Deacon Tom Anthony

Sixth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 57

Reading 1 Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
"Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved."
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders
about this question.

The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:

"The apostles and the elders, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right.  Farewell.'"

Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3,5,6,8

R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Rev 21:10-14, 22-23

The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,

with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.

Alleluia Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 14:23-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

"I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you,
'I am going away and I will come back to you.'
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe."

My Brothers and Sisters,

 Loving God means following God. Loving God means fearing God. Loving God means listening to God. Jesus told His disciples that whoever did not keep His word does not love him. This might sound harsh but it speaks directly to the kind of relationship we are supposed to have with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ definitely has something to say and if it is our belief that He is the Son of God and it is through Him that we go to the Father, then what He has to say should have some sort of importance in our lives. We are challenged today to contemplate just how important the instruction of Jesus Christ is to us and how much of it we are going to listen to. There is a promise of a spiritual experience to those who listen and obey while a lack of one to those who do not obey. We are also reminded that Jesus is speaking with the authority of God. This can serve as warning to those who tend to think of Jesus Christ in lighter terms.

Just as in any relationship there are responsibilities and expectations. Jesus is telling us of ours. He promises that His will be fulfilled as long as ours to Him are realized. There are tools given to us to insure that we can commit to and accomplish these tasks. Even though they are obligatory there is also encouragement that these can be easily done. As Jesus says,

“ My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

What may be perceived as difficult is accomplished through our interaction with Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is actually threefold through The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. Being invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ is actually an invitation into a relationship with The Trinity and the Trinitarian Experience. We become a part of the Trinity and are then able to experience the true presence of God.

The Scriptures Readings today emphasize that a relationship with God eliminates the needs of anything else in this life. It is through this relationship that a higher awareness is achieved and that which is material takes on a supportive role. Things that were thought to be critical have been reduced to a secondary purpose. Through God His creation is revealed and the world of man is minimized. The Vision of John reveals how the New Jerusalem is a mystical one with no need for physical elements or material additions. The Spirit of God triumphs over all of these. That same spirit is guaranteed to us through a relationship with Him because it is His spirit that we are receiving and thus letting it transform ourselves spiritually.

A healthy life guided by a spiritual experience within the Trinity, guided by Jesus and influenced by the Holy Spirit, brings us closer to the truth of the Father. We are asked to do certain things but those things are for our benefit and will lead to further revelations. Even though a relationship is two-fold and “goes both ways,” in our relationship with God it appears that we stand to benefit in all ways and are promised to receive everything with no benefit going to God. Everything is for us and nothing is for God. He loves us that much. Has there ever been such an earthly relationship?

The revelation we will receive and the experiences that we will encounter from a relationship with God are based on how strong that relationship is. The deeper that we go will insure the strength of the experiences and a more complete knowledge of what will be experienced. The human mind is an amazing instrument. It is limitless in its capacity of retention and function. There is a consensus in the scientific community that little is known how it even works. Most is just speculation. What is known is that, when applied correctly, it can do great things. Applying ourselves and committing ourselves to a relationship with God will guarantee the same great things. Just in all other areas, we tend to be the ones who limit ourselves in our relationship with God. Jesus encourages us to take away those limits and listen to Him with abandon. With that He will be able to love us with the same because we will no longer limit Him with our thoughts and actions.

Deacon Tom