The Way to the Father

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the events in our life that have illuminated the Way, revealed Truth and made our lives more full.

Finding Hope on the Way

 

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul  applies “You are my Son;  today I have begotten you” to Jesus.

 

* [13:31] The theme of the Galilean witnesses is a major one in the Gospel of Luke and in Acts and is used to signify the continuity between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the church and to guarantee the fidelity of the church’s teachings to the words of Jesus.1

  Psalm 2 declares God’s Promise to His Anointed.

 * [Psalm 2] A royal Psalm. To rebellious kings (Ps 2:1–3) God responds vigorously (Ps 2:4–6). A speaker proclaims the divine decree (in the legal adoption language of the day), making the Israelite king the earthly representative of God (Ps 2:7–9) and warning kings to obey (Ps 2:10–11). The Psalm has a messianic meaning for the Church; the New Testament understands it of Christ (Acts 4:25–27; 13:33; Heb 1:5).2

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is identified as the Way to the Father.

 

* [14:6] The truth: in John, the divinely revealed reality of the Father manifested in the person and works of Jesus. The possession of truth confers knowledge and liberation from sin (Jn 8:32).3

David Crawford connects Jesus' Last Supper Discourse to preparing for final exams. The teacher starts with “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The teacher starts with “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  He stresses the need for faith and then reminds them of things he has told them previously, finishing with the encouragement “you know the way.”

 

We often find ourselves anxious and uncertain about so many things in our lives, and those moments are even more stressful when there is no clear solution to a problem.  These are times for a quick review of the basic points from the opening verses of John 14.  Be calm.  Trust in Jesus.  Remember His promises.  Follow Him. In other words:  Don’t worry.  You know this.4

Don Schwager quotes “Walk by faith in the truth,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

 

"Persevere now in walking by faith in the truth, that you may succeed in coming at a definite and due time to the sight of the same truth. For as the apostle says, 'While staying here in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we are walking by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:6-7). We are led to the direct sight and vision of the Father by Christian faith. That is why the Lord says, 'No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (excerpt from SERMON 12.5)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 14:1-6 comments that every miracle Jesus performed, every parable he told, every sermon he preached demonstrates the love our heavenly Father has for us and the way he wants us to live in love with each other. Everything that Jesus did as he walked the earth, as well as all that he does now as he works in and through his Church, is a proclamation of this love. This truth is the foundation for the whole of creation—it is the foundation for each of our lives.

 

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. In him, we lack nothing. He has given us so much more than pardon for our sins. He has given us a whole new way of living, a life in union with his heavenly Father. Don’t be afraid to reach out and grasp it today! “Jesus, I love you. Open my eyes to see and know you more. Open my heart to receive your life more deeply today!”6

Friar Jude Winkler notes in the kerygma preached by Paul the “Son of God” is raised from an honorific title for leaders to reveal the nature of Jesus. The passage from the Last Supper Discourse today previews Resurrection, Ascension, and Eternal Life with Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us to follow the Way and the truth and experience life so profound we are fully alive eternally.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that for people who face situations like acknowledging the Caesars as Lord or struggling against apartheid, the Apocalypse is an exciting, inspiring, and marvelous book. It is a book which, in our sociopolitical situation, is a constant call for conversion and change. But we shall have to learn to read it differently.

 

The clue to understanding the Apocalypse as protest literature—and at the same time the answer to the question as to why so few scholars understand it in this way—lies, I think, in Revelation 1:9: “I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance [of suffering].” This is the key. Those who do not know this suffering through oppression, who do not struggle together with God’s people for the sake of the gospel, and who do not feel in their own bodies the meaning of oppression and the freedom and joy of fighting against it shall have grave difficulty understanding this letter from Patmos.7

Our decision to follow the Way opens our spirit to the truth of love as the life source for our journey.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 2 | USCCB. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/2
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/043021.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(2021, April 30). Saint Pius V, Pope (Optional Memorial) - The Word Among Us. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/04/30/188766/
7	(2021, April 30). Apocalypse is Subversive — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://cac.org/apocalypse-is-subversive-2021-04-30/

 

 

Messages and Messenger

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the message and the role of His disciples in sharing the Word of Life.

A sign of St Catherine of Sienna Church

 

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the mission of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia and Paul’s address in the Synagogue.

 

* [13:4–14:27] The key event in Luke’s account of the first missionary journey is the experience of Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14–52). The Christian kerygma proclaimed by Paul in the synagogue was favorably received. Some Jews and “God-fearers” (see note on Acts 8:26–40) became interested and invited the missionaries to speak again on the following sabbath (Acts 13:42). By that time, however, the appearance of a large number of Gentiles from the city had so disconcerted the Jews that they became hostile toward the apostles (Acts 13:44–50). This hostility of theirs appears in all three accounts of Paul’s missionary journeys in Acts, the Jews of Iconium (Acts 14:1–2) and Beroea (Acts 17:11) being notable exceptions.1

Psalm 89 praises God’s Covenant with David.

 

* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52).2

In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares “whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

 

* [13:16] Messenger: the Greek has apostolos, the only occurrence of the term in John. It is not used in the technical sense here.3

Larry Gillick, S.J. notes that in John’s Gospel the word “sent” emphasizes the image of Jesus as a gift and dramatically as a “Servant” who washes creation as a gesture of God’s creational love.

 Jesus continues, “I have washed you from your being dominated by your being your own, your own property, your own destiny. As I am sent to you, I am sending Myself with you to constantly bring creation to awareness of who and what it all is. I do know that Judas was too much of himself to become “ours” and he is rejecting his identity and his true dignity. You too will all be tempted, but I will always be finding, washing and re-sending you. You are now My Body, taken, blessed, broken and distributed in the wonderful act of Love Who is the One Who sent Me and sends you.”4

Don Schwager quotes “The Master wants his servants to reach their potential,” by Origen, 185-254 A.D.

 

"The Savior, who is Lord, does something that surpasses all other lords, who have no desire to see their servants rise up to their level. He is such a Son of the Father's goodness and love that, although he was Lord, he produced servants who could become like him, their Lord, not having the spirit of bondage, which comes from fear, but the spirit of adoption in which they too cry, 'Abba, Father.' So then, before becoming like their teacher and lord, they need to have their feet washed because they are still deficient disciples who possess the spirit of bondage to fear. But when they attain the stature of master and lord... then they will be able to imitate their master and wash the disciple's feet as the teacher. (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.120-22)5

The Word Among Us meditation on John 13:16-20 comments that we are giving someone a personal introduction to our amazing friend, Jesus. Pope Benedict XVI emphasized this when he wrote, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (Deus Caritas Est, 1).

 

What a privilege it is to bring Jesus to another person in a way that could change their life forever! But how can we do this? One way is through humble service. In fact, the Master himself showed us the way. In today’s Gospel, Jesus had just finished washing his followers’ feet when he told them to follow his example. He wasn’t just teaching them something; he was showing them how to do it. This has been the way of the Church from the beginning: we share the message of Jesus through our words and our love.6

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the description of Paul’s journey in Acts and the break in the relationship with John Mark. Paul’s kerygma has information and a threat of the consequence of turning from God. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus as I AM and that those who receive His disciples receive Him.

 

An article in Franciscan Media comments that Saint Catherine of Sienna ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1939, she and Francis of Assisi were declared co-patrons of Italy. Pope Paul VI named her and Teresa of Avila as doctors of the Church in 1970. Her spiritual testament is found in The Dialogue.

 

Though she lived her life in a faith experience and spirituality far different from that of our own time, Catherine of Siena stands as a companion with us on the Christian journey in her undivided effort to invite the Lord to take flesh in her own life. Events which might make us wince or chuckle or even yawn fill her biographies: a mystical experience at six, childhood betrothal to Christ, stories of harsh asceticism, her frequent ecstatic visions. Still, Catherine lived in an age which did not know the rapid change of 21st-century mobile America. The value of her life for us today lies in her recognition of holiness as a goal to be sought over the course of a lifetime.7

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explains that the spiritual message is really quite simple, although a very hard one for us to learn. It is saying that nothing is permanent. Apocalyptic literature tells us to be prepared for that, so we won’t be shocked or scandalized when someone dies, or something is destroyed. You might learn this truth the moment after you hear of the death of your mother or father, when the rug is pulled out from beneath you. Or, during that moment when you go to the doctor and get a fatal diagnosis and are told you have three months left to live. Or when your house is destroyed by a tornado or flood in seconds. Apocalyptic literature describes such moments and crises. Again, this message is not meant to be heard as a threat, but as a truth that nothing lasts forever.

 God puts us in a world of passing things where everything changes and nothing remains the same. The only thing that doesn’t change is change itself. It’s a hard lesson to learn. It helps us appreciate that everything is a gift. We didn’t create it. We don’t deserve it. It will not last, but while we breathe it in, we can enjoy it, and know that it is another moment of God, another moment of life. People who take this moment seriously take every moment seriously, and those are the people who are ready for heaven. If religion isn’t leading us into an eternal now, an eternal moment, an always-true moment, an always-love moment, then we have not lived the moment at all.8

Our life experience shows that there are times of great loss and glorious connection to the Divine. Our message to others is in our life story.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042921.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(n.d.). Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Memorial .... Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/04/29/188763/
7	(n.d.). Saint Catherine of Siena | Franciscan Media. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-catherine-of-siena
8	(2021, April 29). Everything Is Passing Away — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://cac.org/everything-is-passing-away-2021-04-29/

 

Preaching and Teaching

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to go beyond literal interpretation to contemplate, in the light, the messages in images and metaphor.

Light in the Cloister

 

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes Barnabas and Saul commissioned by the Apostles to preach in Cyprus.

 

* [13:4–14:27] The key event in Luke’s account of the first missionary journey is the experience of Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14–52). The Christian kerygma proclaimed by Paul in the synagogue was favorably received. Some Jews and “God-fearers” (see note on Acts 8:26–40) became interested and invited the missionaries to speak again on the following sabbath (Acts 13:42). By that time, however, the appearance of a large number of Gentiles from the city had so disconcerted the Jews that they became hostile toward the apostles (Acts 13:44–50). This hostility of theirs appears in all three accounts of Paul’s missionary journeys in Acts, the Jews of Iconium (Acts 14:1–2) and Beroea (Acts 17:11) being notable exceptions.1

In Psalm 67 the Nations are called to praise God.

 

* [Psalm 67] A petition for a bountiful harvest (Ps 67:7), made in the awareness that Israel’s prosperity will persuade the nations to worship its God.2

The Gospel of John presents a summary of Jesus’ teaching.

 * [12:41] His glory: Isaiah saw the glory of Yahweh enthroned in the heavenly temple, but in John the antecedent of his is Jesus.3

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments there is light in this world and our presence at the Eucharist tells us that there is light in this world. But our world is looking at light through cataracts and it keeps saying, as the Pharisees said to Jesus: We are not blind, are we? [Jn. 9: 40].

 

From the cross Jesus said: “they do not know what they are doing” [Lk. 23: 34] and that is the situation with many people today. Our world is not whistling in the dark, because it does not even recognize its darkness. In this darkened world, through baptism we all share in the Lord’s mission to be light, precisely by the way we live. We need to pray for light: for ourselves and for others, for our society, for the world, for all those living in unrecognized darkness.4

Don Schwager quotes “Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father,” by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.

 

"[Our Lord] gradually accustoms their minds to penetrate the depth of the mysteries concerning himself, [leading them] not to the human person but to that which was of the divine essence. He does this inasmuch as the Godhead is apprehended completely in the person of God the Father, for he has in himself the Son and the Spirit. With exceeding wisdom he carries them onward, ... for he does not exclude himself from being believed on by us because he is God by nature and has shone forth from God the Father. But skillfully (as has been said) he handles the mind of the weak to mold them to godliness in order that you might understand him to say something like this: 'When you believe on me - I who, for your sakes, am a man like yourselves, but who also am God by reason of my own nature and because of the Father from whom I exist - do not suppose that it is on a man you are setting your faith. For I am by nature God, notwithstanding that I appear like one of yourselves, and I have within myself him who begat me. Forasmuch therefore as I am consubstantial with him that has begotten me, your faith will assuredly pass on also to the Father himself.' As we said therefore, the Lord, gradually trains them to something better and profitably interweaves the human with what is God-befitting." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 8.7)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 12:24–13:5 comments that Barnabas’ real name was Joseph, but the first apostles nicknamed him Barnabas, which is Aramaic for “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). And that’s exactly what he was. He was always caring for the oppressed, the misunderstood, and the marginalized. He was always seeking to build them up and encourage them.

 

What about you? We all need encouragement. That’s because we can be so accustomed to thinking about where we fall short that we lose sight of God’s gifts to us and the fact that he is calling us to serve him. Don’t fall into that trap! Let Barnabas’ witness encourage you. God has given you special gifts, and he wants you to use them to build up his Church. He may even have a special nickname for you! “Father, help me recognize my gifts and use them for your glory.”6

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the laying of hands on Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark. The dove is the symbol of love in the Hebrew Testament. Friar Jude reminds us of the desire of God to be one with us.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that since the Western mind is literal and analytic, it usually misunderstood both types of literature. We viewed apocalypse as threatening and prophecy as foretelling, and our understanding of both missed the point. The well-known Bible translator Eugene Peterson (1932–2018) understood the symbolic power of the Book of Revelation.

 I read [John’s] Revelation not to get more information but to revive my imagination. “The imagination is our way into the divine Imagination, permitting us to see wholly—as whole and holy—what we perceive as scattered, as order what we perceive as random.” [1] St. John uses words the way poets do, recombining them in fresh ways so that old truth is freshly perceived. He takes truth that has been eroded to platitude by careless usage and sets it in motion before us in an “animated and impassioned dance of ideas.” [2] . . . Familiarity dulls my perceptions. Hurry scatters my attention. Ambition fogs my intelligence. Selfishness restricts my range. Anxiety robs me of appetite. Envy distracts me from what is good and blessed right before me. And then . . . St. John’s apocalyptic vision brings me to my senses, body and soul. [3]7

We contemplate the power of symbols and imagery in deepening our relationship with the Transcendent.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 67 | USCCB. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/67
3	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042821.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
6	(2021, April 28). Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr (Optional Memorial) - Mass .... Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/04/28/188723/
7	(n.d.). Stirring the Imagination, Shaking the Unconscious — Center for .... Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://cac.org/stirring-the-imagination-shaking-the-unconscious-2021-04-28/