Persecution understandable

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer some food for thought on the way in which we live and experience the peace of Christ. The rejection of Christ and Christians by the world is an unfortunate but not unexpected consequence of living and advocating a life style which is counter cultural. Recently Pope Francis addressed young people at Confirmation, advising them, “To go against the current, this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide.” The currents against which Paul and Barnabas struggled included rejection of the invitation of Jesus to all people that they would find peace in living daily in the relationship of Love between Jesus, Son and Father, God. The Spirit of God is the courage which believers use to get up and continue to serve God in loving others even when the others have beaten us down. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the persecution of followers of Jesus is more than the physical suffering experienced at the hands of others. It includes rejection, ridicule and being thought a fool. The “Shalom” which Jesus promises, in the text from the Gospel of John, accompanies working for the will of the Father is profound. The choices we make to serve others in Love deepen our peace. The direction the dominant culture declares best for our individual welfare seems to separate winners and losers, encourages obscene consumption by winners and ignores constant the constant struggle for survival of the losers. Friar Jude reminds us of the lost discipline of fasting which gives opportunity for our being to live simply in an experience of freedom from our passions to over attend to ourselves. We understand more that coming to the Father is our mission and the path to the Father with Jesus involves deaths to self and service to others.

The Advocate reveals

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary remind us of the comfort we often seek by putting our interaction with God at a distance. The psalmist describes the lifelessness of worship and religious practice which is based on behavioural patterns which keep our experience at the surface. We dwell on the idol, the mantra, the verse and the liturgy. Paul and Barnabas have struck a chord below the surface in Iconium and need to flee for their lives as the disruption to the status quo of their message begins to sink into the consciousness of the authorities. Friar Jude Winkler comments that every society must avoid the danger of interpreting Christianity from our own cultural background. The attribution of Greek god status to Paul and Barnabas is the cultural response presented in the Book of Acts today. Friar Jude notes that the prosperity gospel is a particularly North American confusion of Christianity and the dominant culture. The desire we have to reach the goals is often translated to tell us the rules and we will observe them. The Gospel from John today begins to sort out the path for our understanding of the revelation of Jesus. Friar Jude notes that fuller adoption of the Love commandment of Jesus happens slowly in human society. He cites the long struggle of Christianity with the issue of slavery. Jesus gives us the Love command which sets the standard of love for one another at the love which He has for us and He promises the Holy Spirit, or Advocate, as our constant companion to continue to draw us deeper below the surface to the revelation of how that Love is to be practiced today in our time and place.

Open Doors

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are words that point to open doors which are offered by God through Love to the new heaven and the new earth. The psalmist praises the steadfast love of God which is known in thanksgiving as compassion and slowness to anger. The review of the history of the people of God gives the psalmist much for which to be thankful. The invitation into this communion with the Divine comes in the Christian tradition through baptism. The Book of Acts today presents the details of the missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas and how, in the words of the author of Acts, Luke, God has opened doors for the Gentiles. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the quality of love and perseverance in the mission of the Apostles to the Gentiles where they are able to be thankful to God for the rejection, imprisonment and beating which has accompanied them and which has been witness to the Gentiles of the Love which motivates their lives. The baptism ritual is one of introduction to the Love which Jesus prepares His disciples to witness in the text today from the Gospel of John. The immersion of the person seeking baptism in water has many symbolic harmonics. Water, of course, cleanses, as Chapter 13 of this Gospel describes, when Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. Friar Jude points out in the passage today from the last chapter of the Book of Revelation that in the New Jerusalem there is no sea. The sea was the source of evil, chaos and death to the people of John’s time. Immersion in water allows us to die with Jesus in the Baptism ritual. We emerge from Baptism as New Creations and as Father Larry Gillick SJ points out we are given a share in the mission of love as co- creators of the environment where deep love of the other through thanksgiving for the Love we know transforms the outsider, the modern “Gentile”, to people who radiate the Life and Love of God. The door that Jesus sees opening to His Glory, which in the Gospel of John, is the Son lifted up on the Cross to testify that God loves us to death comes through the betrayal of Judas. We are given the key to the experience of the New Jerusalem. We love one another as He as loved us.

Plan for the world

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary puts us in touch with the intersection between the search for understanding of God by people and the revelation of God to people. The author of the Book of Acts, Luke is described by Friar Jude Winkler as a person who believed that God has a plan for the world and that plan must be discerned and followed by people. Luke was a learned Gentile and familiar with the philosophic thinking of his age which included Stoic concepts that God has a plan for humanity. Luke presents following Jesus as the lawful and true direction for the long established Jewish communities. The Roman rulers should understand that Jesus is rooted in a religious tradition which is the Jewish tradition. The Gospel of John identifies Jesus as Divine and Messiah. The text today is a passage where Jesus declares that He and the Father are One. Friar Jude notes that this truth is difficult for us to comprehend. People who become familiar with thoughts and ideas often confuse that familiarity with knowledge and understanding. This unfortunately seems to have created, in this age, a satisfaction with superficiality. The Nicene Creed putting words to the relationship between Father, Son and Spirit was not developed until 325. The Trinity remains a mystery for exploration in faith. The revelation by Jesus that He is Son was very difficult for the Jewish community. Jesus presents His works as witness to His essence. He invites us to be part of the unity between Father and Son and from that existence we will be deeply aware of the Love which is expressed through the Name of Jesus and we will seek to act in that Love.  The first century Jewish leader, Gamaliel, advised the religious authorities to let the work of Jesus disciples continue because if it were not of God it would disappear. If God is working in Jesus, people will not be able to stop the plan of God.

Way to Life

The psalm chosen for the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today proclaims that the people of God have been chosen as sons of the Father. Recognition of the chosen nature of the Jewish nation underlies manner in which Paul addresses the members of the synagogue in Antioch in the passage from the Books of Acts. Paul speaks from his own deep commitment to seek God and observe the Law through his experience and education as a Jew who practiced as a leading Pharisee. The invitation Paul accepted from Jesus to proclaim the Good News is a fulfillment of the Promise made to Israel. The pattern of the missionary work of the early Christians was to bring news of Jesus first to the synagogues and after that to address the Gentiles in the communities they visited. Friar JudeWinkler comments on the text, part of the Last Supper Discourse, from the Gospel of John as one which is apparently in contradiction to the dualistic theme of this Gospel. The place which Jesus prepares in His Father’s house has many rooms. The image of this place generates hope that certainly there must be a room for everyone. Our human understanding cannot encompass the breadth and depth of the Spirit of God which desires intimacy with all humanity. John presents the dialogue with Thomas to underline, in a more dualistic manner, that the decision to follow Jesus will be the Way and the full understanding of God will be in the Truth revealed by Jesus and the fullness of life in Jesus begins now and will continue through death. John does not concern himself with the question of other ways to God. He is proclaiming the Life of the intimacy of humanity with the Spirit of God in Jesus.

Live the Proclamation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are chosen to provide a link for us to St Mark the Evangelist. Exegesis (from the Greek 'to lead out') is a critical explanation or interpretation of a religious text. Scholars who do the exegesis of the Gospel of Mark find a document which is skillfully crafted to proclaim Jesus human and Divine nature to Gentile Christians living in Rome. The words chosen by the evangelist and the structure of the writing are important. The preference of modern western readers for journalistic accounts of events does not mean that they were written in that manner. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the advice of Peter written from Rome, symbolically renamed Babylon, to the leaders of the early Christian churches to live humbly and be aware that pride will weaken our defense in the spiritual war with temptation in the world to choose other than the Way of Jesus. This passage in the letter of Peter places Mark the Evangelist in Rome from where he worked to write his Gospel account. The recent election of Pope Francis brought much discussion of the model of a simpler Church structure. The ending of the Gospel of Mark points the disciples of Jesus to the mission of proclaiming the Good News and baptizing people for salvation. Pope Francesco, in the spirit of his namesake Francesco of Assisi, may be the humble shepherd who encourages us to live the Good News as our proclamation of our baptism in Christ and to use words only when necessary.

On the mission

The Church grows and Saul and Barnabas are dispatched on a missionary journey throughout the cities around the Mediterranean in the text from the Acts of the Apostles in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The environment in which the Holy Spirit moved the Apostles to visit the synagogues of the region was one of commercial movement of people throughout the region. The Jewish Diaspora of this time meant that synagogues had been established throughout the territory of the Roman Empire. We are expected to be missionaries for Christ within the environment the Spirit presents to us. This is most likely to be within the realm of the possible and not necessarily a leap into activities completely foreign to our experience. Our 21^st century view of the missionary journey of Paul may assume a pioneering predisposition of these people. Paul was born in Tarsus, studied in Jerusalem, travelled to Damascus and resided in Antioch. The movement of Jews through the territory was typical. The view from our time of the Gospel of John sees a work which FriarJude Winkler comments is highly dualistic. Our struggle with dualism comes from lives which exist in the tension between liberal and conservative, new age and fundamentalism, rich and poor, and like the Gospel, good and evil. We may understand the Gospel of John as a strong assertion of the choice we need to make between darkness and light, salvation and condemnation, God and the way of the world. Our environment and experience is that we are Christians under construction. We make our direction the one prompted by the Spirit toward Jesus and set off like Paul and Barnabas to do Christianity and as we move we come closer to Jesus.

One Invitation Two Responses

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present us with the question of why different people respond differently to the invitation from God. The passage from the Book of Acts tells of the response of the Gentiles in Antioch to the preaching of the Good News. The news that believers from Cyprus have brought news of Jesus to Greeks in Antioch has prompted Barnabas, ranked by the Church as an Apostle like Paul, to visit the city which was characterized by a multicultural population with openness to philosophy and ideas. Luke describes the Presence of the Holy Spirit with Barnabas which moves many to follow Jesus and establish a community of people known for the first time as “Christians”. This response to the Presence of God is in contrast to the rejection of Jesus by many Jews in Jerusalem. The Gospel of John tells us that the religious authorities would not accept the testimony of the works of Jesus for His identity as Messiah. The change He presents in Jerusalem is one of extension of previous understanding of God with the Presence of One in human form who claims unity with the Father and who declares that those who accept Him as Messiah and Davidic heir as the Shepherd of Israel are given Him by the Father. When standing on the outside of this group, trying to hold on to the status quo, we struggle to deal with the cognitive dissonance by rejecting the source of our mental distress. The tension that continues for believers today is to live between drifting to every new and enticing “revelation” of the nature of the Divine and being so stuck in the status quo that the Spirit which animated Barnabas and the people of Antioch is rejected as It calls us to change.

Imagine the Spirit

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offers food for thought about the power of images in how we make decisions about our path. The passage from the Book of Acts tells of the vision of Peter which opened his mind to the later invitation of Gentile visitors to come and experience the conversion of their lives which is being accomplished through the same Holy Spirit who has brought New Life to the Jewish disciples of Jesus. The mission to baptize them in the name of the Holy Spirit becomes clearer to Peter. The role of the disciple is to be open to the promptings of the Spirit. The “baptism” is the witness of the community of the action of the Spirit in persons responding to the invitation to intimacy with God. When community gathers to celebrate Baptism, the movement of the Spirit is within the assembly. Perhaps later reflection on the photographs will show the Presence of God in the eyes, gestures and thanksgiving for the lives we experience, our own and others. The comfort of the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and the certainty of His declarations of “I am” in the Gospel of John are presented as the peace for communities in turmoil in the first century of the Church by Alyce M. McKenzie in her Edgy Exegesis column. The Word revealed in the Gospel of John brings life to many. The images and symbols animated by faith in the movement of the Holy Spirit provide consolation, confirmation, courage and commitment

Response to change

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary provide the opportunity to contemplate how we respond to change. We confront change as a result of the times in which we live and the natural progression of our lives. My GP says that none of us is getting any younger. The Acts of the Apostles presents the dynamic change to which Paul and Barnabas commit by following the Will of the Father that they “be a light to the Gentiles”. This commission from God is found in the Jewish tradition (Isaiah 49:6). The Light of Jesus is rejected by those in the Synagogue who are described by Luke as being filled with jealousy and blaspheming. When we respond with jealousy, strong words and lies to the change we witness in others we miss the advice of the psalmist today that we are the people of God and the sheep of His pasture.  Contemplation of the choice of God to keep us in His pasture leads to the realization of the life gifts we have known in relationships with beloved, family and friends. Thanksgiving is our inspired response to prospect of change. The first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas is launched with joy and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Revelation presents the vision of John on Patmos about the restoration of the Churches of Asia Minor after the time of persecution by the Roman Empire. The portion of the vision for consideration today is that of a great multitude of people of all nations clothed in white which has been “washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb” ( Revelation 7.14) gathered around the Shepherd in His flock and knowing the grace of loving one another as the tears of persecution and suffering are wiped from their eyes. The faith proclamation of Jesus from the Gospel of John that the Father has given Him all who are called to change to fullness of eternal life and all will be His Sheep is confirmed in the still challenging declaration that Jesus and Father are One.

Where to go

The psalmist asks what return he can make to the Lord for all He has given. The ministry of Peter to the regions of Lydda and Joppa is described in the passage from the Acts of the Apostles in the RomanCatholic Lectionary today. The healing of the people in this passage is noted by Friar Jude Winkler to be very similar to the healing action of Jesus. This is to make the point that Jesus ministry is continuing in the Apostles. Somecommentators see this episode of healing in the coastal communities away from Jerusalem as the beginning of the path outlined by Luke where Peter understands that the Good News of Jesus is to be proclaimed beyond Jerusalem and the Jews. Peter is often portrayed in the Gospel of John as impetuous, impatient and not quite getting it in comparison to the beloved disciple. The Bread of Life Discourse in Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel concludes today with the assertion by Peter that Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life and there is nowhere else for them to go. This statement does not necessarily declare that Peter understands all that Jesus has revealed. Like Peter and the psalmist we are aware of all that God has done for us and it is faith in search of understanding that we profess as we grow in relationship with the One who is flesh for the Life of the World.

Famished without His flesh

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary speak powerfully of how the steadfast love and faithfulness of God praised by the psalmist are found in Christian tradition in the remarkable lives of the people like Saul of Tarsus. Friar Jude Winkler explains that the account read today from the Book of Acts is one of three which describe his conversion on the road to Damascus. The road itself is frequently cited in literature to underline a watershed event. Friar Jude suggests that the author of the Book of Acts, Luke, may have cast the religious officials in Jerusalem in the role of lawbreakers as the action of capture and return of Jews from Damascus to Jerusalem would have been illegal under Roman law. The difficulty with literal reading of the Bible comes with our expectation that journalistic, unbiased and non symbolic language is the standard used by ancient authors. The Evangelists are not neutral observers. They have the overwhelming task of putting in limited human language the Good News of God, infinite, eternal and unable to be contained or explained. The Gospel of John and particularly the Bread ofLife discourse in Chapter 6 is described by the Evangelist as “This teaching is difficult. Who can accept it?” (John 6.60). Perhaps Catholic Christians are responding superficially when they present this teaching using the modern phrase as “What it is”. Friar Jude describes some of the core scandal created in the Jewish mind by the consumption of blood. The apparent position of some Christians that John is writing in purely symbolic language is unsatisfactory language for the Way which knows eternal life is intimate relationship with Jesus, Son and Risen! The eschatology of John is now and after bodily death. The One Body, for which Paul proclaims salvation to the Gentiles, is presented in the Eucharistic theme of the Second Vatican Council in that through our communion with Jesus we become what we are! 

Alive in the Spirit

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today touch on the nature of our experience of intimacy and fulfilment in our relationship with God. The passage from the Acts of the Apostles tells of the encounter between an Ethiopian eunuch and Philip after the Apostle is commanded by the Lord through the action of the Spirit to go and spread the Good News. The surrender of Philip to the promptings of the Spirit brings instruction about Jesus through the Book of Isaiah to the pagan official of the Ethiopian court. The nature of the response of the men to the Presence of God presents the spontaneity characteristic of being seduced by God. The passage from the Gospel of John sets up Jesus proclamation of the Life for the World which comes through the living bread which is His flesh. In setting up this powerful testimony of Jesus, John reminds us that we are drawn to intimacy by the Father. “They will all be taught by God” (John 6:45) is possibly a reference by John to Isaiah 54:13. Life in the Spirit open to the prompting of God to act according to His Will brings the fulfillment and intimacy of the living bread, Jesus, to us and those to whom we are sent. Be open to receive this living bread. 

Rejection and reconcilliation

The lives, preaching and example presented in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today tell of the paradox in which the Good News brings disagreement, dispute and persecution to the faithful. The persecution of the early members of the Synagogue who were followers of the Way of Jesus is described in the Book of Acts to be of sufficient intensity to cause families to be separated, people placed in prison and believers scattering from Jerusalem. The persecution of people worldwide for their religious practice continues to be a daily terror. The path of Christ which believers choose is one which for Jesus and many of the saints of the history of the Church, including SaintKateri Tekakwitha, remembered today,  has passed through suffering, rejection, persecution and death. It is marked by forgiveness and healing offered to persecutors. It is crowned by eternal intimacy with Jesus which is proclaimed in the Gospel from John today as being brought to Him and raised up to life in Him. Daily intimate contact with the Divine Jesus occurs in many ways for believers. Disagreement among Christians, ironically, about the nature of this intimacy is the ongoing scandal of our faith when it leads to the dispute, disagreement, rejection and persecution of brothers and sisters who have accepted His invitation to come to Him, be gathered up according to the Will of the Father and never be lost.

Disturbed by the Word

The Roman Catholic Lectionary presents texts in which the story of discomfort with the disturbing words of one believer is concluded by his death and another text where Jesus Word about His Divinity continues to pose a difficult choice and painful separation in the people of God. JeanneSchuler in a reflection for Creighton University's Online Ministries comments on the passion Stephen in living his faith as described in the text from the Book of Acts. Like Saul, many of us are content as bystanders to the great invitations to be seen as witness to Jesus. The psalmist prays and praises for the steadfast love which he will recognize in the face of God and which will take him away from his persecution. The people following Jesus seek the material support and freedom from political oppression which they recall was part of the Exodus experience of their ancestors under the leadership of Moses. The eternal life to which Jesus begins to invite us in Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John is an intimate union with the Son of God. This invitation is not easily accepted when we are content to be bystanders. The dualism of the Gospel of John puts the question of our decision to believe the Divine is present to us squarely in front of us. Living in this trust and faith is key to seeing the actions of Jesus in the lives of others we encounter as passionate witness to His Life within them. 

Superficial treatment

The possibility that the Deacon Stephen was misunderstood by his attackers because of his Greek origin is noted by Friar Jude Winkler in his commentary on the texts today of the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The mob response which accused Stephen of blasphemous teaching ended in his death, and as Friar Jude notes, a violation of Roman law which prohibited the Jews from imposing death sentences. We read of blasphemy laws and demands by people in other parts of the world to impose right thinking and right speaking on others. Our social situation sometimes seems to cry out for popular action against legal practices which have gone wrong and have denied justice. The tension between justice, mercy, misunderstanding and legal practices needs to be explored as we seek the truthful and Christ-like response to the treacherous turmoil which threatens our life in peace with the Suffering Servant Jesus. As we look to heaven, in the manner of Stephen, our passions and desires for an outcome suitable to our understanding and sensibilities may be transformed into the peace of seeking that the Will of God be done. The clarity with which the Will of God is made known to us certainly is unpredictable. The tradition suggests that we must at least wrestle with the situation and stay in the tension waiting for the response of God. The impulsive rush to very human solutions of rage, retribution and revenge are not in the example from the text of the Acts of the Apostles today. The Gospel of John continues to present the response of the people to Jesus multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The gracious generosity of the Divine Son is seemingly received at a very superficial level. The people are glad to see Him because He feeds them. The Evangelist, according to Friar Jude, emphasizes that the sin for people is not to accept Jesus as Son of God. When Jesus is rejected, God is rejected. The superficial approach which we bring to many areas of life may be causing us to misunderstand how much Grace is already Present around us inviting us to struggle, to give, to focus, to surrender and to live in Him.

Walk in the light

The Easter Season is celebrated in the North during the time of restoration of life to nature after winter. The texts of the Roman CatholicLectionary use profound symbols to illuminate the experience of early Christians with the Presence of Christ in their lives. The Light of Grace guides them and us to lives which proclaim that Jesus is risen. The passage from the Acts of the Apostles which details the conflict between the religious authorities, the Sanhedrin, and the Apostles over preaching in the Name of Jesus concludes with the praise to God by the followers of Jesus for the opportunity to suffer public dishonour in His Name. The graceful living of believers today continues to be counter cultural and will attract ridicule and abuse for which we also have the opportunity to be thankful. The visionary John of Patmos presents a detailed image, in the text from the Book of Revelation, of all the universe, wild beasts, domestic animals, birds and humans in worship of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Friar Jude Winkler explains the significance of the choice of numbers and symbols by the author to convey the perfection and completeness of Jesus about Whom we come to understanding through the tradition and creation. The instruction of Christians about the Sacraments of Initiation is facilitated by the episode from the Gospel of John.  This passage is appended after the first ending of the Gospel of John (John 20, 30-31). Father Larry Gillick SJ sees the Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation in the experience of Peter who is invited to “Come and See”. This opportunity for Peter to be recreated and reconciled is our continuing invitation from Jesus who waits to serve us breakfast to sustain our lives. Father Larry comments that the “Sacraments in the Church are for our going out into life, for this we jumped into the water, were fed, forgiven, had our ears cleaned for better listening”. Friar Jude and other commentator have noted the use of two different Greek words for love in the three tiered dialogue between Jesus and Peter. Jesus questions Peter about his “agape” and Peter responds that he is able to live as “philia”. The deep intimacy of agape is the relationship perhaps of the beloved disciple in the Gospel. We are invited to this relationship. The Lord accepts and works with the ‘philia’ or brotherhood with Peter offers. Our position is not important. We are welcomed to the meal from where we are!

Actions speak

The discussion about the texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today may tend to two directions. The passage from the Book of Acts is noted by Friar Jude Winkler as a situation which verifies that the life in the Christian community will not always run smoothly. The believers of Greek origin were complaining that their widows and orphans were being overlooked by the Aramaic believers in the distribution of bread. Trust in God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will offer a solution to the community difficulty. The deacon as one with a recognized ministry within Christianity is traced to this passage. The actual role of deacon in Christian practice has been in various activities since the first century. The point of the Gospel of John that Jesus is the Divine Word made flesh to be the Messiah and presentation of the total Love of God is made in the text today by the nature miracle of walking on water. Attempts to apply a sociological interpretation to the events of John’s Gospel can range from the plausible practical explanation that the multiplication of the loaves and fishes was the sharing of the food brought by some for the many to the ridiculous wherein Jesus knew where the stones were when He walked on the water. The dualism of the Gospel of John presses the point that there is not half way between Jesus Divine and Jesus as merely human.

Relationship forever

Divine intervention in the lives of people is a theme from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The account of the early days of difficulty of Jesus followers with the religious authorities of the Temple in the Acts of the Apostles come to a resolution when a respected teacher and leader of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, advises that they let the Jesus movement run its course. If it is like previous popular presumptions to be the Messiah it will fail. If it is of God, then they will not be able to stop it and they do not want to be fighting against God. In the Gospel of John, according to Friar Jude Winkler, the Divinity of Jesus is strongly presented. The miracles presented by John contain much symbolic language. Friar Jude notes that the text today is part of a fulfillment of Psalm 23. Jesus is the Lord who is the Divine Shepherd. He has them recline in green pastures. They are all fed with 5 loaves and 2 fishes (7 is the perfect number). There are 12 baskets remaining for the tribes of Israel. After the feeding, Jesus leads the multitude by still waters. Modern commentary on the multiplication of loaves and fishes has sometimes sought to rationalize this gathering as the sharing of some food brought by a few with the multitude. The decision for believers echoes the discussions led by Gamaliel. If this Lord and Shepherd is Son then we are truly invited to an eternal relationship in Love. If not, it will diminish.

Decision Time

Decisions which every Christian faces are presented in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The Evangelist Luke tells of the decision of Peter and John to continue to preach the message of Jesus as the One who is raised to Life by the God of the Ancestors of the Jews in spite of the prohibition of the religious authorities, led by the Sanhedrin, who had power to have them executed. The decision to place the Will of God before the desires of the powerful continues to be a daily witness for many believers. The healing and forgiveness practiced in His Name by the Apostles is our mission too. The practice of these virtues is not always the direction chosen by those who hold power over our personal and financial security. The radical faith proclaimed by the psalmist that God hears the poor and rescues them from distress is support for the decision to do it His way. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the witness of the Father and the Son to the Divine nature of Jesus in the conclusion of the third chapter of the Gospel of John. Nicodemus, who has inquired of Jesus, is presented with the eternal life decision. John declares the beginning of eternal life when we decide to accept Jesus invitation to live Life within the Love relationship between Father and Son as we experience the life of the Spirit to continue to support our decision to follow Him. 

so love the world

The tension today in the texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary is between society religious leadership and understanding and experience of the people. It is tension between established dogma and evidence of a life filled relationship. The brilliant minds which have helped shape our study and understanding of the big questions are struggling with eternal, infinite and deeply intimate realms of human experience and passion. Our humanity, at times, strives to have the answer rather than continue the seeking. The Sadducees, in the text from the Acts of the Apostles, have consolidated their learning about God and the evidence of the actions of the Apostles provoked them to try to stem the flood of enthusiasm about a relationship with God which is forgiving, healing and eternal. This is the Good News which liberated the people and temporarily imprisoned the Apostles. The Jewish teacher, Nicodemus, has been drawn to dialogue with Jesus about His claim to Divinity. The people proclaim the Presence of God they experience in Jesus actions. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the nature of God to so love the world that he invites people into the love relationship between Father and Son. Human experience and the traditions of Law and Prophets struggle to reach comprehension of this invitation. Friar Jude presents the eternal life promised in this familiar passage from the Gospel of John as living in the loving relationship between Father and Son. Choosing to reject this invitation is to choose a condemnation to darkness. This darkness is the attribute that overcame Judas, according to Friar Jude. Life in Christ, according to John is lived in the light of His Love. Life for ourselves is in the darkness.

Not the expected situation

The psalmist proclaims that the “Lord is king, He is robed in majesty” (Psalm 93:1) in the texts from the Roman CatholicLectionary today. Friar Jude Winkler explains that the passage from the Book of Acts today is one of two descriptions of the life of the Christian community provided by Luke. The community who have known the majesty of Jesus interpret the mission of that knowledge to include living in a sharing relationship where none owned property and the needs of all were met. The mystery of the mission of Jesus is the question which the Jewish teacher Nicodemus wishes to understand as he comes to the dialogue presented by John in the Gospel. Friar Jude explains the way John uses different interpretation of Greek words to convey the separation of understanding which is possible here between Jesus and Nicodemus. We also tend to jump quickly to the first understanding or insight of our spiritual contemplation. The tradition of wrestling with the Word and Scripture, with which the teacher Nicodemus was familiar, seems to be pointed out by Jesus as absent from the approach of this inquiry.  The ambiguity here is grist for our mill. The wind or Spirit is the Presence of God through which we are born again or from above to be witness to the depth of the Love of God which is shown by an exaltation or majesty which may be presented from a wooden cross through which forgiveness and healing fulfill the actions of Moses in the desert.

Will and Word Present

The psalmist proclaims the happiness of those who put their trust in the Lord. We reflect on the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today to get some insight into the degree to which our predecessors in the faith have found life in their trust in God. The Church celebrates the Annunciation today because the usual date of March 25 fell on during Holy Week. The Prophet Isaiah is attempting to convince the King of Judah, Ahaz, to place trust in the Lord rather than alliances with foreign countries, which will impose practices on Judah in contradiction to their Covenant. The child who Isaiah hopes will be a constant reminder to the King that Immanuel, or God is with them becomes, according to Friar Jude Winkler, a prophetic declaration used by the Holy Spirit to foreshadow the birth of Jesus. Acceptance that God is with us is a sign that we trust our relationship with the divine to shape our lives in our daily decisions. The text from the Letter to the Hebrews presents the Word of God as perfect atonement to God for sin. The Will of the Father is that the Word be made flesh to become the perfect sacrificial lamb, God with us, to transfuse life to us through forgiveness and healing. Fr Robert Barron, through the Wordon Fire ministry and the magnificent video series, Catholicism, declares that ‘for Catholics, the body is important’. The Word becomes flesh through the Will of the Father, described as the plan of salvation by the possibly Stoic influenced Gentile Luke, and the “Yes” of the young and blessed Jewish girl, Mary. So much is vested by God, literally in the body of a human being, who would be very human if the happiness celebrated by the psalmist was not what she could see in her immediate future. 

Life in His Name

The remainders are to bring healing and peace in His Name is a theme of the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Second Sunday of Easter. Remainders is the explanation of Fr Larry Gillick SJ of the root of the word “relic” which is some physical part of a person, often a canonized saint, which is preserved as a sign and pointer to a life which is connected in a known way to the mission of Jesus. Friar Jude Winkler links those who live with the Holy Spirit in the Church today as being like Peter, described in the Acts of the Apostles, bringing peace and healing in the name of Jesus to our communities. The testimony of John, caught up in the Spirit on Patmos, of the Mission given him by Jesus to revitalize the Churches of Asia Minor in times of persecution is a reminder that the purpose of the work of the Evangelist John that “you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31) is a testimony of being loved to death by the King who rules from a cross. The intimate attention of Jesus to our doubts, fears and apprehensions, which is presented by John through the recounting of the experience of Thomas in the Gospel today, brings the “Shalom” with which we are invited to live Life in Jesus as His remainders.

Power from persecution

The psalmist proclaims how the steadfast love of God has become his strength and salvation through times of distance from God in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The passage from the Acts of the Apostles concludes the episode of the healing of the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple with the profession of the Apostles, Peter and John, that they are compelled by what they have seen and known of Jesus to be vocal witnesses to His Presence with them. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the depth of this conviction which has compelled many believers in the history of the Church to die as martyrs in proclamation of the power of their personal relationship with Jesus. The scribe who added the longer ending to the Gospel of Mark, which we read today, amalgamated the accounts of the other Gospels to complete the details of the place of Mary Magdalene as the herald of Jesus resurrection and the first to begin the mission of bringing the Good News of the fulfillment of the Promise of God for a Messiah who is Lord. The struggle which may accompany the presentation of the Good News is encountered at square one by Mary Magdalene as her witness of Jesus raised from the dead is received with skepticism and doubt. We are thankful the compulsion to be a faithful witness often overpowers the tendency to keep our heads down.

Feed all people

The Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Friday in the Octave of Easter brings many points of view and symbols to our attention through the chosen texts. The Gentile Christian Evangelist, Luke writes of the arrest of Peter and John by the Jewish authorities largely because of their proclamation that the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple was saved and given back his ability to walk through the power of the Resurrected Christ. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. This claim was offensive and threatening to them. Luke who was familiar with Stoic philosophy is able to see resurrection of the dead in the context of the great plan of God for humanity. FriarJude Winkler notes that the New Testament authors generally use saved as the verb when describing health restoration which is accompanied by praise and thanksgiving to God and healed is the verb used when God is not credited. Psalm 118 is used by Luke to identify Jesus as the stone rejected by the builders was used as a reference to the stone quarry, Golgotha, which Jesus cross was supported by rejected stone, according to Friar Jude. The Gospel of John is an encounter with the resurrected Jesus by Peter and the beloved disciple after they had returned to fishing. John portrays Peter as impetuous and not quick to perceive. The important message is that Jesus chooses Peter to lead the Apostles in spite of his apparent deficiencies. The breakfast which Jesus prepares for them is a link back to the feeding of the loaves and fishes in Chapter 6 of this Gospel. In the account today, the fish is emphasized because Jesus is Present as the bread of life. Greek philosophers held that there were 153 species of fish in the world. The fishers of people are given the mission by Jesus to catch all people.

Living the Plan

What additional learning is associated with the continuation today of the episodes related in the Roman Catholic Lectionary by Luke concerning Jesus Resurrection and the consequence for us? Friar JudeWinkler reminds us that the Stoic background of Luke puts the events of these passages as examples of the plan which God has for humanity. The Jewish community who misunderstood Jesus role and oversaw His condemnation to death were playing their role in the plan, outlined in the Scriptures and fulfilled by Jesus that the Messiah should suffer and die. The insight for us is that revelation of the nature of God comes to us gradually and in God’s time, in accord with the purpose of God. We have a responsibility to be aware of this movement and to respond with our “yes” as messengers, in our lives and example, of the Good News of our spiritual healing and peace in coming to know Jesus as the disciples on Easter Sunday. Luke tells us of Jesus present to these people as a real resurrected body who is in a personal intimate relationship with each of them.

Beyond the limit of our intellect

The NT texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are works of Luke. The Acts of the Apostles is a second volume of Luke which is preceded by the Gospel from this Evangelist. In the Gospel passage, Friar JudeWinkler suggests that there may be some signs of the influence of Stoicphilosophy in Luke’s style. The encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus involves breaking the Word as Jesus is shown to be the fulfillment of ancient prophesies about the Messiah. Stoic philosophy is in accord with a plan for the universe. Friar Jude notes the three stage development of our experience of Jesus which is the theme of the three Resurrection encounters in Luke. Like Mary Magdalene, at the tomb, (Luke 24:6) we hear of Jesus first and then we encounter Him, like the Emmaus disciples, in Word and Sacrament. Finally, we begin to recognize Him in person in the life of others. The passage from the Acts of the Apostles tells of the empowering of the Apostles by the Holy Spirit to manifest Jesus Presence by acts of healing which lead to increased holiness and praise of God. Happiness through intellectual discipline to maintain a stiff upper lip of Stoicism is a self limiting life approach. We are invited to transcend the limits of intellectual discipline through experience of Life in the Spirit of Jesus. 

Paschal revelations

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Tuesday in the Octave of Easter take us to the transformation in the life of Peter as a consequence of the revelation of God to him about Jesus. The Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, is the subject of a commentary by GeraldO’Collins SJ, who notes the essential place and power of the self revelation of God to humanity as the initial dialog of faith and salvation.  The passage from the Acts of the Apostles shows Peter is empowered by the Holy Spirit as he takes in and processes the revelation of Jesus life, death and resurrection to take on exactly the intended mission of spreading the Good News through which others will be prepared for the self revelation of the Divine to them. The deeply personal nature of Divine revelation and the corporate mission which it launches through faith and proclamation is detailed in the account from the Gospel of John wherein Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene in Resurrection to fulfill her experience of Love and mission her as herald to the Apostles of the Easter Revelation of the Divine. Our life in faith is to be a revelation of God to those to whom we are directed today.

Fifty Days of growth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Monday in the Octave of Easter begin our journey through the Great Fifty Days from Easter to Pentecost. We will journey with the first followers of Jesus as they grow in understanding of the events of Easter and the Holy Spirit brings the support to them that transforms the timid and tentative to brave and confident witnesses of the power of the Love of God. Peter is inspirited by the Spirit in the passage from the Acts of the Apostles today to tell the story of Jesus ministry, death and Resurrection and to indentify Jesus as the Messiah foreseen by David as the agent of God to re-establish the rule of the line of David. The Gospel from Matthew tells of Jesus appearance to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and His instruction to them that He would rejoin His disciples in Galilee. We, like the Disciples, need to attend to the messages of Jesus to prepare ourselves to journey toward Him as the Spirit continues to reveal the depth and intimacy of the relationship to which we are invited.