May 11 - 6th Week of Easter - Tuesday

+ Today we continue our preparation for the Ascension / Pentecost events. On Thursday we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, and ten days after that Pentecost: the great coming of the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth who will teach us all things and make them clear for generations to come. What things?

 

1) That the world is wrong about sin. The world says that sin is about breaking rules. But the Spirit will say that it is about unbelief – refusing to believe in Jesus – refusing to believe that Jesus is the Son of God – come into the world for our salvation.

 

2) The second thing the world is wrong about is righteousness. The world says righteousness is about our trying to get back to God. But the Holy Spirit says that righteousness is about Jesus going to the Father – and then him taking us with him, when it is our time and everything is prepared for us.

 

3) Lastly, the world is wrong about judgment. The world says that judgment spells doom for us. But the Holy Spirit says that judgment spells doom for evil.

 

Therefore, these references to sin, righteousness and judgment have to do with us only in a passive sense; they actually have everything to do with the Messianic activity of Jesus Christ, Son of God in the primary sense – on our behalf, for us and for our salvation. We become winners as a gracious gift and not by our own merits by any stretch of the imagination.

 

The story of how all this works is the “good news,” the gospel that Paul and Silas could not be silenced from preaching at Phillippi. And when a miraculous occurrence happened when they were imprisoned, God used it as a means of conversion for the jailer and his family. And after their conversion the new Christians provided a meal for Paul and Silas. Are we not meant to provide a “meal” of sorts for people every day of our Christian lives – with the fruit and food of good works, kind words and an optimistic atmosphere?

 

It is better for you that I go to the Father, for when I go the Spirit will come to you: and your lives will never be the same.

May 5 - 5th Week of Easter - Wednesday

+ Our readings today are about unity and comm-unity. Jesus makes it very clear that a disciple of his must remain entirely and wholly attached to him like a branch on a vine. A branch cannot live apart from the vine; and even if it could, its fruit would be of a strange variety – being dissociated from the species of which it is meant to be a part. And so, we must remain in Christ so that our fruit is godly fruit, our works are meritorious for our salvation, and our loving is pure and self-sacrificial. There are many in this day and age who are semi-rooted to the vine, or so they think; but the truth is either you are or you aren’t connected to it: either you have the Christ-life flowing through your spiritual veins or the world’s: and if it is the worlds’ then it can never be entirely true, beautiful or just!

 

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas in order to stay rooted on the vine – which is the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, as it was just beginning to take form in the world – decide to go to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and presbyters there about the matter of circumcision of Gentile converts. They did not simply act on their own, but wanted to find out – by the working of the Holy Spirit – in consultation with the others who received the same Spirit at their ordinations – what is to be held or not held in this particular case in the day to day operations of the Church. This is how the Church was set up on Pentecost – it would be guided and informed by the Spirit – and this is how it still operates today. The community is protected, the gathering of personally united persons is guaranteed freedom from error, when acting collegially, and together with the Successor of Peter as their head.

 

And so today, we thank God for joining us to him, for remaining with us and for joining us to one another in a communion of holiness, fraternity and peace. For, we may always now together go to the house of the Lord and give him thanks and praise! Amen! Alleluia!

 

 

May 4 - 5th Week of Easter - Tuesday

+ In the gospel passage today, after announcing his gift of peace to the disciples Jesus reminds them that the peace he offers is not like that of the world; for worldly peace comes and goes being rooted as it is in the fickle ruminations of the hearts of men. But the peace Jesus gives is rooted in God, who is eternal, who is all powerful, and who can consistently keep his promises. And the amazing promise that Jesus makes here on the Father’s behalf, is that not only would there be a deep abiding peace for those who commit themselves to him fully, but there would also be a place of peace in the kingdom to which Jesus would escort each and every person he intended to be there. After making this promise [this is taking place just before the agony in the garden] Jesus says that the price to pay for all this is now fast approaching: it will appear that the ruler of this world [i.e. the devil] will have his way, but this never even was a possibility, although certain things have now to be played out – things commanded by the Father; and Jesus says that he will lovingly and freely do them, because he loves both the Father, and us for whom he is doing these things.

 

St. Paul tells all disciples everywhere and at every time – in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles – that preaching the gospel and proclaiming the kingdom in the world is a risky and dangerous business [as he knew from first-hand experience] – but that it has to be done so that those who are meant to hear the “good news” of Death and Resurrection of the Son of God – may hear it, come to believe and indeed become part of the kingdom through baptism. Paul established so many communities of believers in all of this, and the same faith has persisted and has come down through the ages to us! And now our mouths speak the praises of the Lord and our flesh blesses his holy name! Amen! Alleluia!

May 3 - Sts Philip and James

+ In these days now leading away from Easter, and up to the feasts of the Ascension of Jesus, and then Pentecost, Jesus is trying to give his very last discourses and lessons to his soon to be inaugurated apostles and ambassadors to the world. Today he is making the point – again – because it seems this is a difficult one for the Eleven to hang on to – the Father and I are one! Easy to say, hard to grasp!

 

Philip, the Father, who is in heaven, the one that I taught you to pray to, and I, are one! We are of one substance (consubstantial) as St. Athanasius – whose feast was just yesterday helped define 300 years later at the Council of Nicea – when heretics were trying to say that Jesus not just a creature of the Father, and not one with him or a part of him. No, Jesus repeats to Philip, the Father and I are one, so when you see me, you see the Father, and when you hear me you hear him, because I do not say or do anything that does not come from him: I AM HIS LIVING ENFLESHED SPEECH – in words and in action!

 

And so, if you believe in me – and you believe in what I say and do – you can ask for anything in my name – anything which has to do with helping others and building up the kingdom (this is the only condition) – and I will do it for you! In this way you too will be co-creators with me for a world of justice, peace, and love – and the Father will be pleased – and you will be so joyful to be his son or daughter.

 

That was about Philip, now about James.

 

In the first reading we hear St. Paul telling the Corinthians that the gospel he preaches is what is saving them, and so hang on to it for dear life! I have handed on to you something of immense importance: something that I received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried, and was raised on the third day, then appeared first to Peter, then the Eleven then many others and these were to continue handing on this precious deposit of faith until the end of time.

 

And so along with St. Philip, St. James (not son of Zebedee or brother of John) but rather son of Alphaeus, and Mary who stood at the cross with the mother of Jesus – was one of those sent to tell the Jesus story and to preside over the Church in Jerusalem. This he did until he was clubbed to death in 62, giving his life for his Master, his Lord and his personal Friend, Jesus!

 

For millennia this Jesus story has been told, and the sacraments instituted by Christ have been celebrated, and the life of the Mystical Body of Christ has survived in varying states of glory and disrepair. Each of us has been called to respond with love and generosity to the Holy Spirit’s ever-attentive  plan for the Church that is always underway, making the Church when it cooperates fully, ever fresh and new. I know that on this anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood, (the 46^th), I rededicate myself to the unique and particular role that I still possess now as a retired from active ministry, priest, and I invite you as (other ordained or) baptized members of the Body of Christ to rededicate yourself to your role as well:

 

There is still so much to do in “transliterating” the Message of the GOOD NEWS, and making it touch to the core, touch to the heart, touch to the mind, of every man, woman, and child on the planet – some way, some how! I make this my anniversary prayer and I ask it  in Jesus’ Name hoping it is for God’s glory and the good of God’s beloved people, my friends, neighbors and those assigned to my pastoral care some way, some how  everywhere; hoping that it will be thus answered as promised. Amen!

 

I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord:

Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.