Becoming One

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the prayer of Jesus that we become one in our journey in life.

Becoming One

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the events that follow from Paul’s appearance before the Council.

* [23:11] The occurrence of the vision of Christ consoling Paul and assuring him that he will be his witness in Rome prepares the reader for the final section of Acts: the journey of Paul and the word he preaches to Rome under the protection of the Romans. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 23, n.d.)

Psalm 16 is a song of Trust and Security in God.

* [Psalm 16] In the first section, the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11). (Psalms, PSALM 16, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, the final discourse prayer of Jesus focuses on becoming one with Jesus and the Father.

* [17:1–26] Climax of the last discourse(s). Since the sixteenth century, this chapter has been called the “high priestly prayer” of Jesus. He speaks as intercessor, with words addressed directly to the Father and not to the disciples, who supposedly only overhear. Yet the prayer is one of petition, for immediate (Jn 17:6–19) and future (Jn 17:20–21) disciples. Many phrases reminiscent of the Lord’s Prayer occur. Although still in the world (Jn 17:13), Jesus looks on his earthly ministry as a thing of the past (Jn 17:4, 12). Whereas Jesus has up to this time stated that the disciples could follow him (Jn 13:33, 36), now he wishes them to be with him in union with the Father (Jn 17:12–14). (John, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)

Michael Cherney finds the high point of the year to be Pentecost. This is the day that faith is strengthened. The experience of a resurrected Jesus is Paul’s message.

My prayer today is an expression of desire for the Holy Spirit. I do not have the confidence of Jesus or Paul. I have doubts and worries. I do not pray for the ability to put aside these failings that hold me back. Instead I pray for the pending gift of the Spirit to confront and overcome my weaknesses.

Jesus and your Saint Paul, you provide the examples of lives of faith and commitment. I am weak and uncertain. I ask for your intercession that I may share your commitment to action and the internal joy that the Holy Spirit may bring. In the words that I remember from the Church of my childhood: Veni, Sancte Spiritus. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Prayer of unity for all who believe,” by Cyprian of Carthage - first martyr bishop of Africa, 200-258 A.D.

"The Lord's loving-kindness, no less than his mercy, is great in respect of our salvation in that, not content to redeem us with his blood, he in addition prayed for us. See now what the desire of his petition was, that just as the Father and Son are one, so also we should abide in absolute unity. From this, it may be evident how greatly someone sins who divides unity and peace, since even the Lord himself petitioned for this same thing. He no doubt desired that his people should in this way be saved and live in peace since he knew that discord cannot come into the kingdom of God." (excerpt from THE LORD'S PRAYER 30.1) (Schwager, 2022)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 comments that In just a few words, Jesus made clear to Paul that God hadn’t abandoned him. Paul might not have known the future, but God knew where he was and where he would go—and why. God had a plan for Paul and promised to walk beside him every step of the way. This encounter must have been so reassuring. Paul likely held on to these words when he faced questioning, trial, imprisonment, and eventually martyrdom.

Jesus’ words may not diminish the gravity of your situation or change your circumstances, but they do carry grace. This grace gives you strength and the reassurance that God’s hand is on your life. It tells you that Someone who loves you with unfathomable love is walking with you through all the uncertainty. Today, let Jesus speak these words to you. Ask him to fill you with grace, to encourage you, and to strengthen and comfort you. Whatever you are facing, whatever uncertainties lie ahead, take courage. Jesus is your strength. He holds your future in his hands. “Jesus, help me to have courage to face the uncertainties ahead.” (Meditation on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11, 2022)

Friar Jude Winkler discusses Paul’s appearance before the Sanhedrin for bringing a Gentile into the synagogue. Paul, educated as a Pharisee, under Gamaliel  plays on theological differences between Pharisees and Sadducees on rising from the dead. Friar Jude notes the meaning of Christian Baptism is entry into the life of the Trinity portrayed in dance around each other in Eastern Christianity, intimate and filled with vitality.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a poem by CAC board member Drew Jackson who is a pastor and poet. In this poem, published in the latest issue of Oneing, Jackson grapples with the paradox of what is seen and unseen, inviting us to stand patiently in the unknowing.

This Unveiling

This is

the pressing question

of every age:

         What is it that we cannot see?

For life is hiddenness,

as is God,

and we have been given

the gift of searching.

The unseen works on us, always.

         Waves pulsing through our flesh, unfelt.

Forces pulling at our bodies. Forces

putting black bodies in cells en masse.

Each one underneath a veil of opacity that we call law.

All that is hidden

is meant to be

revealed,

yet revelation cannot be achieved.

It comes when it comes,

when it wants to unearth itself—

fall from the heavens like light

to those who have insisted it lay itself bare.

This unveiling,

daring us

to live differently. (Rohr, 2022)

As we live the events of our life, we are called to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us to those actions that resonate with Jesus' prayer that we become one.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/23 

Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/060222.html 

John, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/17?21 

Meditation on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11. (2022, June 2). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/06/02/399187/ 

Psalms, PSALM 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, June 2). What Is It We Cannot See? Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/what-is-it-we-cannot-see-2022-06-02/ 

Schwager, D. (2022, June 2). May They Become Perfectly One. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jun2 

Leaving the Truth of Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the truth that describes our place on our journey as we seek patience to respond to the guidance of the Spirit for our next steps.

Patience and Truth on the Path

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is Paul’s farewell speech at Miletus.

* [20:16–35] Apparently aware of difficulties at Ephesus and neighboring areas, Paul calls the presbyters together at Miletus, about thirty miles from Ephesus. He reminds them of his dedication to the gospel (Acts 20:18–21), speaks of what he is about to suffer for the gospel (Acts 20:22–27), and admonishes them to guard the community against false prophets, sure to arise upon his departure (Acts 20:28–31). He concludes by citing a saying of Jesus (Acts 20:35) not recorded in the gospel tradition. Luke presents this farewell to the Ephesian presbyters as Paul’s last will and testament. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 20, n.d.)

Psalm 68 offers praise and thanksgiving to God.

* [Psalm 68] The Psalm is extremely difficult because the Hebrew text is badly preserved and the ceremony that it describes is uncertain. The translation assumes the Psalm accompanied the early autumn Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), which included a procession of the tribes (Ps 68:25–28). Israel was being oppressed by a foreign power, perhaps Egypt (Ps 68:31–32)—unless Egypt stands for any oppressor. (Psalms, PSALM 68, n.d.)

The Gospel of John is the departing prayer of Jesus for his disciples.

* [17:1–26] Climax of the last discourse(s). Since the sixteenth century, this chapter has been called the “high priestly prayer” of Jesus. He speaks as intercessor, with words addressed directly to the Father and not to the disciples, who supposedly only overhear. Yet the prayer is one of petition, for immediate (Jn 17:6–19) and future (Jn 17:20–21) disciples. Many phrases reminiscent of the Lord’s Prayer occur. Although still in the world (Jn 17:13), Jesus looks on his earthly ministry as a thing of the past (Jn 17:4, 12). Whereas Jesus has up to this time stated that the disciples could follow him (Jn 13:33, 36), now he wishes them to be with him in union with the Father (Jn 17:12–14). (John, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)

Andy Alexander, S.J. (2003) asks how is it that we are so far from being "one"? There are divisions in our families, our parish and faith communities that discourage us.  And, there are terrible divisions in the world.

When Jesus says he "consecrates" us in the truth, perhaps he means that there's a sacredness in each of us that is, with the spark of grace, ready to live in the truth of who we are.  The spark of grace is to experience the love Jesus has for us.  He gave his very self for us - forsaking all the options that might have seemed "better for me."  And he did this so that you and I might give our very selves to our marriage, our priesthood, our relationships, our communities, every good we try to do with others.   Consecrated to the truth of who we are - for others, not for ourselves - we can be one - just as Jesus and the Father are one. (Alexander, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Bond of Christian Unity in Love,” by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.

"Christ wishes the disciples to be kept in a state of unity by maintaining a like-mindedness and an identity of will, being mingled together as it were in soul and spirit and in the law of peace and love for one another. He wishes them to be bound together tightly with an unbreakable bond of love, that they may advance to such a degree of unity that their freely chosen association might even become an image of the natural unity that is conceived to exist between the Father and the Son. That is to say, he wishes them to enjoy a unity that is inseparable and indestructible, which may not be enticed away into a dissimilarity of wills by anything at all that exists in the world or any pursuit of pleasure, but rather reserves the power of love in the unity of devotion and holiness. And this is what happened. For as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, 'the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul' (Acts 4:32), that is, in the unity of the Spirit. This is also what Paul himself meant when he said 'one body and one Spirit' (Ephesians 4:4). 'We who are many are one body in Christ for we all partake of the one bread' (1 Corinthians 10:17; Romans 12:5), and we have all been anointed in the one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13)." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11.9.18) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us  Meditation on John 17:11-19 comments that the truth is, we need to be united. We need to love one another. Without love, our hearts shrivel up. Cynicism, bitterness, and suspicion overtake humility, generosity, and perseverance. Instead of coming together, we isolate ourselves, and our words and our lives become like a “resounding gong or a clashing cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Right now, you’re probably thinking of one or two situations in which you could be more loving. That could be the Spirit urging you to take the next step toward unity. So take that step, and know that Jesus himself is praying for you. “Lord, make us one in you!" (Meditation on John 17:11-19, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler explains the decision of Paul to call the presbyters together at Miletus rather than Ephesus. Paul underlines his opposition to the Sophists as he warns against influences that would bring heretical beliefs to the community. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus' involvement with his disciples models for us relationships that are involved with people’s lives.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, recalls that on a bird watching trip in Baja, Mexico, theologian Douglas Christie reflected on the need for patience and letting go of control so that we can see in a new way. What is being asked of us in this moment is patient attention; a willingness to slow down, listen, and look; a willingness to let go of our expectations, to accept the possibility that our efforts may not bear any fruit—or at least not in the way we have been hoping that they will.

The French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil (1909–1943) once noted: “We do not obtain the most precious gifts by going in search of them but by waiting for them.” [1] This idea comes back to me in this moment with new force and meaning. I smile to think of my own impatience, my relative incapacity to wait for much of anything. I wonder what this is about. Why do I put so much stock in my ability to seek and find what I am looking for? . . . Why is it so difficult for me to wait for things to unfold, to reveal themselves? . . .  The idea that what we most deeply desire must ultimately reveal itself to us is not easy to accept. It suggests a relinquishment of control that most of us, if we are being honest, find difficult to practice. There is too much risk, too much vulnerability. Yet the willingness to relinquish control and open ourselves to the mysterious unknown is at the heart of every great spiritual tradition. In the Gospel tradition, it is described as becoming again like a child, or being born anew: learning to see with fresh eyes. [2] (Rohr, 2022)

We are reminded of the truth that is revealed about our journey when we wait on the Spirit for guidance and direction.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 20. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/20?28 

Alexander, A. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/060122.html 

John, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/17?11 

Meditation on John 17:11-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/06/01/398541/ 

Psalms, PSALM 68. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/68?29 

Rohr, R. (2022, June 1). Waiting for Things to Unfold. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/waiting-for-things-to-unfold-2022-06-01/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jun1