Good and Faithful Service

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today that present overcoming fear as disciples of Christ, resonate with our marking of the death of Pope Francis and celebration of the love and care that characterized his Pontificate.

Remembering a Good and Faithful Servant

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter addresses the Crowd at Pentecost.

* [2:1–41] Luke’s pentecostal narrative consists of an introduction (Acts 2:1–13), a speech ascribed to Peter declaring the resurrection of Jesus and its messianic significance (Acts 2:14–36), and a favorable response from the audience (Acts 2:37–41). It is likely that the narrative telescopes events that took place over a period of time and on a less dramatic scale. The Twelve were not originally in a position to proclaim publicly the messianic office of Jesus without incurring immediate reprisal from those religious authorities in Jerusalem who had brought about Jesus’ death precisely to stem the rising tide in his favor. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, 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 16:6and th). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11). (Psalms, PSALM 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents the encounter with Mary Magdalene and the report of the Guard.

* [28:8] Contrast Mk 16:8 where the women in their fear “said nothing to anyone.”

* [28:9–10] Although these verses are peculiar to Matthew, there are similarities between them and John’s account of the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:17). In both there is a touching of Jesus’ body, and a command of Jesus to bear a message to his disciples, designated as his brothers. Matthew may have drawn upon a tradition that appears in a different form in John. Jesus’ words to the women are mainly a repetition of those of the angel (Mt 28:5a, 7b).

* [28:11–15] This account indicates that the dispute between Christians and Jews about the empty tomb was not whether the tomb was empty but why. (Matthew, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments The Church these past two days have been doing lots of prayerful singing. The two Mary’s go off humming, “How can I keep from singing”. The guards spend their money and lives humming “Within the sound of silence”.

So here’s our Eastering. The invitation is clear, keep singing, keep wondering, keep living without clear explanations and ego-centered demands to know. We too have the option to keep Jesus in the tomb of our fears, “not being enough, what will people say, will I be successful.”

The guards lived in the silence of fear and yet wonder about what really happened back there. Easter Monday is a very good day to be untombed and freed from various forms of silence and perhaps shame. Jesus rises every time we speak with words and gestures of the love and freedom outside our tombs. (Gillick, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “The Easter Alleluia,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God, because it is in praising God that we shall rejoice for ever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to him. Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning. We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust him and are glad; but insofar as possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over; then praise alone will remain." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 28:8-15 invites us to notice what happened next: as the women made their way to the disciples, Jesus met them “and greeted them” (Matthew 28:9). How merciful and loving of the Lord! He didn’t just send his message through an angel but appeared to them himself, assuring them that he truly had risen and comforting them with his presence. Then he spoke directly to their fears, urging them to “not be afraid” (28:10). Jesus didn’t want the shadow of fear clouding their experience. He wanted them to rejoice!

Is fear, uncertainty, or worry clouding your experience of the resurrection today? Yield it to the Lord. Ask him for the grace to experience more fully the deep-down joy of Easter that he so deeply desires for you.

“Risen Christ, I surrender all my fears to you today. Lord, I want to rejoice in the truth of your resurrection!” (Meditation on Matthew 28:8-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the kerygma teaching of Peter to the crowd on Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles. The four Gospels cite differing numbers of women who went to the Tomb and Matthew has two, the number required in the Law to give witness, even when Jewish rules would not accept the testimony of women. Friar Jude notes the apologia in Matthew that refutes the response of the Jewish authorities to the events surrounding the empty tomb.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches that Jesus’ resurrection is a universal pattern we can trust. Reality rolls through cycles of death and resurrection, death and resurrection, death and resurrection. In the raising up of Jesus, we’re assured that this is the pattern for everything—that we, and anybody who is suffering—is also going to be raised up.

Of course, it’s an act of faith on our side. In our experience, our most cherished people, pets, and even places, fade away—but Jesus is the archetype of the shape of the universe. To believe in Jesus is to believe that all of this is going somewhere and that God is going to make it so. All we have to do is stay on the train, stay on the wave, trusting that by our crucifixions, we would be allowed to fail, fumble and die, and be transformed by grace and by God.  

Easter is the great feast of the triumph of universal grace, the triumph of universal salvation, not just the salvation of the body of Jesus. What we’re talking about creates a people of hope, and a culture of hope that doesn’t slip into cynicism and despair. Easter is saying, we don’t need to go there. Love is going to win. Life is going to win. Grace is going to win. Hallelujah! (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the action on our journey that will proclaim our relationship with Jesus and encourage our faithfulness as we celebrate Pope Francis' Pontificate of love, inclusion, compassion, and mercy.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/2?14 

Gillick, L. (2025, April 21). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042125.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/28?8 

Meditation on Matthew 28:8-15. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/21/1259521/ 

Psalms, PSALM 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). An Example for Us All. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-example-for-us-all/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr21 

Love Obedience and Healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the resonance of the Cross of Jesus in our experience of Love on our journey.

The Cross and our Journey

 

The reading from the Book of Numbers describes the Bronze Serpent ‘that (a) person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.’

* [21:8] Everyone who has been bitten will look at it and recover: in the Gospel of John this scene is regarded as a type for the crucifixion of Jesus (Jn 3:14–15).1

 

Psalm 78 praises God’s Goodness and Israel’s ingratitude.

 

* [Psalm 78] A recital of history to show that past generations did not respond to God’s gracious deeds and were punished by God making the gift into a punishment. Will Israel fail to appreciate God’s act—the choosing of Zion and of David? The tripartite introduction invites Israel to learn the lessons hidden in its traditions (Ps 78:1–4, 5–7, 8–11); each section ends with the mention of God’s acts. There are two distinct narratives of approximately equal length: the wilderness events (Ps 78:12–39) and the movement from Egypt to Canaan (Ps 78:40–72). The structure of both is parallel: gracious act (Ps 78:12–16, 40–55), rebellion (Ps 78:17–20, 56–58), divine punishment (Ps 78:21–31, 59–64), God’s readiness to forgive and begin anew (Ps 78:32–39, 65–72). While the Psalm has been thought to reflect the reunification program of either King Hezekiah (late eighth century) or King Josiah (late seventh century) in that the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim, Joseph) is especially invited to accept Zion and the Davidic king, a postexilic setting is also possible. Notable is the inclusion of the David-Zion tradition into the history of Israel recounted in the sources of the Pentateuch.2 

The reading from the Letter to the Philippians is a plea for unity and humility as Jesus ‘became obedient to the point of death’.

* [2:6–11] Perhaps an early Christian hymn quoted here by Paul. The short rhythmic lines fall into two parts, Phil 2:6–8 where the subject of every verb is Christ, and Phil 2:9–11 where the subject is God. The general pattern is thus of Christ’s humiliation and then exaltation. More precise analyses propose a division into six three-line stanzas (Phil 2:6; 7abc, 7d–8, 9, 10, 11) or into three stanzas (Phil 2:6–7ab, 7cd–8, 9–11). Phrases such as even death on a cross (Phil 2:8c) are considered by some to be additions (by Paul) to the hymn, as are Phil 2:10c, 11c.3 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains to Nicodemus ‘God so loved the world’.

* [3:14] Lifted up: in Nm 21:9 Moses simply “mounted” a serpent upon a pole. John here substitutes a verb implying glorification. Jesus, exalted to glory at his cross and resurrection, represents healing for all.4 

  Rev. Richard Gabuzda comments that to proclaim anything good concerning a crucifixion would be an absurdity to anyone who thought about it.  What is it that has made this gruesome instrument of torture into something to be exalted, to be a cause for rejoicing?

In his lifting up on the Cross, Jesus took upon himself the “poison” which afflicts the human race, a poison which leads to a fatal illness far greater than any disease of the body.  The poison that Jesus drank was sin and death itself.  In drinking that cup, in experiencing death, he defeated death, and was raised up, exalted, victorious.5 

  Don Schwager comments that Jesus explains to Nicodemus, one of the chief leaders of the Jewish nation, that he is the "Son of Man" sent by the Father in heaven to restore our broken relationship with God. The "Son of Man" is a key Old Testament title for the Messiah who comes from heaven to establish God's kingdom on the earth (see the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14). (copyright © 2021 Servants of the Word, source:  dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager).

 

Don Schwager quotes “Story of Moses and the bronze serpent,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"This story is a type of the whole mystery of the incarnation. For the serpent signifies bitter and deadly sin, which was devouring the whole race on the earth... biting the Soul of man and infusing it with the venom of wickedness. And there is no way that we could have escaped being conquered by it, except by the relief that comes only from heaven. The Word of God then was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, 'that he might condemn sin in the flesh' (Romans 8:3), as it is written. In this way, he becomes the Giver of unending salvation to those who comprehend the divine doctrines and gaze on him with steadfast faith. But the serpent, being fixed upon a lofty base, signifies that Christ was clearly manifested by his passion on the cross, so that none could fail to see him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.1)6 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 3:13-17 comments that it may seem odd to hunt so fervently, build a basilica, and have a feast day to celebrate the instrument of torture that killed the Son of God. But Saint Helena knew that this cross is also the instrument of our salvation. She knew that the cross brings us forgiveness, healing from the wounds of sin, and strength for our journey to heaven.

St. Helena devoted herself to finding the true cross, and God rewarded her greatly for it. Today, let’s devote ourselves to finding the power of this cross in our lives: the power to heal, to save, and to strengthen all who gaze upon it in faith. Happy Roodmas! “Lord, I come to your cross in thanksgiving for your sacrifice. Heal me. Forgive me. Strengthen me.”7

 

Franciscan Media shares The Story of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox alike, celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the September anniversary of the basilica’s dedication. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim.

The cross is today the universal image of Christian belief. Countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be carried in procession or worn as jewelry. To the eyes of the first Christians, it had no beauty. It stood outside too many city walls, decorated only with decaying corpses, as a threat to anyone who defied Rome’s authority—including Christians who refused sacrifice to Roman gods. Although believers spoke of the cross as the instrument of salvation, it seldom appeared in Christian art unless disguised as an anchor or the Chi-Rho until after Constantine’s edict of toleration.8 

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the totemistic approach to healing in Numbers and among pilgrims at Fatima and Lourdes. ‘How much self-emptying?’ is a question raised by Jesus kenosis and applied to our journey. Friar Jude reminds us of the redefinition of glory as the Love of God on the Cross in the Gospel of John.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that in the first five centuries of Christianity, many of the church fathers affirmed universal salvation. It seems we were much more hopeful at the beginning that the Gospel really was universally good news! Carlton Pearson, a former evangelical megachurch pastor, completed a thorough study of the ancient message of universal salvation. He shares quotes from several early church fathers and founders. Archimandrite Sophrony includes an excerpt from a conversation between St. Silouan (1866–1938), a monk and Orthodox Staretz (elder), and a hermit.

[There was] a certain hermit who declared [to Silouan] with evident satisfaction: ‘God will punish all atheists. They will burn in everlasting fire.’ Obviously upset, the Staretz said: ‘Tell me, supposing you went to paradise and there looked down and saw somebody burning in hell-fire—would you feel happy?’ ‘It can’t be helped. It would be their own fault,’ said the hermit. The Staretz answered him with a sorrowful countenance. ‘Love could not bear that,’ he said. ‘We must pray for all.’ [5]9 

The Cross speaks to Christians about self denial and love for all in which we are called to grow through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

 

References

1	(n.d.). Numbers, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/21
2	(n.d.). Psalm 78 - USCCB. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/78
3	(n.d.). Philippians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/2
4	(n.d.). John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3
5	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/091421.html
6	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=sep14a
7	(2021, September 14). Daily Meditation - The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/09/14/199001/
8	(n.d.). Exaltation of the Holy Cross | Franciscan Media. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/exaltation-of-the-holy-cross
9	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: 2021 - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://cac.org/universal-good-news-2021-09-14/