Sixth Sunday of Easter – Cycle A (May 25, 2014)

First reading: Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17

“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.  With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.  For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.  There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the many of the Lord Jesus.  Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
 

Second reading: 1 Pt. 3: 15-18

“Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.  Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.  For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God.  Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.”
 

Gospel reading: Jn. 14: 15-21

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him.  But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.  In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.  Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.  And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.’”

 

Introductory theme summary:

The common theme from today’s readings is our reception of the Holy Spirit, our responsibility to that reception, and its relationship with us as well as the world at large.
 

Reflection:

In the first reading we have a perfect scriptural account for the significance of what has become known to us as the sacrament of Confirmation.  The first reading makes us aware that even from the beginning some were baptized without receiving the Holy Spirit.  From this we learn that baptism, though the grace communicated to us in baptism is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit, does not give us the Holy Spirit itself to be with us in an enduring manner.  A special act of prayer and laying on of hands was necessary to communicate the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  That is the precise significance of Confirmation – giving us the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

In the second reading we learn that we have a specific responsibility to our reception of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  That responsibility is making people aware of the nature of our new relationship with God.  This should be understood as a responsibility of all those who are confirmed.  All the confirmed, by becoming confirmed, have a responsibility to propagate the faith.  The first and most obvious way is live our lives as Christ lived his.  Then profess and explain to any and all who inquire that the indwelling presence is the means of our being able to do so – first example, then testimony.  Both must be present or our words become nothing more than rhetoric.

Our example must become so complete as to also include accepting the responsibility for practicing forbearance.  This element is expressed specifically in the second reading.  The second reading also makes it clear that the circumstances that require forbearance may not happen to all of us, and certainly not all the time, but we must recognize the necessity of accepting this aspect of practicing Christianity as an imitation of Christ himself.  As mentioned in earlier Sunday Reflections, this is how we participate in the full membership of the Body of Christ.

The gospel reading informs us of the condition needed to live our lives as Christ lived his, and that is to keep his commandments.  A thorough understanding of the gospel message in its entirety is necessary to fully appreciate the extent of what it means to “keep his commandments.”  Such a treatment would be far too lengthy for this reflection, so a brief summarizing statement will have to suffice.  Considering that Jesus will reveal himself to those who love him and keep his commandments, knowing him is the best distinction between those who do fulfill his commandments and those who do not.  John says, “No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.”  (1 Jn. 3:6)  Very difficult words to hear, considering sin remains prevalent in the lives of so many people who sincerely believe in Jesus Christ.  Such a reality makes us aware that there is a distinction between believing in him and “knowing him,” for it is by the knowledge of “him” that we receive the ability to live as he lived.  This knowledge is preceded by an arduous practice of faith in him that can extend for many years.  It is simply naïve to presume faith in him equals knowledge of him.

Come, accept the great challenge of purifying yourself from all sin so as to “know him,” and by that knowledge you will discover the true freedom of the Children of God.

Fifth Sunday of Easter – Cycle A (May 18, 2014)

First reading: Acts 6: 1-7

“As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.  So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.  Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to ministry of the word.’  The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephan, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.  They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them.  The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
 

Second reading: 1 Pt. 2: 4-9

“Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.  Therefore, its value is for you who have faith but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall.  They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

“You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Gospel reading: Jn. 14: 1-12

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.  Where I am going you know the way.’  Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’  Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.’  Philip said to him, ‘Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.  The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones that these, because I am going to the Father.”
 

Introductory theme summary:

The common theme for today’s readings relates specifically to Christ’s spirit.  The gospel reading identifies that spirit as the likeness of God – the Father, with the second reading helping us to better understand that spirit in greater detail, while the first reading expresses the need that precipitated the development of our having different roles of service within that spirit. 

 
Reflection:

“I am the way and the truth and the life,” makes specific reference to the Christian spirit by which all those who “know” Christ live.  To guard against any misunderstanding of what is meant by knowing, this knowledge is not necessary for obtaining salvation.  There is no “knowledge” that gives anyone salvation (That is the heresy of Gnosticism).  Salvation is dependent upon repenting one’s sins by a faith that is able to believe in the divine nature of Christ.  However, not all those who come to faith in Christ also ‘know’ Christ.  John says, “The way to be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments.  Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.  This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived.” (1 Jn. 2: 3-6)  Since people who first come to faith in Christ have yet to completely conform their lives so as to not sin, it must be concluded that one comes to faith in Christ without yet knowing him.  Consequently, simply meeting the condition of salvation does not automatically give one the ‘knowledge of Christ,’ though the Knowledge of Christ is preconditioned by the gift of salvation.  Rather, these are two different degrees of conversion to Christ: one has only begun the journey by discovering salvation, and the other is destined to participate in the divinity of Christ through the completion of the journey. 

The second reading gives us a good indication of what that spirit is.  Peter tells us, “Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  This is the common priesthood we all share in Christ.  We enter into full participation in Christ’s priesthood by becoming a living sacrifice, as Paul explains,[1] and then joining our sufferings to the Lord’s in the Catholic perpetuation of the Eucharistic sacrifice for the continued cause of the world’s salvation.  We become living sacrifices by conforming our lives to the Lord’s despite any and all assaults we may suffer from the world around us.  Those assaults can range from resisting temptations to forbearing direct attacks against us for living as Christ lived.  We have no sufferings to offer in sacrifice if we do not conform our lives to his.  We then offer these sufferings to be joined with the Lord’s perfect sacrifice on the Cross, through which the priesthood of Christ extends to the entire world, with us participating with him in it.  It is for this reason that we are destined to participate in his divinity.

Our common priesthood is not to be confused with the sacramental one, which is reserved to those who are ordained for the ministry of “serving at the table,” i.e. priests and deacons.  The first reading explains quite clearly how different ministries evolved through the influence of the Holy Spirit, as well as the distinction of ordination and the chief responsibility of the apostles and their successors to minister to the word of God that is directed to safeguarding the full participation of all those who obey the Lord’s commands.

These readings are a perfect exemplification of what is so wonderful about being Catholic.  Do not let the dissenters from Catholicism persuade you from your place at the table!  Rise up against the world’s objections for being so and Remain Catholic.  Strive for the great ideal of actually becoming like Christ through his offering of himself through the Eucharist.  Be obedient to the teachings of the Catholic Church and submit faithfully to the legitimate authority of the apostolic succession so as to participate fully in the destiny awaiting all the true and full members of the Body of Christ.

Come!  Let us show the world what it really means to be Catholic!!!

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[1] Rom. 12: 1-2  “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, you spiritual worship.  Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Fourth Sunday of Easter – Cycle A (May 11, 2014)

First reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: ‘Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ 

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, ‘What are we to do, my brothers?’  Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.’  He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.”

 

Second reading: 1 Pt. 2: 20b-25

“Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.  He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

“When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of you souls.”

 

Gospel reading: Jn. 10: 1-10

“Jesus said: ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.  But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.  But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.’  Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

“So Jesus said again, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate.  Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

 

Introductory theme summary:

The common theme for today’s readings is a threefold metaphor: The shepherd, the sheep and the gate they must both pass through. 

 

Reflection:

We are all familiar with the Lord’s reference to himself as the Good Shepherd, which he certainly is as Peter reminds us in the second reading.  In today’s gospel story, however, the metaphor relating to the Lord, according to his own explanation, is the gate through which both shepherds and sheep must pass.  So, in this case the shepherd metaphor relates to those whom the Lord has called to shepherd his sheep, and all those who follow these authentic shepherds represent His sheep.

The first reading is perfect for substantiating that Jesus Christ is the one set apart by God as the only means through which we must all pass in order to receive God’s promises – the gate.  It is only by repenting and becoming baptized, believing in Jesus as Lord and Christ, that anyone can obtain the promised Holy Spirit through which we receive all the fruits of salvation.  Believing in Jesus as “Lord” refers to believing in His divine nature as the Son of God.  Believing in Jesus as “Christ” refers to believing in His redemptive work, inferred specifically from the significance of his crucifixion and truth of his resurrection.  These are clearly expressed as conditions for direct entrance into God’s plan of salvation. 

The second reading gives us a clear description of how Jesus is the gate for both shepherds and sheep.  Peter explains that we are all to imitate Jesus example of forbearance: “If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.”  “When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten.”  It is specifically through this type of suffering that Jesus accomplished our salvation, bearing in His own body our sins; thus making forbearance an essence element to the practice of Christianity.  Becoming accomplished in this example, and able to teach others how to follow it, is precisely how true shepherds distinguish themselves as such.  By that distinction the sheep will hear in their message Christ’s own spirit – represented metaphorically in the gospel reading by the image of “recognizing his voice”.  Then those who are true sheep will become able through their own reception of the Holy Spirit to follow the same example in their day to day lives.

Regrettably, few Christians practice forbearance these days.  Instead, everyone is concerned with asserting their rights and obtaining their due.  Since forbearance is such an essential element to the practice of Christianity, our failure to practice it must have some detrimental consequence.  To determine what that might be it is necessary to consider the image of Christ’s body in full practice of forbearance – hanging on the cross.  Remembering we are one in the body of Christ, taking our place as members of that body must involve this practice of forbearance, and failing to practice it must therefore cause one to lose his/her place therein.  Obtaining the means for practicing this grace is further dependent upon another factor – receiving the body and blood of Christ.  Otherwise one cannot receive the spirit by which that life is lived, for Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”  (Jn. 6: 53)  The life being referred to is simply “Christ’s life.”  Perhaps this is why so few Christians are able, or willing, to practice forbearance – not having His life within them!

Do you have His life within you?

Come . . . let’s show the light of His life within us by practicing forbearance in our daily lives.  Then we too can take our place as full members of the Body of Christ who are destined to share in His divinity!

Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle A (May 4, 2014)

First reading: Acts 2: 14, 22-33

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: ‘You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.  Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.  You who are Israelites, hear these words.  Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.  This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.  But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.  For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him on my right hand I shall not be disturbed.  Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer you holy one to see corruption.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

“My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day.  But since he was a prophet and knew that God has sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.  God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.  Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”

Second reading: 1 Pt. 1: 17-21

“Beloved: If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,  realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.

“He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

Gospel reading: Lk. 24: 13-16, 28-35 (Short form) Long form includes versus 17-27

“That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.  And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.  As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.  But they urged him, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.’  So he went in to stay with them.  And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.  With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.  Then they said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?’  So they set out at once and returning to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, ‘The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!’  Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was make known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

 

Introductory theme summary:

The common theme for today’s readings address three different perspective for the real significance of Jesus’ resurrection.

 

Reflection:

In the first reading from Acts, Peter teaches us that the life Jesus lived is incorruptible.  Because of which it was not possible for Jesus to be held by death, nor was it possible for his body to even see corruption.  This knowledge was actually foreknown by virtue of it having been foreseen by King David, who is regarded as a prophet of the Lord.  What makes our Lord’s body incorruptible is the perfection of his life and person in every aspect of living and being.

Moving to the second reading, Peter admonishes his listeners to abandon their futile conduct of sin by consideration for the tremendous price of Jesus’ blood paid for them to receive the means by which they attain to such a life that pleases God who judges impartially.  For it is by the impartial judgment of God that the Gentiles were included in God’s plan of salvation, even though they were previously so corrupt in their ways and beliefs.

Finally, the most significant of all three readings is the gospel passage that validates the Catholic belief in the Eucharistic bread and wine as literally becoming the actual body and blood of Christ, for it was in the breaking of the bread that He became known to them.  The breaking of the break is the act that represents separating Christ’s blood from his body in an unbloody sacrifice to perpetuate Christ’s bloody sacrifice on the cross. 

Even more significant than the perpetuation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is what we receive through that sacrifice by eating his body and drinking his blood.  Because the Eucharist is the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ, we receive Christ himself, for we become that which we receive.  Furthermore, through our reception of him we become able to live our lives as he lived his, and by doing so we validate his actual being within us; thus becoming born of God.  This condition necessitates not sinning for John says, “No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.” (1 Jn. 3:9)

Now, how many of us can say we live our life in the state of grace, where we do not sin on a day to day basis?  Yet that truly is possible.  To John doing so is a condition of authentic faith in Christ.  How many of us have even considered the possibility that this condition might actually be expected of us?  Since he gives us himself in the Eucharist, and we claim to believe in it as His body and blood, soul and divinity; isn’t it also reasonable to expect us to fulfill living such a life to validate our belief?  What’s missing in our world today are people who by an authentic belief in the Eucharist commit their faith to manifesting the example the gift implies – living their lives as Christ lived His.

Come, let us bravely accept the Catholic challenge of living as Christ lived by our reception Him in His gift of Himself – the Eucharist.