Seventh Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 60

Reading I

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26

Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers
—there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place —.
He said, “My brothers,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
He was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.

“For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
    May another take his office.

“Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Judas called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

Responsorial Psalm

103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20

R. (19a) The Lord has set his throne in heaven.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
    and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord has set his throne in heaven.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
    so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord has set his throne in heaven.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, all you his angels,
    you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.
R. The Lord has set his throne in heaven.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading II

1 Jn 4:11-16

Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love
remains in God and God in him.

Alleluia

Cf. Jn 14:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord.
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 17:11b-19

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.  Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

As Christians we are one through, by, and in Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. We cannot forget that, as Christians, we are truly united in one faith. There cannot be any division among us. Those who cause division or controversy within our ranks are not doing the work of Jesus but instead are doing the works of Satan. Jesus Himself said that a house divided cannot stand and we should heed these words and relate them to our own conduct. Are we uniting or are we dividing? Are we causing strife or are we promoting peace? If what we say and do cause any type of angst then what we are doing is not in the name of God even though we may think so. Unity through Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother Church should be the goal of all of our thoughts and our works. That which does not unite is not from God. Jesus reiterates this in His prayer to the Father when He says,

 

“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.”

 

Our focus should be constantly on Jesus Christ and the message He brings from the Father. Any deviation from this weakens the message and ultimately presents an opposition to the building up of the Kingdom of God here on this earth. Why would Jesus want to weaken the kingdom? Why would Jesus want to cause division within the Christian Community? God is love. Love is a uniting force and not one that divides amongst those who wish to enter into relationship with Jesus Christ. The only division that should be occurring is between the goats and the sheep. The sheep stay together and are stronger as a result. The goats wish to divide so that they may scatter the sheep and dilute the message put forth. Jesus was specific when He handed The Keys of the Kingdom to Peter and set aside The Apostle John for a specific purpose which would see him living longer than all of the other Apostles while establishing The Sacred Liturgy and providing guidance for the Early Church in unison with Peter. The words of Peter and John never divided but only solidified the unity of The Church. Through the instructions of the Apostles we should be focused on the same thing. United we can do everything. Divided and fighting amongst ourselves will bring us failure; a great victory for Satan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 20^th Century theologian Brennan Manning observed,

 

“The biggest threat to Christianity today are other Christians.”

 

What he is saying is that there are many Christians we are not listening to the teachings of Jesus Christ and are not conducting their lives according to His will. Furthermore, their conduct does not reflect what they profess. Jesus would refer to those individuals as hypocrites. We are all in danger of falling into this trap. It is within our nature to question and to judge. These things are exactly what Jesus does not want us to do. There is no one greater or less within the Christian Community. Many might be misguided but their intentions are still good. This needs empathy; the key is to heal these disagreements with love and not with condemnation. We all have the same desire and focus: Jesus Christ. If, through Jesus Christ, a relationship built on the foundation of love is the goal then there is no room for negative feelings or reactions. Jesus is above that and we should be above it by extension.

 

The Word of God is all that we need to guide us forward into a joyous life. Through prayer and meditation the meaning of these words will be revealed to us. It is through a shared experience, guided by The Holy Spirit, that everything will be revealed to us. No individual within our community can profess to possess some information or secret that makes them greater than another person. It is through the sharing of this information and the celebration thereof that we all grow through the revelations of Jesus Christ. The words of Him are meant to build up, guide, and heal; not to reduce or hurt. Jesus wants the redemption and salvation of all. His efforts are focused on the salvation of the entirety of His creation and our focus should be the same.

 

The world is a dangerous place and it should be treated that way. There are so many trials and tribulations which threaten us. As Jesus said,

 

“ I am sending you as sheep amongst the wolves.”

 

The wolves are the allures of the world and the temptations of Satan. The good news is that as long as we stay together and keep Jesus Christ close then everything will be okay. The Apostle John again brings forward the consistent message of love and remaining in Jesus. When something is repeated more than once, especially in Sacred Scripture, its importance is elevated. We cannot proclaim to be with Jesus if we do not love one another. We cannot profess to be with God if we are practicing something that is against what is being taught. Just as Jesus was preparing His disciples for their ministry we are also being prepared through the teaching in Sacred Scripture. We can either accept what is being taught or reject it to to own detriment. Rejecting it will expose us to sin, pain, and ultimately a separation from Jesus Christ. Accepting it will definitely make our lives better. There is no room for self-justification here.

 

As our relationship with God grows there will be a gradual separation from the material things of this earth. Jesus points out that following Him means that we are not of this world anymore. This should offer a great relief that we are now focused on what we should have been focused on all along: the eternal instead of the material which carries with it a definite expiration date. If we embrace purely the material and the physical then we will ultimately die with it. Meanwhile the spiritual will remain for eternity. Everything started with love and will continue with love.

We can never forget that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. With His Resurrection He conquered death and cleared the pathway for us to eternal life. This is a journey we meant to take together and one that can bring all who follow the path to enlightenment and pure joy.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

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Sixth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 56

Reading 1

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
"Get up. I myself am also a human being."

Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him."

While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?"
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2

1 Jn 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

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 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."

 

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

 

I was having a conversation with one of my inmate friends the other day. We were talking about recovery and the challenges of making adjustments in one’s life so as to have a transformative experience. He mentioned that it is better to interact with people who do not judge and who do not, “Talk down at an angle to you.” In other words, not from a pedestal of judgement, thinking one has all the answers while never having any of the problems. This is not only the key to recovery from addiction but is also the key to redemption. In the Scripture Reading today, Cornelius fell to the feet of Peter to pay homage. Peter responded by saying, "Get up. I myself am also a human being." This was a humble statement. Peter understood where he came from and where he was now was only because of what Jesus had given him through the Holy Spirit. Jesus reminded his disciples of this when He sat with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well: “I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work.” No one should feel superior to another just because they might know more. No one is better than anyone else just because they might find themselves in a better position in life. This might be the way of society, but it is not the way of Jesus Christ. Instead, a relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian Way has a leveling affect that humbles the proud while elevating those who are broken. Time and time again, the treasures of the Church are mentioned throughout history as being the poor, the sick, and the broken. It is through the needy and the sinner that the Glory of God can be seen.

 

This was most evident in the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. Saint Lawrence was one of the seven Deacons of Rome. Pope Sixtus II was just executed by order of the emperor Valerian. The emperor then demanded that Lawrence turn over all the treasures of the Church to him. In response, Lawrence gave everything to the poor and then proceeded to walk, followed by a large throng of the poor and unwashed. He then declared, “Here are the treasures of the Church.” Our conduct must be the same, being reminded that nothing we have or will have has been earned, nor does it give us special status. We are merely vessels of Jesus Christ, commissioned to build up the Kingdom of God here on this earth. When we interact with someone who is perceived to be of a lower estate, we thus lower ourselves to that state, just as Jesus lowered himself to the level of a slave so that we could be redeemed and saved. It is through lowering ourselves that we are raised to the highest of heights, taking everyone we interact with along with us.

 

We as Christians, engaging in a relationship with Jesus, are definitely at odds with a secular world that values all things that we have been taught to minimize. Instead of focusing on earthly things, we are told to focus on one thing: love. It is through loving and being loved that we encounter God. From it comes proper Christian conduct, forgiveness, empathy, and the experience of joy. The Apostle John, who Jesus loved, reminds us that love is from God and that God remains in us when we remain in His love. All actions and thoughts should begin and end in love. If put into practice, no ill can come of it. It is impossible to do evil or encounter evil when we are loved and are loving. Jesus told His disciples that He no longer calls then slaves, but friends. This is an intimacy that we can also have with Jesus. We just have to be open to it. In fact, the answer to all ills is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Once we are open to His love, we must then realize that we are worthy to be loved. This means asking for forgiveness of our sins then going forward with a commitment to enjoy that forgiveness as new creations through Jesus Christ.

 

The power of Jesus’ love cannot be overestimated. It is through this love that we have been saved. We have the capability of claiming our birthright as Children of God. Jesus has chosen us and each of us are indeed special because of that choice He made this choice when we were created. How then can we not be joyful of that fact and not spread this good news to everyone. As the Apostle Paul said, “ Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” If we believe this, then why would we ever want to be without God’s love and why would we ever not want to love and be loves?

 

Deacon Tom