believe. But through this miracle, Jesus is teaching us to trust Him and to do the same in our lives. And, by committing ourselves to a stewardship way of life, we can see our own gifts multiplied. And perhaps even perform our own modern-day miracles.

Copyright © 2018 — Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc.

July 22, 2018 — Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

JER 23: 1-6; PS 23: 1-6; EPH 2: 13-18; MK 6: 30-34

“The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.” We are familiar with that scriptural quote from Psalm 23. Many of us have learned that and heard it since we were small. Many learned people maintain that it is the most quoted Psalm in the Bible. It is the recommended Responsorial Psalm on this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time because it is so supportive of the other readings. It presents two important ideas: that we must place our trust in the Lord and that we inherit life from our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

The First Reading is from the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah. Of all the books in the Bible Jeremiah is the longest Book in the Bible with more than 33,000 words. It is followed by Genesis; the longest book in the New Testament is Luke with more than 19,000 words.

Jeremiah was familiar with the writings of Isaiah although Isaiah lived about 200 years before he lived. Only once did Isaiah refer to the coming Messiah as a shepherd (Isaiah 40:11): “He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast.” We can certainly recognize the many images we have of Christ the Good Shepherd in that verse.

However, Jeremiah uses that point of reference more often, especially in today’s First Reading. Jeremiah writes, speaking in behalf of the Messiah, “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow.” That sounds very much like today’s Church that includes “all the lands.”

At the close of today’s reading Jeremiah says, “This is the name they give him: ‘The LORD our justice’.” Jeremiah, like most Books in the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. What we translate as “The LORD our justice” was Yahweh Tsidkenu in the original. Another translation of the Hebrew phrase is “He is Yahweh,” a clear indication that the Messiah is God, a part of the Holy Trinity. Finding Him described as a shepherd in the same reading is quite powerful.

At the time St. Paul was writing his letter to the Ephesians (our Second Reading), Paul was under house arrest in Rome, awaiting trial. He was allegedly accused by the Jews of taking a Gentile into a temple. Therefore, part of Paul’s statement, “For he (Christ) is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,” is in defense and explanation. Not only can we relate this to Jeremiah’s statement about “all the lands,” but we also need to note that for Paul any wall of separation that once existed is gone because of the Messiah’s sacrifice. Paul is saying in effect to us if the Lordship of Jesus is not greater then any difference you may feel you have with others — be it political, racial, economic, language, or geography — then you (we) do not understand what it means to be under the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is our Savior and our Shepherd.

The Gospel Reading from Mark shows some of the dissatisfaction the Apostles evidently had with the huge crowds who followed Jesus (and thus them), but again it is this idea of shepherding that lies at the heart of it. We are told in today’s Gospel, “When he (Jesus) disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” In other words, He began to feed them.

Jesus was meeting the most essential need any of us have, to be fed with the Word of God. That is what we do during this part of our Mass; we hear Holy Scripture. These are the Words of the Lord. He is, or should be, our shepherd. He is speaking to us in this way, and He speaks to us in many ways. And we are His sheep.

July 15, 2018 — Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

AM 7: 12-15; PS 85: 9-14; EPH 1: 3-14; MK 6: 7-13

“In God We Trust” has been the official motto of the United States for more than 50 years — declared so by unanimous votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 1956, and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Most of us are aware that this declaration and motto have been challenged in courts through the years, but it is sending a message to us as Catholics that is similar to the messages in the Holy Scripture on this Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our First Reading is drawn from the Book of Amos. Amos is one of the Minor Prophets — however, he is said to have had a great influence on Isaiah, with whom we are more familiar perhaps. Like the other prophets, as well as each of us, God called Amos, a sheepherder and farmer. Any response to the call of God requires a combination of courage and trust in the Lord.

In today’s reading, Amos says, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’.”

Although we may not be called to prophesy, we are indeed called by God, and one of the driving forces in our lives should be to discover, pursue and follow that calling.

Yet, just as it did for Amos and many others, it will require our total trust in God.

After his dramatic conversion, St. Paul submitted his life to serving God. He trusted the Lord implicitly. Paul faced insults, rejection, and trial after trial, but he remained content with his life. Why? Because he surrendered his will to the Lord. Paul learned that God always has our best interests at heart. Paul would have each of us us ask “Who is in charge of your life?”

In effect, that is what he maintains in our Second Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul may not say it directly, but that trust is implied when he says in this reading, “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Paul is telling us that our trust is based on our view of life in general. He makes it clear that God’s guidance and help works in our lives, but we must cooperate with that by hearing the “word of truth,” accepting it, and believing in it. Paul consistently tells us that his view, and ours as well, is of eternity, not of the things of this earth.

Jesus confirmed to His Apostles how trust in God was paramount with His instructions to them in today’s Gospel from St. Mark. Jesus understood full well that if His apostles did not trust God and did not convey that trust to others, they could not effectively tell others to trust in God. That is why He told them to travel lightly, because that assured that they had to trust in God for everything.

Our belief as Catholics is that Jesus’ Apostles did exactly what He told them to do. At the same time, though, this can be quite the challenge for even the most committed and active Catholic. We can hear Jesus’ Word over and over, but until we actually follow it and live it out through stewardship, we are not truly fulfilling our calling. That is why we say that stewardship requires action on our part. We can not only talk the talk. We must also walk the walk. We need to show others that we understand it and embrace it by how we live our lives. As stewards, we must vividly demonstrate that we completely and wholeheartedly trust in God.

July 8, 2018 — Fourteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

EZ 2: 2-5; PS 123: 1-4; 2 COR 12: 7-9; MK 6: 1-6

The last verse in today’s Gospel says of Jesus, “He was amazed at their lack of faith,” in reference to the reaction and response He received from his own neighbors when He returned and preached at the synagogue. Might the Lord say the same about us? Might he be equally surprised at the lack of faith we sometimes show? Faith is based upon trust, and that trust is at the core of the readings on this Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In the reading from the Prophet Ezekiel, our First Reading, God addresses Ezekiel in this way: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites.” It is somewhat surprising, but God calls Ezekiel the “son of man” 93 separate times in this Book. Why? It would seem that Ezekiel is truly a man among men, and he seems to represent all of humankind. Of course, the phrase “Son of man” is what Jesus was most likely to call Himself at least 80 times in the Gospels. Jesus wanted us to know that He was one of us.

God makes it clear to Ezekiel that He, the Lord, will provide Ezekiel the strength to accomplish what He is calling him to do, in spite of the challenges it presents. In the same way if God has called us to do something, He will give us the strength to do it. That is what trust really is. We understand that we cannot of our own strength and abilities accomplish what God may want us to. To trust God is to have faith in Him.

After Jesus Himself and His Blessed Mother Mary, perhaps no one in Holy Scripture trusted God any more than St. Paul. Today’s Second Reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians contains Paul’s perspective of that. He mentions that “a thorn in the flesh was given to me…to keep me from being too elated.” He is referencing the burdens he feels he must bear. When we think of a thorn, we think of something small that might cause minor pain and a minor inconvenience. It is worth knowing that the word translated as “thorn”— skolops — can also be translated as a “tent stake,” more of a spike than a small thorn. Nevertheless, regardless the translation it is something that frustrates and troubles Paul.

Paul also knew, just as Ezekiel found in the First Reading, that when God calls you to do something He provides you the power to do it. Paul knew that he could not do what he felt he was called to do without assistance from the Holy Spirit. Paul also states in the reading, “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me. I am content with weaknesses…for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul understood that the “grace” he received from God would be sufficient to meet Paul’s every need. Perhaps each of us must accept his or her weaknesses in order to be stronger in faith.

When Jesus says in today’s Gospel from the Book of Mark, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house,” He is expressing another one of those passages from Scripture that has become very well known. Jesus understood, as did both Ezekiel and Paul in the first two readings, that rejection is a price that those who believe must sometimes pay. It hurt Him for sure to be rejected by people He considered friends and people who were His neighbors.

One limitation that we all face is a sense of doubt and even mistrust by some of those who are close to us. As indicated in the opening, Jesus also expresses amazement at the unbelief of those close to Him. That is a limitation and a frustration we all sometimes face. The question is, “Where is our belief?” and “Where is our trust in God?” Jesus never seemed to be amazed at what He saw in terms of the wonders of creation. What amazed Him was the lack of faith among people. In spite of the rejection He experienced, He did not hesitate to continue what He felt His ministry was. We need to have that same determination, knowing full well that God is with us always.

July 1, 2018 — Thirteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

WIS 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24; PS 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13; 2 COR 8: 7, 9, 13-15; MK 5: 21-43

In the Gospel Reading taken from the Book of Mark, Jesus says at one point, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” We have heard that put in so many ways, but for many of us it is somewhat difficult to grasp and accept. Yet it is the basic message of all of the Word of God and the words of the Lord Jesus that have been recounted to us.

The First Reading on this Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time comes from the Book of Wisdom. There was a time when this Book was called The Wisdom of Solomon. We have pointed out previously that the Book of Wisdom is part of what are called the wisdom books, which include Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job, and Sirach. Even the meaning of “wisdom” is elusive. Obviously, the central theme is “wisdom” itself — wisdom as it applies to us and wisdom as it applies to God. One of the intentions is to make it clear that “wisdom” as it applies to us shows itself in action. This would seem to parallel what we believe about stewardship — that it shows itself in what we do, our actions, more so than in any other way.

This particular reading serves as a prelude for what is to come in the other readings. It maintains that the wisdom of God from the beginning was to prepare us for, and to gift us with eternal life. That is the great gift of our salvation thanks to the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. To know that is “wisdom.”

The underlying of St. Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians, from which our Second Reading comes, is the idea of giving. If wisdom involves understanding the need to give, it follows that there are reasons for that. There was some friction between Paul and the Corinthian community. Paul sent his follower Titus to hand carry this letter and present it to them, because Paul wanted Titus to be able to explain and enhance.

It appeared that the Corinthian Christians probably intended to give. They certainly thought about giving. They were responsive to the idea of giving. However, the toughest part was actually getting them to, in Paul’s words, “complete this grace.” That is true to many of us as well. We may understand what it means to be a good steward, and we may even be willing to live lives of stewardship, but the most difficult part is actually doing it.

Paul, and for that matter the Lord, too, is not “commanding” the Corinthians to give. Paul understands that giving out of a sense of commandment is not giving at all. We tend to call that kind of giving “taxation.” Paul rightfully points to Jesus as the ultimate example of giving. Paul says in this reading, “for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Rich does not always mean having lots of assets or money in the bank. It means you have the wisdom to see that through Jesus’ promise to you, you are richer beyond imagination.

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus shows us what “healing” and “wisdom” really are. Wisdom is one thing, but faith is another. Even the greatest of scholars, gifted with wisdom, are not always the holiest of people. There are two instances of healing in this Gospel, and they are very different. In the first mentioned, although not the first that occurred, Jesus is approached by a “synagogue official” with the request to heal his daughter, who was near death. His example shows us what we need to do for healing also. First, we must put ourselves in the presence of Jesus; next, we must humble ourselves before the Lord (note that this official “fell at his feet”). Third, we must make our request sincerely (“pleaded earnestly with him”); and finally, we must believe and have confidence in the Lord (“Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.”).

However, before Jesus heals the daughter, He experiences a woman in need of healing. Because of her condition, she was considered “unclean” by others; in fact, if she touched anyone else or any part of their clothing, they, too, would be made unclean. With Jesus, that is not the way it works though. Because of the power of God, Jesus was not made “unclean,” but the woman was cured. “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Note that the Lord called her “Daughter.” There is no other instance in all of Holy Scripture when Jesus calls someone by this name. Jesus wanted her to know that He had something special to give her. Jesus has something special to give to each of us also.

Next the Lord raises Jairus’ daughter from death. As quoted in the introduction, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Jesus is saying two things to Jairus, and the same two things to us. Before Jairus and we can trust Jesus we need to put away our fears. To “have faith” is to believe. We do not have to figure everything out. Everything does not have to make sense to us. Jesus brings us all hope, just as He brought it to Jairus. And look what happened!

June 24, 2018 — Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

IS 49: 1-6; PS 139: 1B-3, 13-15; ACTS 13: 22-26; LK 1: 57-66, 80

In Luke 1:13 the Archangel Gabriel visits the parents-to-be of St. John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and says, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.” Today we celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist. For Luke the birth of John the Baptist closely parallels the birth of Jesus. John the Baptist’s birth is the prelude to the birth of Jesus.

The Archangel Gabriel announces to our Blessed Mother Mary also that she will bear a son. At that same time he revealed to Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Mary journeys to visit Elizabeth. You may recall that during that visit the baby “leapt” in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her. John the Baptist knew even then that this was the Messiah.

From the prophet Isaiah, who provides our First Reading, comes the voice of the Messiah announcing his impending arrival (albeit centuries later). The Lord says, “Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.” Although this statement is Jesus speaking, it would be equally accurate about St. John the Baptist.

The Messiah begins by commanding the coastlands and distant peoples to listen to him. This is most likely a reference to the Gentiles. In an interesting statement, Jesus says, “He made of me a sharp edged sword.” This is not a reference to anything warlike or militaristic. Jesus Himself is the sword. This means that His very words, the Word of God, have power and authority. Weapons are left to others; Jesus needs only to speak.

When He says, “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory,” we must keep in mind that the name Israel means “governed by God.” This is Isaiah’s way to make it clear that the Messiah Whom he is predicting represents Israel, that as part of the Holy Trinity Jesus is indeed not only governed by God, but is God.

In reference to the quote from the Gospel of Luke that appears in the opening paragraph of this reflection, the Archangel Gabriel not only told Elizabeth and Zechariah that they were to name the baby John, but the angel continues “And you will receive joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” The tradition at the time was that when a birth was imminent, friends and local musicians gathered near the house. When the birth was announced, and if it was a boy, the musicians would break into song, and there was general congratulations and rejoicing. This was natural but it was also a clear demonstration of the significance of the birth of John the Baptist.

The Church selected June 24 for this celebration, not because there is any definite record that is when it occurred, but because that is in keeping with the birth of Jesus six months later. St. John the Baptist began his public ministry around 30 A.D. He was known for attracting large crowds throughout Judea and near the Jordan River. When Jesus came to him to be baptized in the Jordan, John knew Him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me.” (According to the Gospel of Matthew)

John not only recognized the divinity of Jesus, he emphasized it with his sizable following. He told his followers to turn to Christ. It was John who called Jesus the Lamb of God. Many of John’s followers became what we might term to be the first Christians.

We hear in today’s Gospel, speaking of John the Baptist, “The child grew and became strong in spirit.” If that sounds familiar, it may be because it is so similar to what we hear about Jesus one chapter later (Luke 2:40): “And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was with him.” We learn some important lessons from John the Baptist.

First, we need to put total trust in God, in Jesus, just as he did. Also, stewardship calls us to serve God and others. Like his cousin Jesus John the Baptist came to serve, not to be served. We are summoned to do the same.

June 17, 2018 — Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

EZ 17: 22-24; PS 92: 2-3, 13-16; 2 COR: 5: 6-10; MK 4: 26-34

“I think that I shall never see…A poem lovely as a tree.” That is the opening stanza of a poem by American poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer. We know Kilmer better as a poet, but in his time he was also considered to be a great Catholic apologist. He was often compared to his English counterpart G. K. Chesterton. Clearly Kilmer had a great fondness for trees that is Biblically sound.

Trees have always had significance in the Bible. They are first mentioned in the second Book of Genesis with the “Tree of Life.” Along with mountains and the sea, trees are bigger than we are; they stand when we fall, and they endure when we pass away. Yet, unlike the sea and the hills, we can muster the power to overcome trees. We can chop them down and put them to use.

In today’s readings trees are significant from a number of standpoints. One of our problems in Biblical interpretation lies in our inability to see the world as charged with the power and glory of God. We decide that, for example, the “tree of life” means something in particular. Yet, we can feel trees and smell them in many instances. Trees are important in today’s readings.

The First Reading from Ezekiel makes reference to a tree to be planted by God: “I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.” This is Ezekiel’s version of the prophecy by Isaiah: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch will grow out of its roots.” In other words, from something that was thought to be dead, God promises to bring forth a wonderful and productive growth — Jesus.

St. Paul offers another perspective of being a branch or a limb from a tree. The Body of Christ, the Church, can also be compared to a tree with many branches, perhaps each serving a different purpose, but all combining to produce the whole. That is what we as a Church are like and why each of us in his or her own way is important to the total. It is all held together by the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s life gave him great confidence, a confidence he feels we should share. When Paul writes, “We are always courageous,” we must realize that the Greek word translated as “courageous” can also be translated as “confident.” With the confidence he had, Paul knew that God was at work within him. Paul reminds us often that this confidence comes from the realization that we are to “set our minds on things above, not things on earth.

Thanks to the Lord we are part of the Body of Christ, what might be termed the great Tree of Life.

At the Heart of our Gospel Reading from St. Mark is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Speaking of this seed, Jesus says, “But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches.” Our Lord and Savior is the perfect teacher. It was through parables that He was able to present profound spiritual truths. His parables were often intended for simple people, but also to an agrarian population — that is, people familiar with agriculture and agricultural terms.

The mustard seed and mustard plan were something that would have been familiar to most of His listeners. As is the case with everything Jesus said, scholars have studied and examined and developed opinions on what He meant. The mustard seed was not the smallest seed, and the plant it produced was not the largest, but yet even to this day there are wild mustard plants over ten feet tall near the Jordan River. Jesus was most likely referring to black or white mustard seeds and plants. Mustard, as we know it, was made by grinding the seeds.

There were three important features of the mustard plant that the Lord knew his audience would understand — the small size of the seed, the large size of the plant, and the rapid germination and growth of the plant. That is part of the importance of all trees and large plants as they tend to come from seeds, perhaps not always tiny ones, but they come to life and they grow. That is what is supposed to be happening to us as well.

The last stanza of Kilmer’s famous poem about trees is the most telling. It is, “Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.” Only God can truly make us what we are to be and what we are called to be.

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.