Monday of the
Fifth Week of Easter
(Acts 14:5-18; John 14:21-26)
Trolling is a word
that has taken new meaning since the Interne came into widespread use. At one time it referred to fishing with a
moving line. Now it is commonly used to
describe the insidious practice of posting negative comments on Internet sites to
provoke discord. Trolling exemplifies
the nasty world that Jesus shuns in today’s gospel.
Jesus tells his disciples that he will reveal himself to
those who love him, but not to the world.
Of course, anyone can read the gospel to learn the content of Jesus’ revelation. But unless one practices Jesus’ commandment
of love, the revelation will go unfulfilled.
It is like the proverbial tree falling in a forest with no one to hear
it. There cannot be revelation in the
first case as there is not sound in the second.
Nevertheless, Christ sends us into the world to proclaim
his resurrection. We meet it and greet
it. We will note hints of openness that
beg dialogue which may even enrich us. Nevertheless,
we need to proceed with care. The world
has its snares that may lead us astray perhaps with more likelihood than we
will be able to lead it to Christ.
