Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a) Perhaps the peace worked out at Versailles in 1919 is emblematic of the fleeting peace which the world gives. It may have ended World War I, but it also set the stage for World War II. By imposing so many hardships on Germany, it virtually assured that nation’s rebellion. Surely this is not Jesus’ peace. The peace which Jesus presents in this final supper with his disciples is fully realized only after his resurrection from the dead. On that evening he will appear to disciples with "peace" on his lips. Then he will breathe on them the Holy Spirit who forgiving their sins fills them with power. If this same peace is given to us in Reconciliation or the Eucharist, why do we not always feel it? We need not doubt its presence but must realize our capacity to embrace it has been compromised by mental, psychological and even physical factors, only some of which are we conscious. By praying over God’s word we can allow Jesus’ peace to deepen us so that we might freely love like him.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Acts 14:5-18; John 14:21-26) The Decalogue, of course, refers to the Ten Commandments. But "Decalogue" does not mean "ten commandments" but "ten words." It is as if each commandment is to be considered a separate word of God. With this understanding Jesus' answer to Judas' question about why he does not reveal himself to the world makes more sense. "The world" in John's gospel is the realm of darkness with Satan as its "prince." The world, as Jesus says in today's passage, does not keep his words (really the Father's words) which may be summarized by the commandment to love as he loves. Jesus then does not bother with the world because it refuses to listen to him. It would be as fruitless as trying to teach etiquette in the midst of a food fight. Our evaluation of the world may not be quite as negative as the evangelist John's. In teaching the uncommitted, be they large or small, we may see vestiges of the Holy Spirit. Yet we should not become too optimistic. We may feel the pain of martyrs before we see the word of God taking hold.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6) John Hick was a theologian to ponder but not to follow. With well thought out criticisms of dogma he challenged orthodox Christian thinkers to sharpen their arguments. One of his contentions is that the Bible is written in the language of lovers so that where it claims that Jesus is the way to salvation, one should hear something like a young man saying to his sweetheart, “I cannot live without you.” The first reading today, however, seems to reject such romanticism. Paul does not mince words as he stands up in the synagogue of Antioch Pisidia to tell the Jews that their leaders put Jesus to death. Nothing short of being completely convinced that Jesus is the only savior could have moved him to such bold speech. Behind his conviction, of course, is the singular event of Jesus being raised to eternal life. Since Paul witnessed the resurrected Jesus, he cannot but speak directly to it. We may wonder if we should not be open to new revelations as the apostles expected the people of their time to accept Jesus. We may ask ourselves, “Isn’t God constantly speaking to His people?” Yes, God is giving private revelations, but it is just commentary on the definitive word revealed in the extraordinary man Jesus. He loved, spoke, and acted perfectly. There will never be anyone as worthy to follow.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Feast of Saint Philip and Saint James, apostles (I Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14) Try standing on one foot with your eyes closed. If you last fifteen seconds, consider your balance remarkable. Eyes open and focused make the same feat easy. As sight enhances balance, Jesus' disciples need a new vision to understand what he is talking about in today’s gospel. The reading begins with Jesus responding to Thomas' remark that since the disciples do not know where Jesus is going, how can they know the way? He tells Thomas and the others that he is the way to the Father because he is in the Father and the Father is in him. Then Philip, whose feast day we are celebrating, comments in an equally obtuse way that showing them the Father would be all that is needed. But it is obvious that Jesus’ followers require the Holy Spirit to comprehend that Jesus and the Father are one. (This happens at the end of the gospel when Thomas exclaims to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.) The Spirit provides us with a new way of seeing. It is like a physician having a MRI when making a diagnosis or a soldier having a night vision device on midnight patrol. Its presence allows us to accept Jesus' teaching as not so much demanding as life-giving and then to turn to him in our need.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Saint Athanasius, bishop and doctor (Acts 12:24-13.5a; John 12:44-50) Before the Church affirmed its the aching on Christ's divinity, the issue was mired in controversy. Using ample New Testament evidence, the priest Arius taught that it was logically impossible for Jesus to be God for God's nature is infinite whereas the human soul has limits. Arius said that God becoming human would be like putting a mountain in a box. Half of Christianity including the Roman emperor, it seems, agreed with him. Arius' argument, however, was satisfactorily countered by Athanasius whose feast day we celebrate today. Athanasius was a brilliant priest and later bishop of Alexandria, a center of Greek learning. He answered Arius by agreeing partly with him. If God's nature were only infinite, it would not befit a human. However, Athanasius argued, God's nature is really incomprehensible. As absolute mystery, impenetrable to human reasoning, God could have become human as Scripture with equally ample testimony implies. Today's gospel may be cited as indicating Jesus' divine nature. He says that anyone who sees him sees also the Father who sent him. We hang on such testimony. God cannot be dismissed as modern atheists claim. Although we cannot say anything about His nature as it is shrouded in mystery, we can say that He is compassionate and just because Jesus who reveals the little that we know of God is like that.