The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the Christian Way of teaching and ministry on our journey.
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians declares the Resurrection of Christ.
* [15:1–11] Paul recalls the tradition (1 Cor 15:3–7), which he can presuppose as common ground and which provides a starting point for his argument. This is the fundamental content of all Christian preaching and belief (1 Cor 15:1–2, 11).
* [15:3–7] The language by which Paul expresses the essence of the “gospel” (1 Cor 15:1) is not his own but is drawn from older credal formulas. This credo highlights Jesus’ death for our sins (confirmed by his burial) and Jesus’ resurrection (confirmed by his appearances) and presents both of them as fulfillment of prophecy. In accordance with the scriptures: conformity of Jesus’ passion with the scriptures is asserted in Mt 16:1; Lk 24:25–27, 32, 44–46. Application of some Old Testament texts (Ps 2:7; 16:8–11) to his resurrection is illustrated by Acts 2:27–31; 13:29–39; and Is 52:13–53:12 and Hos 6:2 may also have been envisaged. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)
Psalm 19 praises God’s Glory in Creation and the Law.
* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.
* [19:4] No speech, no words: the regular functioning of the heavens and the alternation of day and night inform human beings without words of the creator’s power and wisdom.
* [19:5] The sun: in other religious literature the sun is a judge and lawgiver since it sees all in its daily course; Ps 19:5b–7 form a transition to the law in Ps 19:8–11. The six synonyms for God’s revelation (Ps 19:8–11) are applied to the sun in comparable literature. (Psalms, PSALM 19, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares He is the Way, Truth, and Life.
* [14:4] The way: here, of Jesus himself; also a designation of Christianity in Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.
* [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).
* [14:7] An alternative reading, “If you knew me, then you would have known my Father also,” would be a rebuke, as in Jn 8:19.
* [14:8] Show us the Father: Philip is pictured asking for a theophany like Ex 24:9–10; 33:18. (John, CHAPTER 14, n.d.)
Maureen McCann Waldron comments that the gospel has a remarkable message today as Jesus says whoever believes in him “will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” He is inviting us to really put our faith in him and from the strength of that faith we will continue with his works and his ministry.
My marriage changed many years ago when I realized that I wanted to do more for my husband not because I was supposed to, but because I love him. I had to stop keeping score and simply love him better. That kind of love renewed our marriage. It’s consoling to realize my relationship with Jesus can be renewed in the same way, not because I am supposed to integrate Jesus into my life but because I want to.
Jesus, help me to be more aware of your presence with me today, and to remember to talk to you, and to listen. Then, not only can I think of the works of mercy and healing you did, but I can do them in my own life, my family and my world. (McCann, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “All nature serves for our instruction,” by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.
"All nature serves the Word of God for our instruction. Through all the turning points of the year, as if through the four Gospels, we learn from the unceasing trumpet both what we should preach and what we should do... What is there through which the truth does not speak to us? Its voice is heard in the day, it is heard in the night, and the beauty of all things, established by the work of one God, does not cease to put into the ears of our hearts a ruling order, to let us see the 'invisible things of God through those which have been made intelligible to us,' and it is subject not to the creatures but to the Creator of all things." (excerpt from Sermon 19,2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 14:6-14 comments that in AD 560, the relics of Sts. Philip and James (the lesser) were formally brought to the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome and placed under the main altar there. To commemorate the event, this new feast day was added to the Church calendar.
Two very different apostles—a missionary and a pastor. Two very important themes—deepening our faith and pairing that faith with action. Taken together, Philip and James show us that the Christian life is meant to change our actions and our inner thoughts and understanding. May we always follow their example!
“Lord, teach me how to deepen my faith in my thoughts and in my deeds.” (Meditation on John 14:6-14, n.d.)
Franciscan Media reflects on the lives of Philip and James.
As in the case of the other apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not a matter of human achieving. All power is God’s power, even the power of human freedom to accept his gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, announce the kingdom. They learned, gradually, that these externals were sacraments of an even greater miracle inside their persons—the divine power to love like God. (Saints Philip and James, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the gutsy nature of the kerygma Paul declares to the Corinthians. Greek philosophy sought the liberation of the spirit from the limitations of the body and this made resurrection a challenging concept for some. Friar Jude reminds us that our prayer life is not a way to get what we want but it expresses our relationship with Jesus and the Father.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that liminal space often transforms us when we are attentive to the presence of God in times of change. The Latin word limen means “threshold.” Liminal space is an inner state and sometimes an outer situation where we can begin to think and act in new ways. It is where we are betwixt and between, in transition, having left one room or stage of life but not yet entered the next. We usually enter liminal space when our former way of being is challenged or changed—perhaps when we lose a job or a loved one, during illness, at the birth of a child, or a major relocation. It is a graced time, but often does not feel “graced” in any way. In such space, we are not certain or in control.
Over the decades, I’ve seen the need for such liminal spaces again and again. Without some sort of guidance and reframing, we don’t understand the necessary ebb and flow of life, the ascents and descents, and the need to embrace our tears and our letting go as well as our successes and our triumphs. Without standing on the threshold for much longer than we’re comfortable, we won’t be able to see beyond ourselves to the broader and more inclusive world that lies before us.
Revelation 3:20 tells us that Christ stands at the door and knocks. Too many of us want to show up at the doorway looking prim and proper and perfect. We stuff our egos and anxieties in the front hall closet so Christ won’t see them when we open the door. But Christ isn’t showing up to see our perfect selves. Instead, we are invited into a real, deep, transformative conversation, there on the threshold between who we are and who we can become, if we are willing to let go of what holds us back. [2] (Rohr, 2023)
We are prompted by the Spirit to piety, study, and action so that we might exercise our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader in relationship with Christ.
References
John, CHAPTER 14. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14?6
McCann, M. (2023, May 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/050323.html
Meditation on John 14:6-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/05/03/670878/
1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15?1
Psalms, PSALM 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?2
Rohr, R. (2023, May 3). Holy Transitions — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/holy-transitions-2023-05-03/
Saints Philip and James. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-philip-and-james/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=may3a
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