Saturday, 31 May 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014 - THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD - WILL YOU 'MAKE DISCIPLE' OF AT LEAST ONE PERSON TODAY?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 1:1-11;Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28: 16-20
Though the First and Second
readings and the Responsorial Psalm are common for all three years, A, B and C,
the Gospel readings differ on Ascension Sunday. In year A the Church reads from
Matthew, in year B from the longer and canonical endings of Mark (Mk 16:15-20)
and in year C from the last chapter and verses of Luke (Lk 24:46-53). While
Mark and Luke clearly mention the details of Jesus ascending into heaven,
Matthew does not. Yet, the scene in Matthew conveys a depth of meaning that the
other Synoptic Gospels find difficult to match.
Matthew’s text is made up of
two parts. The first of these is the encounter of the disciples with the Risen
Lord on the mountain in Galilee and the second is the commission which the
Risen Lord gives to his disciples. The encounter with the disciples is
described as a matter of fact, as an event which takes place ordinarily. The
response of the disciples to the appearance of Jesus is worship mixed with
doubt. This is to indicate that the Risen Jesus comes to a Church that worships
but also wavers, while it believes also
hesitates, while it has faith also doubts. This is the Church to which the
commission is given. The text focuses on the words of the Risen Jesus. The
universalizing “all” before the revelation which Jesus makes about his
authority, before the commission that he gives the disciples, and before
assuring them of his abiding presence, makes the whole scene universal in
scope. The local mission of Jesus has become now universal.
The first reading from the Acts
of the Apostles already sets the tone for the Universal mission which the
disciples are given. Here they are commissioned to be witnesses not only in
Jerusalem but to the ends of the earth. However, even as they are commissioned
they are cautioned about two things. The first is patience. They must wait for
the gift of the Spirit with openness and receptivity. The second is that it is
not for them to know too many details about time, place and the like. Their job
is only to be witnesses. To use the words of St Francis of Assisi, they are
called to “proclaim the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” They
were meant to be those who could give evidence for what they have seen and
heart. They could not be witnesses unless they had met the Risen Christ –
unless their lives have been transformed by him. Their testimony was about him,
not just about what happened long ago and far away. They were to give evidence
about what they themselves have heard, seen, experienced.
The evidence that they were to
give and the message that they were to proclaim, was good news. The message was
hope and light and love. It was a message which Jesus himself had taught them
and this is what they were to teach. This was why even before Jesus sent them
out, he made explicit that the authority was his and not theirs. Their job was
not to usurp this authority, but simply to welcome all peoples to make the same
discovery that they had made in their faith journey, the discovery of the God
of light and of goodness, of mercy and of compassion, of justice and of
reconciliation – and not impose their own cultural values or traditions in the
process. It was allowing other to make that discovery freely and joyfully.
Authority has been given to Christ.
This was remembered by
Christians in the first century as is evident in the community living which
resulted from the witnesses to the words and deeds of Jesus. They also realized
that the Church was but the body of the Risen Christ and so had to continue to
be an extension of him who was raised.
The missionary movement of the
Church stemming from the mission command of Jesus continued and does so even
today. There are moments in the Church’s history when we see truly gracious,
noble, altruistic and selfless acts of dedication and service. A lot of good
has been done in every continent and corner of the earth, because the Church
continued to take seriously the command of Jesus.
However, it is also true that
sometimes we, as Church, seemed to have forgotten the real message and
concentrated on getting converts to the faith at any cost. This has left in
some places a memory of hurt, pain, loss and even suffering. We have sometimes
missed the point. The mistake that we sometimes make is to forget that the
authority rests with Jesus and not with us. Our role continues to be only that
of proclaimers who will “disciple” peoples everywhere by teaching them through
our lives what Jesus has commanded us and done in us.
Friday, 30 May 2014
Saturday, May 31, 2014 - Do you remember to add at the end of your prayer the words “not my, but your will be done”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts18:23-28; Jn 16:23-28
The death, resurrection, and
ascension of Jesus will be the event that will enable the disciples to pray,
not only in Jesus’ name, but like he prayed. Through this event, the disciples
will enter into a new relationship with Jesus and with God through him. This
relationship will be a relationship of love. As God showed his love for the world
in sending Jesus, and Jesus showed his love for the world by accepting the
cross, so the disciples have shown love for Jesus and God by accepting and
believing that Jesus has come from God.
In the last verse of today’s
text the entire mission of Jesus is summarized. Jesus has been sent by God and
has come from God. After completing the mission entrusted to him, he is
returning to where he has come from: God. The story of Jesus, which began with
his coming from the Father ends, but also continues with his ascending to the
Father.
Prayer in Jesus’ name and
praying like Jesus means to believe, before we receive something, that it will
be given to us. It is a confidence that God is on our side. We may not always
be able to see at first glance how what we receive is for our good, much like
the cross that Jesus carried. However, it means that we continue to trust and
believe that all will be well because God is always in control of any and every
situation.
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014 - What causes sorrow in you? Can you be described as primarily a “happy” person? If No, why not?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts18:9-18; Jn 16:20-23
Jesus explains in these
verses how the disciple’s sorrow will turn to joy. The metaphor of child birth
is used to explain the in-breaking of God’s kingdom. Just as the birth of a
child turns the pain of the mother into joy, so the in-breaking of God’s
kingdom will turn the disciples’ sorrow into joy. Jesus’ appearance to the
disciples after his death will be the cause of their sorrow turning to joy.
This joy will not be temporary, but permanent, and no one or event will be able
to take it away. This is because the whole of life’s perspective will change
and the disciples will become a new people, a new creation. On that day, all
the questions of the disciples will cease because nothing will need to be
explained. It will be as clear as it needs to be.
Sorrow and joy are common
everyday experiences of all humans. Sorrow is caused when things do not go the
way we expect them to or when people do not respond in the way we want them to.
When our expectations are not met, we feel sad and upset. However, after the
resurrection of Jesus and his presence among us in his Spirit, sorrow can never
be an enduring experience for a believer. It is always temporary. Joy is
permanent. This joy is not caused by the happening or not happening of events,
it is not caused by our expectations being fulfilled, but by a realization
that, in Jesus, God always wants what is best for us and will never do anything
that is not for our good and for his glory. It is a realization that, in Jesus,
we are loved unconditionally by a God who is Father and who always wants what
is best for his sons and daughters.
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014 - Can you be courageous even when it seems that the whole world is conspiring against you?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts18:1-8; Jn 16:16-20
In the first verse of
today’s reading, 16:16 ,
the focus is turned back from the Paraclete to the impending departure of Jesus
and the response of the disciples to that departure. The first “little while”
in this verse refers to the time before his death, which Jesus sees as fast
approaching, whereas the second “little while” refers to the events after his
death to his resurrection appearances and even beyond. The disciples are not
able to understand the meaning of Jesus’ words and keep questioning among
themselves what they mean.
Though they have not
addressed Jesus with their questions, he is aware of what they are discussing.
Yet, he does not answer their question directly, but moves the question to a
new direction. A new teaching is introduced by the use of the words, “Amen,
amen”. There will be contrasting responses to the death of Jesus. The disciples
will weep and mourn, whereas the “world”, which here must be translated as
those opposed to the revelation of God in Jesus, will rejoice. However, this will only be a temporary
response. The pain and sorrow of the disciples will soon turn to joy.
It is easy to be happy and
believe that God is on our side when things go the way we want. However, when
we are faced with obstacles and difficulties, when we do not get the due we
think we deserve and, when the road is steep and the going is difficult, then
we begin to wonder if God is on our side. The text of today is a call to
believe, even in the most difficult circumstances. It is a call to know that
there will be joy, even in the midst of pain, and happiness, even in the midst
of sorrow. It is a call to have faith and see the risen Jesus, even as he hangs
on the cross, and to see in the crosses that we have to carry every day, our
own resurrection.
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - What contemporary symbol describes Jesus for you? How will you share this symbol with at least one other person today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 17:15,22-18:1; Jn16:12-15
The Paraclete is mentioned
for the last time in the Farewell Discourse in these verses. Jesus has taught
the disciples all that they are to know and understand about the present time.
There is nothing more about the present that he can say to them. What they need
to know about the future will be revealed to them at the appropriate time and
when the Spirit that is sent comes. This means that, even when they are faced
with the future which is uncertain, God’s presence will be with them. They are
not alone. The Paraclete is the “spirit of truth” since he comes from Jesus,
who is “the truth” and will guide the disciples into the way of truth, into the
way of Jesus. Since the Paraclete will be sent by Jesus, he will only explicate
and make clearer what Jesus has already said. He will not give a new teaching
but will continue what Jesus has begun. As Jesus taught what he heard from God,
so the Paraclete will teach what he hears from Jesus.
He will also declare “the
things that are to come” which here means the preparation of the disciples for
the time after Jesus. This also indicates that the words of Jesus are not time
bound, but available anew for every succeeding generation of disciples. The
Paraclete always makes the teachings new and relevant for the times. Just as
Jesus made God visible through his words and actions, so the Paraclete will
make Jesus present through the inspiration and support he provides to the disciples.
The Paraclete thus makes
Jesus present even after his death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father.
He is the teacher and witness of all that Jesus has said and done. That is, the
Paraclete enables the Christian community, at any time in its life, to reach
back to the teachings of Jesus and “remember,” and bring Jesus’ teachings to
life afresh with new understanding. However, the Paraclete’s role as teacher is
also creative. The Paraclete enables the word of Jesus to move forward from its
moment in history to the present life of the church. The Paraclete gives new
meanings to the teachings of Jesus as the changing circumstances of faith
communities and the world demand.
The Paraclete that Jesus
sent two thousand years ago is the same Paraclete that is available to us
today. The presence of the Paraclete will be seen and felt when we make the
teachings of Jesus relevant and alive today. The idiom, symbols, and language
that we use have to be understood by contemporary hearers. All too often, language
about Jesus is too pious and even outdated and so, does not touch the lives of
many. If we open ourselves to the working of the Paraclete in our lives, we
will be able to make Jesus present even now.
Monday, 26 May 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - If people heard you speak and saw your actions today, would they recognize you as a follower of Jesus?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts16:22-34; Jn 16:5-11
These verses continue the
farewell Discourse which was begun in 14:1. Since Jesus had been physically
present to the disciples, he did not need to give them instructions about the
time when he would not be with them. However, since that time has now come,
they need to be informed about how they are to handle the future without him.
They are dismayed and troubled, even though they know that he is going to the
Father. They must realize and accept that it is to their advantage that Jesus
goes. If he does not go, the Paraclete cannot come. Jesus’ departure, which
means his death, resurrection, and ascension, must precede the Paraclete’s
coming. When this happens, Jesus will have completed the work given to him by
the Father and the Paraclete will continue the work begun by Jesus.
The Paraclete’s work in the
world will be to bring people to trial. This, however, is only one of the many
functions that the Paraclete performs. It will bring out into the open the true
meaning of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and the “world”, which here means
those who rejected Jesus, will be held accountable.
The “world’s” sin is exposed
because they have not believed in Jesus as the one who was sent from, and by,
the Father. This means that the focus is not on one particular act, but on the
attitude of rejection. Though the “world” might assume that Jesus’ death is the
end, it is mistaken and, in this is righteousness exposed. Jesus’ death is not
the end; rather, it is the completion on earth of the work entrusted to him by
the Father. It is to be seen in the context of obedience to his Father’s will
for him and the world. The final judgment will be that of the “ruler of this
world”. By his death, resurrection, and ascension, the devil, the embodiment of
all that is opposed to Jesus, will be judged. It will be proved, through this
decisive act that God has triumphed in his Son.
The “world” continues to be
opposed to Jesus and to love. However, Jesus continues to be present to the
world in his Spirit, made manifest in his disciples. It is the task of the
disciples inspired and guided by the Spirit to continue to expose the sin of
the world and bring the world to judgment. While this may be done by verbal
proclamation, it must also be, like in the case of Jesus, a proclamation that
is shown in action.
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014 - Will you persevere in love today? When you are repaid with ingratitude for your kindness, will you continue to love?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts16:11-15; Jn 15:26-16:4
This is the third promise of
the coming of the Paraclete in the Gospel of John. Jesus had made the first
promise in 14:16 -17, and
the second one in 14:26 .
The Paraclete or Advocate is sent by Jesus and the Father. The Paraclete is
sent by Jesus, but is sent from the Father. The Paraclete is sent here to
testify or bear witness to Jesus. This means that the teaching of the Paraclete
will not be new teaching but a confirmation of what Jesus has already taught
and done. Just as the Paraclete bears witness, so must the disciples, since
they have seen and heard Jesus from the beginning. The Paraclete will give
strength to the disciples in their time of trial so that they will not fall
away. The Paraclete will work in and through the disciples. The work of Jesus
continues through the Paraclete working in the disciples.
Because of this work of
Jesus, the disciples will have to face persecution from those who do not accept
them. As a matter of fact, those who engage in such persecution will think they
are right and, by so persecuting the disciples, will think they are, in effect,
worshipping God. This is because they have not understood the meaning of the
incarnation and so, have not been able to recognize God’s unconditional and gratuitous
love made manifest in Jesus. Jesus predicts these happenings, to both prepare
the disciples in advance for what is to come and also, to warn them about the
consequences of following him. Their perseverance and standing firm, even in
the midst of persecution, will reveal their love for him and the Father and
will be the tangible expression of their faith.
Believing in Jesus is not
easy. It is one thing to verbally profess faith in him and another to live out
all that he taught and did. It is especially difficult to follow him when
things do not go the way we want them to and when things happen contrary to our
expectations. When those to whom we are good repay us with goodness, we are not
surprised, because we expect them to do just that. However, when those to whom
we have reached out in love are ungrateful and sometimes openly hostile to us,
we get shocked at their behaviour, simply because we did not expect them to
react in that way. It is at times like these that we must remember the
predictions of Jesus made here. His love for the world, shown in the most
tangible manner on the cross, was spurned by most of his contemporaries, yet
that same love continues to be made new, even today, two thousand years later.
We, too, are called not to fall away but to persevere in love.
Saturday, 24 May 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014 - Sixth Sunday of Easter - Always with us: Jesus and his Spirit
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 8:5-8,14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21
Someone once
said tongue in cheek: “The reason mountain climbers are tied together is to
keep the sane ones from going home.” Whoever said that may have been joking,
but only partly. For, though we know that mountain climbers are tied together
to keep from getting lost or going over a cliff and even to support and
encourage one another, there is another piece of truth here. When things get
difficult up on the mountain, when the going gets tough, when the path is too
steep, when fear sets in, many a climber is tempted to say, “This is too
difficult! It’s crazy! I’m going home.” This is understandable and sometimes
even prudent.
The life of
faith can be like that. When doubts set in and despair overwhelms us, the whole
notion of believing in God seems crazy. Jesus was aware that his disciples
would have days like that, and so the focus in the opening verses of this
chapter (Jn 14) read last week was on the confidence that the disciples are
exhorted to have, since Jesus will overcome death and return.
Here the
focus is on two interconnected aspects. The first of these is the intimate
connection between the love which one has for Jesus and keeping his commandment
of love – a theme which begins and ends this text – and the second is the
promise of the Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Counsellor or Paraclete that Jesus
will ask for the disciples from the Father who will come to their aid and to
give strength and courage when the going gets tough and the road is steep.
In the
first, Jesus is explicit that the love of the disciple has to be a tangible
love that will express itself in action. It is to be an imitation of the love
that the first letter of Peter speaks about; the love of Christ who died for
the guilty to lead us to God. This kind of unconditional love will lead to the
disciple sharing in the Father’s love.
It also
leads to the second and connected aspect: the promise of the gift of the Advocate who
will abide not only with the disciples but also in them. The Advocate can mean
variously, “the one who comforts”, “the one who helps” and “the one who makes
appeals on one’s behalf”. This Advocate will not engage in any new work, but
will continue the work of Jesus. The Spirit will ensure that the revelation of
God begun in Jesus will continue forever. Though the Paraclete will be with the
disciples, Jesus himself will also return to accompany the disciples.
While not
abandoning traditional beliefs – for instance, in the second coming and judgement
– John handles them in a way which relates them directly to the present. The
chief focus of his spirituality is not bigger miracles or stricter
commandments, but the expansion of the initiative of love which comes from God
and seeks to fill the world. This is why John’s account of Jesus’ last words
insists on the Spirit, relationship and resultant action on communities of love
which ‘speak for themselves’. The passage is framed by human anxiety about the
absence of Jesus and ultimately about the absence of God (14:1; 14:27). It does
not deny the anxiety and distress, but offers a promise of presence and sense
of meaning embedded in sharing God’s life and participating in God’s action in
the world, recognizable by its ‘Jesus-shape’. These parting words of Jesus are
not merely for his immediate disciples but disciples of all times.
This is why
even after the death of Stephen by stoning and the general persecution of the
Christian community, Philip, one of the seven chosen deacons, is aware of this
presence of the Risen Lord and is bold to proclaim Christ. The Spirit working
in and through him enabled him to both preach and act as Jesus himself had
done. The result of Philip’s actions through the guidance of the Spirit was
that people were made whole. This combination of healing word and action
resulted in great rejoicing, and many were drawn to Christ.
This
presence, in which the disciples loved, continued to sustain them and make an
impact on others. Since this was so, they are exhorted in the second reading of
today to be willing to share that hope. It is not to be a sharing that smacks
of condescension or a sharing which professes to have the whole truth, but a
sharing that has to be done in humility, courtesy and reverence for the other.
We are given as it were a starting point for inter-religious dialogue.
This kind of
sharing is the need of the hour in today’s world. In a world that is already a
global village but also where each community is becoming more closed in on
itself and parochial, the task of the Christian community is evident. Convinced
that the Risen Lord continues to accompany us on our journey in and through his
Spirit which abides in each of us, we must be able to communicate this presence
which is manifested in peace, joy, fellowship and justice for all.
Friday, 23 May 2014
Saturday, May 24, 2014 - How often has your comparison with what others have led you to feel jealous of them? Will you realize that you can be the most contented person if you so decide today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts16;1-10; Jn 15:18-21
These verses of the
Discourse on the Vine and the Branches focus not on the relationship of Jesus
and the disciples, like the earlier verses did, but on the relationship of the
disciples with the “world”. Here, the word “world” is used to represent, not
the physical world, but those who are opposed to God’s revelation in Jesus.
The challenge of love will
be truly encountered when the community faces the “world”. The “world” will
hate the disciples because of their relationship with Jesus and because they
live out his teachings. If the disciples want the world to love them, they must
give up the teachings of Jesus. However, because they have been chosen by Jesus
and set apart from the “world”, they too, like Jesus, will have to endure the
“world’s” hatred.
The disciples must realize
that following and obeying Jesus, as servants obey their masters, will lead to
persecution. What has happened with Jesus will be repeated in the disciples’
lives. While the authority of the one sent is the same as the sender, it is
also true that the response to the one sent will be the same as the response to
the sender. Those who do not accept the word of truth, spoken by God in Jesus,
will indulge in persecution. Those who accept the word will respond by living
out that word in their lives. Rejection
of the disciples means rejection of Jesus because it is Jesus who sends
them. Rejection of Jesus means rejection
of God who sent him.
In a world in which the
resonating message is to “have more”, it is not always easy to speak and live
Jesus’ message to “be more”. Those who do this are labelled as crazy and out of
touch with reality. Possession of things has so possessed us that we do not
even realize that, most of the time; it is things that possess us rather than
the other way round. We are held by the things we want to possess and they will
not let us rest. Often, it begins with a small possession and then goes on to
something bigger and soon gets so big that we lose control of ourselves and who
we are. Our identity is linked with what we have and what we have achieved. In
a situation like this, we need to take stock and decide when enough is enough.
We need to ask ourselves whether we will live our lives moving from one
possession to the next, often not even having the time or energy to enjoy what
we possess.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014 - Have you received Jesus’ gift of unconditional love? Does this show in your sharing of that love?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 15:22-31; Jn 15:12-17
The first verse of today’s
reading repeats the love commandment of 13:34, which there, was referred to as
a new commandment. This love is expressed in the most perfect of ways in the
willingness to go to one’s death for the sake of a friend. The disciples are
indeed friends of Jesus, as has been manifested in their keeping his command to
love. It is important to note that Jesus is not placing a condition for friendship
here (you can be my friends only if…); rather he is stating what and who the
disciples are (because you are my friends, you do what I command).
The friendship that the
disciples share with Jesus is grounded in love. This means that Jesus keeps
back nothing from his disciples and reveals to them all that they need to know.
His primary revelation to them has been of God as a loving and compassionate
Father.
It is Jesus who has taken
the initiative in calling and choosing the disciples and this fact reinforces
the idea of grace. It is not one’s effort that can earn discipleship but the
grace of God which, when received, results in one living out the call to
discipleship. The living out of the call is not merely a once for all act, but
something that is done constantly and with perseverance. This will ensure that
the effects of their love are abiding and lasting. The last verse of today,
with its reminder to “love one another”, forms an inclusion with the first.
The relationship that we
share with God because of Jesus is one of sons and daughters. We are Jesus’
brothers and sisters, even friends. This is because he has given us everything
in all its fullness. He held nothing back, not even his own self. The
manifestation of this self giving, which began with the incarnation, was
completed and continued on the cross, and through his resurrection and
ascension. He continues to give, even today. However, the giving is only one
side of the story. Without a receiver, the gift has no value. This is why,
while the grace of God given as a gift in Jesus is first, our reception of that
gift is as important if the act of giving is to be completed. We show that we
have received this gift when we, like Jesus, also dare to reach out in love.
When we speak an enhancing word, perform a loving action, behave a little less
selfishly, and a little more selflessly, then the gift is given and received,
again and again.
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Thursday, may 22, 2014 - How often has fear ruled your actions? Will you dare to act from love today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 15:7-21; Jn15:9-11
The love which the Father
has for Jesus is the same love that Jesus has expressed and shown for his
disciples. It is a love that is unconditional, a love without end. It is not
merely a verbal expression, or an emotion, but a love that is shown tangibly
and in every action that Jesus performs. The disciples have to act in the same
manner as Jesus in order to make this love visible. There is only one
commandment and that is the commandment to love. If the disciples keep this
commandment, it will result in their being like Jesus, their master, who before
them, revealed God’s love for the world.
Keeping the commandment of
Jesus is thus not a chore or burden but done willingly because one has
experienced this love first. The outcome of this sharing and manifestation of
love is unbounded joy.
The word “love” has been a
word that is used so often that it has been abused. We speak of our love for
the good things of life, and of our love for the members of our family, and of
our love for God in the same breath. “I love mixed vegetables” we might tell
our spouse and, in the next breath, say “I love you”. Love is not primarily an
emotion; it is not even a feeling, but reality. As a matter of fact, the only
reality is love. Fear, which is regarded as the opposite of love, is not real,
it is only an illusion. If there is fear, there cannot be love, and where there
is love, there is no fear (1 Jn 4:18 ).
While Paul gives a beautiful definition of love in 1 Cor 13:1-9, my own
definition of love is simple, but not simplistic. “In love, there is no “I””.
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - Do I consider myself as part of the vine or do I regard myself as an individual branch? How will I show that I am part of the vine?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 15:1-6; Jn 15:1-8
John 15:1-17 are the verses
for today and the next two days. These verses contain the final “I am” sayings
in the Gospel (vv. 1, 5) and introduce the central metaphor of this unit: the
vine and its branches. Jesus uses, in the first verse of Chapter 15, a common
symbol of the world at that time: Vine. While in 15:1, the relationship with
Jesus and the Father is stressed, in 15:5, when the metaphor is used again,
Jesus does so in the context of his relationship with his disciples. Thus, the
focus of the metaphor is interrelationship. If God is the vine dresser, Jesus
is the vine and the disciples are the branches. All three are required for the
production of fruit.
God, as the vine dresser, is
the origin or source and, because Jesus comes from the Father, he is the true
vine. God acts in his capacity as vine dresser and does what is best for the
vine. Those branches that do bear fruit are pruned and those that do not, are
cut away. This means that those of the community who express their union with
Jesus by acting it out in works of love are pruned, whereas those who do not
show their faith in action are cut off. The disciples have been given an
insight into how they must remain in the vine, through the words that Jesus has
spoken to them and through the loving actions that he performed, symbolized in
the washing of the feet. They must learn from these actions and realize that,
without abiding or remaining in Jesus, they can do nothing. Their own power or
effort will never be sufficient for the works they have to perform. These can
only be done if accompanied by the grace that Jesus gives.
“I am the vine, you are the
branches” in 15:5 is not a repetition of what was said earlier. Rather it
stresses the relationship of the community with Jesus. Without the vine, the
branches are nothing. Mutual indwelling will result in bearing fruit. If a
branch decides that it wants to live apart from the vine, it is in effect
asking for death. Life apart from the vine is not possible for any branch.
Mutual indwelling is not
merely with a single branch and the vine but with all the branches in the vine
with one another. This unity of the branches among themselves will result in
fruit bearing. This unity will also be a witness for the world and the
glorification of the vine dresser: God. When people see the works of the
disciples, it will lead them to glorify the Father.
All too often Christianity
has been understood as a religion that has only the individual dimension. The
communitarian dimension has been neglected. This is seen in so many of the
Sacraments (which are both individual and communitarian) being treated and
regarded as private devotions. The approach of many Christians has often been:
My God and I. This approach is to misunderstand Christianity and all that Jesus
stood for. The metaphor of today makes explicit that mutual indwelling is at
the heart of the preaching of Jesus, and that Christianity, while it surely has
an individual dimension, just as surely has a communitarian dimension. I am, as
a Christian my brother’s and sister’s keeper. Their joys and sorrow, their
trials and tribulations, their successes and failures, have to be as real to me
as my own if I am to be a Christian in the true sense of the word. The
Christian does make an individual commitment and choice to follow Jesus but
he/she makes it in and through a community.
Monday, 19 May 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - When adversity knocks at your door do you open with dread and fear or hope and courage?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 14:19-28; Jn 14:27-31
A new promise is given to
the disciples. This is first occurrence of “peace” in the Gospel of John. Peace
here does not mean simply a wish, but must be seen as a legacy or bequest that
Jesus leaves behind for the disciples. This peace that Jesus gives is not
merely a sense of security, not merely the end of conflict and strife, but it
embraces every aspect of a person’s life. This peace makes the weak strong and
the fainthearted brave. It is a wholeness which makes one courageous to face
all the trials and tribulations of life without getting overwhelmed. It is a
peace which gives them the strength to face every kind of adversity with
equanimity and faith.
Even as he offers this gift
to them, Jesus reminds them of his departure because this is what God wills and
it must come to pass. It is a reality that cannot be avoided and the peace
given to them must make them able to accept it. The disciples must accept this
reality, not out of resignation but, with an active joy. The reason for this
joy is that Jesus goes to the Father after having completed the work given to
him. It is the Father who has sent Jesus and given him the work to do - the
work of making the Father known to the world - and now, after completing it
thoroughly, Jesus goes back to where he has come from.
The foretelling of the
events is Jesus’ way of preparing the disciples for what is to come and also to
reveal to them that Jesus continues to go to his departure willingly and
knowingly. It is not as if some unseen hand or “fate” is responsible for what
is to come. Since what will happen fits in with God’s plan for Jesus and the
world, Satan is never in control. He cannot have any power over Jesus. Jesus
does what he does willingly and in obedience to the will of the Father..
The event of the death of a
loved one sometimes shatters our world. We find it difficult to cope with the
loss and wonder if the God we believe in really is a God of unconditional love.
Does our God really care what happens to us? If he does, then why did he let
this misfortune befall us? Where is he when we need him most? Why does he not
answer? The answers to these questions are provided by Jesus in the Gospel text
of today. He tells his disciples, and
us, to rejoice at such happenings because they fit in with God’s plan for us
and the world. We may not be able to see this plan at first glance, like the
disciples were not able to see it when Jesus spoke it to them, but we also know
that Jesus’ words are true because of his resurrection and ascension and
because of the transformation in the lives of his disciples because of these
events. We have to continue to dare to believe.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014 - Do Jesus and the Father dwell in you? How will you show this through your actions today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 14:5-18; Jn 14:21-26
To be a true disciple of
Jesus, it is not enough to make a verbal proclamation of faith in him. One is
also required to keep his commandments. It is important to note here that one
does not earn Jesus’ love by keeping his command to love. It is because one has already experienced
that love that one wants to love and obey in return.
Judas (not Iscariot) does
not appear in any of the Synoptic Gospels. He is the one who misunderstands
here and asks a question about the revelation that Jesus is to make, not
realizing that the revelation has been made already. If the disciples want to
continue to experience the love that Jesus has made manifest to the world, they
must continue to love one another. It is in the love of one another that they
will experience the love of God and Jesus. This will result in a mutual
indwelling. Just as Jesus dwells in the Father and the Father in him, so Jesus
and the Father will live in the disciples and the disciples in them. This
abiding presence of God and Jesus within the disciples as a community is both
the foundation and the result of love expressed in deeds. Where there is no
love shown, Jesus and the Father cannot be made present.
Though Jesus has made
explicit what the disciples are to do if they are to make him present, it is
possible that they may not have grasped all the implications of the command.
The Paraclete or Advocate, only here in John identified with the Holy Spirit,
will “remind” them of Jesus’ teachings. This clearly indicates that the Holy
Spirit will not give new or different teaching, but only reinforce all that
Jesus has already taught. The Spirit will be sent in Jesus’ name and so, like
Jesus was the exegesis of the Father, the Spirit will be the exegesis of Jesus.
To keep the words of Jesus
means to live them out in action. The ones who do that have already experienced
the indwelling of God and Jesus in them. This indwelling will strengthen them
and enable them to live out the word more fully each day. This is not a linear
but cyclic process. More living out means more indwelling and more indwelling
means more living out.