Invited to remain

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today nudge us to consider how we welcome people in the spirit of our invitation to remain as loving disciples of Jesus.

Welcome others

The reading from the Book of Acts concludes the section on the Council of Jerusalem.

* [15:13–35] Some scholars think that this apostolic decree suggested by James, the immediate leader of the Jerusalem community, derives from another historical occasion than the meeting in question. This seems to be the case if the meeting is the same as the one related in Gal 2:1–10. According to that account, nothing was imposed upon Gentile Christians in respect to Mosaic law; whereas the decree instructs Gentile Christians of mixed communities to abstain from meats sacrificed to idols and from blood-meats, and to avoid marriage within forbidden degrees of consanguinity and affinity (Lv 18), all of which practices were especially abhorrent to Jews. Luke seems to have telescoped two originally independent incidents here: the first a Jerusalem “Council” that dealt with the question of circumcision, and the second a Jerusalem decree dealing mainly with Gentile observance of dietary laws (see Acts 21:25 where Paul seems to be learning of the decree for the first time).1 

Psalm 96 is a hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God.

* [Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Ps 96:11–13). This Psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Is 40–55, as does Ps 98. Another version of the Psalm is 1 Chr 16:23–33.2 

The Gospel from John continues the discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples.

 * [15:1–16:4] Discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of the departure of Jesus.3

Julie Kalkowski observes that learning to see as God sees is a lifelong journey…to be able to check our all too human tendency to use different standards on how we treat others.

What is it in my life that prevents me from being able to see as God sees? Am I so insecure that I can't see someone different from me as another child of God?  Why am I not able to trust God enough to see others with the compassion they need and deserve instead of feeling fear or discomfort? Once I can figure that out, when I can "Remain in my love." as Jesus counsels his disciples in today's Gospel,  then my " joy might be complete." Which is another quandary I face. Since I know my joy will be complete, why is it so hard to remain in God's love? To follow Jesus? Some days it is so easy and others days, I don't pay attention or I am 'too busy'. 4 

Don Schwager quotes “Joy in rejoicing over us,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"And what else is Christ's joy in us except that he is pleased to rejoice over us? And what is this joy of ours that he says is to be made full, but our having fellowship with him?... His joy, therefore, in us is the grace he has bestowed on us, and that is also our joy. But he rejoiced over this joy even from eternity when he chose us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Nor can we rightly say that his joy was not full. For God's joy was never at any time imperfect. But that joy of his was not in us. For we, in whom that joy could exist, had as yet no existence. And even when our existence commenced, it began not to be in him. But in him it always was, who in the infallible truth of his own foreknowledge rejoiced that we should yet be his own. Accordingly, he had a joy over us that was already full when he rejoiced in foreknowing and foreordaining us. And there could hardly be any fear intermingling in that joy of his that might imply a possible failure in what he foreknew would be done by himself." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 83.1)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 15:9-11 comments that lots of people would pay a fortune for the secret to the complete joy that Jesus promises in today’s Gospel reading.

So there is a catch after all! Obedience is such a chore.
Well, not really. Instinctively, we all sense that we’re happy when we’re doing what God wants—even when it’s difficult. If nothing else, we know this from how we feel when we aren’t doing his will. Cardinal John Henry Newman made this point in one of his sermons:
“Can’t you recall, at some time or other, having done something you knew to be wrong? Don’t you remember what a piercing bitter feeling came on you afterwards? Isn’t the feeling of a bad conscience more distressing than any other?”
Why is it so distressing? Because God created us to be happy by abiding in him. So when we choose our way over his, we are going against our very nature. We are disrupting the flow of love that sustains us and gives us such joy.6 

Friar Jude Winkler describes the gathering to decide how to treat Gentiles who become followers of the Way. The account in the letter of Paul to the Galatians was written before Luke wrote Acts. Friar Jude contrasts the justification declared by Paul and the being saved of Luke. Friar Jude reminds that the freedom of the Gospel is freedom from the passions and sin that keep us from joy.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites the poetry of Mechthild of Magdeburg (1207–c. 1282/1294) and the writing of Protestant theologian Jürgen Moltmann to support our contemplation of the Indwelling Spirit. The image of the intimacy of mother and child was also frequently invoked by Jean Vanier in his description of our connection to the Divine.

We continually experience the Holy Spirit as both a divine counterpart to whom we call, and a divine presence in which we call—as the space we live in. There is nothing extraordinary about this. As children we experienced our mothers as both too—as a presence surrounding us and a counterpart calling us. The response to the plea for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit’s coming and remaining, its outpouring and its indwelling. . . .
The astonishing thing is that here the Holy Spirit is seen not just as a divine Person but as a divine element too. The Spirit is “sent” and “comes” like a tempest; it spreads itself out over all living things, like the waters of a flood, pervading everything. If the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit and the special presence of God, then when God’s Spirit is poured out, “all flesh” will be deified. All mortal flesh will be filled with the eternal life of God, for what comes from God is divine and eternal like God. . .7 

Our intimate connection to Jesus is brought to consciousness especially through the Indwelling Spirit, our guide to living in accord with the will of the Father.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 15 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/15
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 96 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/96
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 15 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/15
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 23, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 5th Week of Easter - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved May 23, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/23/
7	(2019, May 23). God Outpouring — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from https://cac.org/god-outpouring-2019-05-23/