Sunday, May 18, 2025

 

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, May 18, 2025

(Acts 14:21-27; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-33, 34-35)

The Catholic Church has always considered the Gospel according to Saint John to be its richest gospel treasure. More than any other book of the Bible, this gospel portrays Jesus as the incarnate Son of God. The phrase Thomas uses when Jesus offered his hand and side to test him resonates on every page: “My Lord and my God.”

Before we discuss today’s brief gospel reading, it would be helpful to examine a little of the gospel’s make-up. Biblical scholars teach us that after the prologue and before the final conclusion, the work can be divided into two parts: what is called the “book of signs” and the “book of glory.” The first part tells of Jesus performing seven miraculous signs and interpreting each one with the dialogue surrounding it. It is no coincidence that the famous Bread of Life Discourse occurs immediately after the multiplication of the loaves.

The “book of glory” itself shows what the “book of signs” implies. That is, in the words of the Gospel: “God so loves the world that he gave his Son so that whoever believes in him… may have eternal life.” In his Farewell Discourse, Jesus carefully explains the implications of this sacrificial love for his disciples.

Today's reading is taken from the beginning of the Farewell Discourse. Jesus has just washed the feet of his disciples, even those of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. It was such a humble act that not even the Jewish slaves were required to do it. Then Jesus gave the reason for his service. He said, “As I have done for you, you ought to do for one another.” He did not mean that they should literally clean the soles and ankles of one another, but rather that they should serve one another wholeheartedly.

Now Jesus continues to interpret his service. He gives his disciples the commandment of love: “… love one another, as I have loved you.” In other words, that they render service with consideration, care, and self-denial. In Greek, the word most often used for this kind of love is agapan. It is the love that seeks nothing but the good of the other person. Agapan describes best God's love for humankind.

It has been noted that this commandment of love in the Gospel of John is for members of the same community. According to this perspective, Jesus does not command us to love our enemies as in the Sermon on the Mount. However, when he gives the commandment, Jesus has just washed the feet of the same Judas, who already intends to betray him. Jesus does not shy away from loving his enemy here. Nor should we in our service.

The Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote of agapan love that it is different from the love in our dreams. According to him, it is “love in action,” a “hard and terrible” thing. However, let us not waste time worrying about how we can love those who have offended us. The challenge that agapan presents to us is to visit the elderly in nursing homes and to stop and lend a hand to a stranger in need. We learn to love one another, whether our relatives or enemies declared by our government, by seeing in them the likeness of Christ. For, like Jesus, they are images of God, whom we must love above all else.

Friday, May 16, 2025

 

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6)

John’s Gospel states that eternal life consists in knowing Christ.  He provides the company that not only lasts forever but also brings untold joy and peace.  As much as one follows Jesus, as much as one loves others as he has done, that person is on the way to eternal life.  So Jesus can correctly identify himself as the way, the truth, and the life.

Accepting these simple truths with so great implications require faith.  Jesus has implored his disciples to have this faith.  He has worked many signs so that they might believe in him.  He has also demonstrated this same kind of faith in his relationship with the Father. 

As Jesus prayed and trusted in the Father, we should pray and trust in him.  We should not think that our humanness is different from Jesus’.  As he was able to reach beyond the horizon of physical knowledge to what the eye cannot see, so can we.  Doing so will put us on the way of life.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

 

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)

Sometimes individuals excuse themselves from following Christ saying they have not been given faith.  Even though they accept all that Jesus teaches about morals, they halt their allegiance where he speaks of resurrection from the dead and eternal life.  Today’s gospel encourages them to drop rational arguments and go with Jesus.

The "Jews" (what the evangelist John calls the Pharisees and Sadducees) express their difficulties with Jesus's discourse. They don't understand how he came down from heaven if he has parents like everyone else. Unfortunately, they have turned their mindsagainst Jesus.  His words seem like boasting to them. They need to listen more closely not only to Jesus' voice but also to the yearnings of their own hearts for eternal life.

We should not kid ourselves thinking that we could not have joined “the Jews” in their opposition to Jesus.  Many of us are easily convinced when talk turns into action against individuals.  If it is the case, we can thank God for making our faith-journey easy.  We also want to take time to tell others what and why we believe.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

 Feast of Saint Matthias, apostle

 (Acts 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17)

 A mother was concerned about the bad habits developing in her teenage daughter.  She saw as the source of the girl’s vices the friends with whom she was associating.  So the mother challenged the teenager to give up the friends – a move which was initially resented but in time came to be appreciated.  People are not only known by the friends they have but become like them.  For this reason we hear Jesus’ words in today’s gospel with great joy.

From the beginning of the Gospel of John Jesus speaks as the incarnate Son of God.  He lives on a completely different, what might be called a “higher,” plane than other humans.  Because of this divine nature, it seems that humans will always remain subservient to him.  However, in today’s passage Jesus tells his disciples that they have become his friends.  After years under his tutelage they now share deeply and completely Jesus’ own interests.  It is more wonderful than being born into the aristocracy or being made a CEO.

Just as surely as St. Matthias shared friendship with Jesus, so may we.  Of course, it entails keeping his commandment to love both God and neighbor.  It also assumes a continual dialogue with Jesus in prayer.  As his friends, we are to listen to Jesus’ words in the gospel and share with him are own joys and anxieties.  In due time we will find ourselves becoming just like him.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Acts 11:19-26; John 22:30)

Today’s first reading tells of two related milestones. For the first time not only Jews but also non-Jewish Greek speakers were joining Christ’s community.  Also, the community was given the name of “Christian” or, at least its members were called “Christians.”

For the initial years after Jesus’ resurrection, only Jews belonged to the Church.  The Church was a sect of Judaism – Jews who believed that the Messiah had come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  In Antioch, evidently for the first time, non-Jewish Greeks became Church members.  As a result, the community could no longer be considered a Jewish sect.  Its members had to recognize the fact and call themselves “Christians,” that is, followers of Christ.

We are proud to be called “Christians.” Jesus Christ, because he had a divine as well as human nature, lived human ideals to the full.  He modeled to the full truth, goodness, and love.  With the grace that he gives us, we can do something similar.