The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to be on our way as disciples equipped with peace that is the result of our relationship with Jesus.
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| On our way |
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the persecution and joy of the end of the First Mission.
* [14:23] They appointed presbyters: the communities are given their own religious leaders by the traveling missionaries. The structure in these churches is patterned on the model of the Jerusalem community (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 5, 22; 21:18).1
Psalm 145 declares God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship.
* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ departure and return are part of the Last Supper Discourse.
* [14:1–31] Jesus’ departure and return. This section is a dialogue marked off by a literary inclusion in Jn 14:1, 27: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”3
Jeanne Schuler recalls one of the people moved by the Apostles mission. The jailer, his life spared, was amazed. Who are these intrepid followers? And “please show me the way.” He listens and repents. Fear washed away like a sudden shower. In jail no more, he bowed down to clean their wounds and feed them. His eyes opened and new life came into his household. Jeanne recalls boycotting lettuce in her youth.
A virus sweeps across the country and what is hidden comes into view. We see workers shoulder to shoulder on the meat-packing line. Patients are jammed into hallways awaiting beds in ICU. Workers deemed essential show up daily and risk their health. Immigrants are locked in camps without protection. Elderly faces appear in nursing home windows to look for family. Jails crowded with those who lack bail, now face illness. Emergency funds for stricken Indian nations take weeks to arrive. Outside the U.S., the pandemic spreads through lands with scarce resources.
Walls come down slowly. We are packed like sausage in privilege. It takes months to translate “wash your hands and don’t car pool” into the many languages spoken in the towns with processing plants. We can’t whistle outside the walls when we glimpse the other side.
What must we do to be saved? Come, Holy Spirit, come. Bring us together. Help us to hear your voice in the cacophony. Open our eyes and show us the way. 4
Don Schwager quotes Caesarius of Arles (470-542 AD), an early church bishop in Gaul who was noted for his godly wisdom and preaching of Scripture.
"Peace, indeed, is serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, simplicity of heart, the bond of love, the fellowship of charity. It removes hatred, settles wars, restrains wrath, tramples on pride, loves the humble, pacifies the discordant and makes enemies agree. For it is pleasing to everyone. It does not seek what belongs to another or consider anything as its own. It teaches people to love because it does not know how to get angry, or to extol itself or become inflated with pride. It is meek and humble to everyone, possessing rest and tranquility within itself. When the peace of Christ is exercised by a Christian, it is brought to perfection by Christ. If anyone loves it, he will be an heir of God, while anyone who despises it rebels against Christ."When our Lord Jesus Christ was returning to the Father, he left his peace to his followers as their inherited good, teaching them and saying, 'My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you.' Anyone who has received this peace should keep it, and one who has destroyed it should look for it, while anyone who has lost it should seek it. For if anyone is not found with it, he will be disinherited by the Father and deprived of his inheritance." (Sermon 174.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 14:27-31 comments that Jesus came and revealed a new way of living. In the face of the selfish grasping at the heart of Satan’s rule, Jesus followed the rule of self-sacrificing love. While Satan urged vengeance, Jesus preached mercy and forgiveness. While Satan preferred pride and arrogance, Jesus taught humility and service.
And because of Jesus’ faithfulness unto death, the iron grip of Satan’s rule was broken. We can now choose “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” instead of the devil’s “law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Today, Jesus is telling you that he is on your side. He has overcome the ruler of this world. You are no longer under the devil’s thumb. You can share in Jesus’ victory. You have options that our ancestors never had—you have the Holy Spirit, always ready to help you follow the way of Christ.
So whose rule will you follow today?
“Thank you, Jesus, for overcoming the evil one! Lord, help me stay faithful to you.”6
Friar Jude Winkler explores the source of joy in the suffering of the Apostles. Therese of Lisieux spoke of a martyrdom of pinpricks. Friar Jude explains the profound nature of the shalom offered by Jesus.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares “That day” promised in John’s Gospel has been a long time in coming, yet it has been the enduring message of every great religion in history.
On that day, you will know that you are in me and I am in you. —John 14:207
It is the Perennial Tradition. Divine and thus universal union is still the core message and promise—the whole goal and the entire point of all religion. Lady Julian of Norwich uses the idea of “oneing” to describe divine union. In chapter 53 of Revelations of Divine Love, she writes:
“This beloved soul was preciously knitted to God in its making, by a knot so subtle and so mighty that it is oned in God. In this oneing, it is made endlessly holy. Furthermore, God wants us to know that all the souls which will be saved in heaven without end are knit in this knot, and oned in this oneing, and made holy in this holiness.” [1]7
The words of Jesus' departure and return in the Last Supper Discourse are marked off by a literary inclusion “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” As we continue on our way, this peace is gifted to us through the Holy Spirit to assist our service.
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