Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15)

Many Catholics are clamoring for changes in Church teaching regarding morals.  They believe that its doctrine on homosexuality especially needs to be updated.  It seems that they do now realize if the Church changes its teachings, it would not be Christ’s Church.  The permanency of Church teaching is indicated in today’s gospel reading.

Jesus is telling his disciples that the Holy Spirit will come to “bear all truth.” He takes care in saying that the Spirit will not speak for itself but will declare only what the Father and the Son say.  He may develop what Jesus has already taught but will not add anything new.

In speaking of homosexuality we must be careful not to condemn those who have the condition.  In fact, we should feel compassion for their indisposition to have their own child naturally.  But this is no reason to undermine the truth that sexual intimacy is designed for procreation and support of a family.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

 Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:22-34; John 16:5-11)

In today’s gospel Jesus assures his disciples that the Holy Spirit will take his place.  This, he says, will be to their advantage.  Because physical presence limits him to one place at one time, he cannot be with everyone.  But the Spirit, who is everywhere at once, can be with the Church wherever it goes.  Reminding the disciples of Jesus, the Spirit will help them fulfill their responsibilities.

The Spirit acts as a lawyer who defends the Church by pointing out the shortcomings of its critics.  Today the Spirit convicts the world of individualism run awry.  People want privacy guarantees so that they can do whatever they wish without suffering loss of respect.  The Spirit further convicts the world of righteousness for ignoring the teachings of Jesus.  His emphasis on selfless love has been distorted into fulfilment of sexual desire at any cost.  Finally, the Spirit condemns the world for removing the strictures of sexual intercourse outside of marriage.  Casual sex ruins family bonds that are necessary for moral development and social cohesion.

“Has the Spirit itself likewise gone?” we may want to ask ourselves in this post-Christian age.  No, but it may be dormant if we do not pray for it and move with its promptings.  Within two weeks we will be celebrating the Holy Spirit.  Now is the time to offer ourselves to its control.

Monday, May 15, 2023

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:11-15; John 15:26-16:4a)

 The first reading begins with one of the famous “we” references in the Acts of the Apostles.  Biblical scholars cannot agree to whom the “we” refers.  Is it Paul and the writer of Acts, known as “Luke”?  Or perhaps “we” was found on a page in some apostle’s diary and included in the work by the author?  Or maybe it is a literary device meant to lend authenticity to the work?  Not as interesting, perhaps, but more important is the reference to Lydia.

Lydia is a Greek believer in Judaism.  She accepted Jewish thought but not Jewish eating habits.  She too is waiting for the Messiah when Paul tells her about Jesus.  She is convinced that Jesus is the one and invites Paul and whoever his companion is into her home, probably to learn about him.

We too have much to learn about Jesus.  We have the Scriptures and the testimonies of thousands of learned and faithful disciples.  Perhaps also we can learn from personal experiences with faithful and generous people such as Lydia.

Sunday, May 14, 2023

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

(Acts 8:5-8.14-17; I Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)

We've been hearing rumblings of Mother's Day for over two weeks. It seems that newspaper promotions have tried to sell things as diverse as tacos and Toyotas in our mothers' names. Today we hear rumblings of the Holy Spirit in the gospel. Within two weeks we will be celebrating Pentecost, his feast day. Perhaps we should pay close attention to what rumblings indicate since the Holy Spirit is God.

Jesus says that when he goes to his Father, he will ask Him to send us "another Paraclete", the Holy Spirit. The term “paraclete” may sound strange to us. What is a paraclete? And if the Holy Spirit is another paraclete, who was the first? Paraclete is the Greek word for a lawyer or legal advocate. In any society where Christianity is continually scrutinized (as it unfortunately is in ours), it is necessary to have a capable lawyer. While Jesus is with his disciples, he has acted as his advocate. We remember how he defended his disciples from the accusations of the Pharisees who worked on the Sabbath. Now the Spirit will defend them.

Of course, the Holy Spirit does not have a human form. He can't raise a voice like a lawyer in courtroom. Rather he permeates the atmosphere arranging the proceedings and inspiring his clients. The first reading tells of the apostles laying hands on the Samaritan converts to receive the Spirit lest they fall again under the spell of unclean spirits. The second reading does not mention him, but it is the Holy Spirit who will inspire Christians how to “give…the reasons for their hope”.

Jesus promises the Spirit on one condition. His disciples must keep his commandments. In this Gospel of Saint John the only commandment mentioned is to love one another as Jesus loves all. At first sight this commandment does not seem very difficult to obey.  After all, everyone in the community has the same basic formation and professes the same faith. However, we know that envy and rivalry can arise among the best people. Love requires that we humble ourselves like Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

We need the Holy Spirit to face the thousands of challenges in a post-Christian society. Seeing our neighbors spending Sunday morning relaxing, we wonder why we must attend mass. Reading in the newspaper about the so-called rights to abortion and to gay marriage, we challenge ourselves to answer the false premises of these claims convincingly. The Spirit comes to our aid. He presents us with the truth of the Father and the Son so that we do not fail them in our lives. He inspires us with understanding and wisdom so that our words are on target and our actions consistent with them.

In the Acts of the Apostles there is a reference to the Holy Spirit that is both entertaining and characteristic of life today. Saint Paul asks some disciples if they received the Spirit when they embraced the faith. They reply that they have not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Even though all Christians today may have heard of the Holy Spirit, not all have taken advantage of his support. He stands with us to defend us in our troubles. We can count on the help of the Holy Spirit.

Friday, May 12, 2023

 Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:22-31; John 15:12-17)

Since the rise of Facebook, people have “friends” whom they have never met.  This is not what Jesus has in mind when he calls his disciples “friends” in today’s gospel.

Jesus’ exalted sense of friendship probably stems from the Greek cultural influence in Palestine.  Aristotle taught that there are different kinds of friends.  Some are people just fun to be around.  Others are useful for business purposes.  The most important friends are those with whom one may share the secrets of her or his life.  They love the person so well that they only want what is best for her or him.  One does not have many friends of this type and can be grateful for having just one.

Jesus wants to be our friend.  He is near so that he might hear our deepest desires and disappointments.  He is ready to support our efforts and to console us when we fail.  All he asks of us is to love one another, something like the way in which he loves us.