Sunday, April 28, 2024 - Homily

 

Sunday, April 28, 2024 - Are you part of the vine or the cut off branch?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 9:26-31; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8

A tribe in Africa has what we may consider an unusual way of punishing offenders. The one who commits an offence is simply banished from the tribe and is forbidden to have any contact with anyone from it. Research into the lives and workings of these tribes has shown that the one who is so banished has always died within a few days. The reason for the death, researchers point, out is not that the person was not able to fend for him/herself, but the fact that the banished person realizes that such a life is not worth living and simply gives up on life.

The Discourse of Jesus on the Vine and the branches seems to make this very point. It also gives us a beautiful image of Church and in doing so, states emphatically that Christian existence and life is never merely an individual life, but always a life lived in and through community.

The verses of today’s Gospel contain the last of the “I am” sayings in the Gospel of John. Jesus uses 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.

While it is easy for most of us to understand God as the vine dresser and Jesus as the vine, it is important for us to understand our role as branches. The first step to this understanding is to note is that on a vine all branches look similar though they are not the same. This similarity suggests cohesiveness and deep inner unity. This unity of the branches is possible only because they grow out of the same vine and it is shown in the fact that all produce the same fruit. This fruit which originates in the vine itself, which is Jesus, is the fruit of unconditional and magnanimous love. Since all produce the same fruit, there is no superior or inferior branch. Each is as precious as the other and is needed to complete the vine. If one branch cuts itself off from the vine not only will that branch wither and die and not be able to produce any fruit, but it will also result in the incompleteness of the vine. This means then that all positions in the Church are only functional and not to be used to dominate or oppress. It also means that each of us is responsible for the welfare of the other.

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.

This is seen clearly in the first reading of today, in which Saul who became Paul made such a choice. While Paul did have a personal experience of the Lord and was called by him directly, he also had to be accepted by the community who though they were initially afraid because of his past, dared to accept him as one of the branches of the vine. They not only did this, but also made his trial and tribulations their own, protecting him when his life was in danger. In doing so, the community showed in practice what it meant to be part of the vine.

The community lived out the exhortation made by John in the second reading of today in which he asks Christians to love not in word or speech but in action and in truth. The Spirit of Jesus is what sustains the community and constantly reminds them of their status as branches in the same vine. The Spirit that Jesus breathed on the disciples affirms and continues his message of unconditional love. It is a love that makes no distinction, a love that reaches out of itself and a love through which the world will know that he still lives.

Saturday, April 27, 2024 - Homily

 

Saturday, April 27, 2024 - Jesus revealed the Father as unconditional love. How will you reveal Jesus today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 13:44-52; Jn 14:7-14

These verses continue the teachings begun in 14:1. The one who knows Jesus also knows the Father for Jesus reveals the Father as Father. In Jesus, one sees the Father as never before because no one has revealed him like Jesus does. Like Thomas before him, now Philip does not understand what Jesus is saying and in his ignorance, asks a question. He does not realize that in seeing Jesus he has seen the Father because of the revelation that Jesus makes of the Father. In offering himself, Jesus has offered all the revelation that the disciples need to identify the Father.

Jesus can only do what the Father has told him and so his works are those of the Father. Philip and the other disciples must be able to see Jesus as the revelation of the Father, if not in his person, at least through the works that Jesus does. The works flow from his person and are not separate from him but an integral part of who Jesus is. The works, too, are works of revelation. They show that the primary aim of God is not to condemn but to save and so are works that enhance and build up.

Since it is Jesus who sends the disciples, the works that anyone who believes in Jesus will do will be the same as those of Jesus. In fact, these will be able to do even greater works than Jesus. These works will make known the whole story of Jesus as Word made flesh and so, will be greater than those which Jesus does. Since these will be done after the whole Christ event – death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father – they will continue the glorification of Jesus.  They will continue to reveal Jesus to the world, sitting at the right hand of God. Jesus will answer every prayer of the disciples made in his name and he will grant their petitions.

As Jesus made God known to the world through unconditional, magnanimous love, so the disciples are called to do the same. The works that Jesus did have to be continued today if Jesus is to be made present and is to be revealed to a world that does not yet know him. It is the present community of disciples that has the responsibility to continue the mission that Jesus began. Whenever an enhancing word is spoken, whenever an action that heals is done, whenever love is shown in a tangible manner, then the work of Jesus continues and Jesus continues to be made present.

To be sure, the revelation of God that Jesus made can also be recognized in the depths of one’s heart, but this is not the whole story. It is a love that must be shared and revealed to the world if it is to be complete and whole. The incarnation was not a private revelation given to a select few, but an earth shattering event made visible to the whole world. So the revelation of Jesus, today, has to be done visibly and tangibly.

Friday, April 26, 2024 - Homily

 

Friday, April 26, 2024 - Have you, by your narrow mindedness, prevented others from encountering Jesus? Will you realize that he is bigger than anything that you can ever imagine?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 13:26-33; Jn 14:1-6

Today’s Gospel reading contains the first of the teachings of Jesus that speak about his departure and what it means for his disciples.  At the beginning of these teachings, Jesus commands his disciples to stand firm. They are not to let the event of his departure overwhelm them. They are not to give in to despair, give up, or lose hope. They must continue to trust and believe. Even though it might seem, on the surface level, that evil is winning, the disciples must realize that God is always in charge and in control of all situations.  They must place their trust in God and in Jesus. Since Jesus shares an intimate relationship with the Father, and since the disciples can do so too, there will be as many rooms as there are believers. God and Jesus will exclude no one who wants to share this relationship with them. Jesus goes, but only to return and so, his going is not permanent. It is a temporary act that must be done and completed. This going and returning will be evidence of his power over everything, including death. Nothing and no one will ever be able to separate the disciples from the love that Jesus has for them. The purpose of Jesus’ returning is to take the disciples to the place where he is: the bosom of the Father. Even as Jesus points to himself as the one who reveals the Father, Thomas misunderstands and asks a question. He interprets the words “where I am going” only as a physical destination and so, protests that, since he does not know the final destination of Jesus, it is not possible to know how to get there. Jesus corrects this misunderstanding with an “I am” saying. “The Way” is not a geographical term or physical road, it is Jesus himself. Thus, to know Jesus is to know the way and, to know the way is to know Jesus. In his being “the Way” Jesus is also “Truth” and “Life”. Jesus is the “Truth’ because he has been sent by God to make God’s word known. He became “flesh” and anyone who recognizes this and listens to his voice, is of the truth. Recognition of the truth in Jesus leads to “life” in abundance. Since the fullness of God’s life was revealed in Jesus, one can only partake of this life through Jesus.

It is important not to be too fundamental in interpreting the last verse of today’s reading. All too often, insistence on the exclusiveness of the Christian way has been responsible for problems in various parts of the world. The Gospels all agree that the approach of Jesus was all inclusive and excluded no one who would want to come to the truth. There is no doubt that Jesus revealed the Father in the most unique of ways, as no one before had ever done. This is because, in the incarnation, God took on “flesh” in all its weaknesses and limitations. Jesus did not simply put on human nature but became like us in every single way and thus, can understand every aspect of our lives. However, by the fact of the incarnation, Jesus also gave us an insight into who God is and who we are called to be. He made us aware of our own limitlessness. Though he limited himself, we must realize that Jesus is much bigger than the narrow image of him we often have. This narrow image is responsible for our restricting him and making him as small as we are.

John was writing about his community’s experience of seeing God in Jesus incarnate and was not concerned with showing the superiority of this revelation over any other or with the fate of believers of other religions. We must keep this in mind when interpreting the last verse of today’s text. We must, however, rejoice because we are privileged to receive such a unique revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

When one brackets out the questions that contemporary Christians falsely import into these verses, there is nothing outrageous or offensive about the claims made here. Rather, at the heart of Christianity is this affirmation of the decisive revelation of God in the incarnation. John 14:6 can thus be read as the core claim of Christian identity; what distinguishes Christians from peoples of other faiths is the conviction given expression in John 14:6. It is, indeed, through Jesus that Christians have access to their God.

Thursday, April 25, 2024 - Homily

 

Thursday, April 25, 2022 - St. Mark, Evangelist - Mark wrote a Gospel to communicate his experience of Jesus. What will you do to communicate your experience?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Pet 5:5-14; Mk 16:15-20

The second Gospel was written by St. Mark, who, in the New Testament, is sometimes identified with John Mark. Both he and his mother, Mary, were highly esteemed in the early Church, and his mother's house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for Christians there.

St. Mark was associated with St. Paul and St. Barnabas (who was Mark's cousin) on their missionary journey through the island of Cyprus. Later he accompanied St. Barnabas alone. We know also that he was in Rome with St. Peter and St. Paul. Tradition ascribes to him the founding of the Church in Alexandria.

St. Mark wrote the second Gospel, probably in Rome sometime before the year 65 C.E..; and possibly for Gentile converts to Christianity. Tradition has it that Mark was the interpreter of Peter. This seems to be confirmed by the position which St. Peter has in the Gospel of Mark.

The Gospel reading for the feast is from Mk16:15-20. Most scholars today regard Mk 16:9-20 as an addition to the original ending of Mark at 16:8. A number of reasons are put forward for this view. The first is that Mary Magdalene is introduced in 16:9 as if she is being mentioned for the first time.  However, Mark has mentioned her before (15:47; 16:1). Second, there is no mention of a Galilean apparition in these verses, though one is explicitly promised in 16:7. Third, these verses are a combination, in summary form, of the post resurrection appearances of Jesus in the other Synoptic Gospels, in John, and in the Acts of the Apostles.

The text of today begins with the command of the Risen Lord to the disciples to proclaim the Good News to all nations. The disciples are challenged to go beyond their fear and with confidence trusting in the power of the Lord. The Lord will accompany them everywhere and their witness will draw all peoples to the Lord.

The enemy of faith is fear. However imperfect our faith, and however many times we remain silent when we should testify to the gospel, we can always return to the Lord. None of us can get so far away from Jesus that we cannot be touched by God’s healing presence. Jesus continues to use each of us even in our weakness to be his messengers of the good news that, in him, God loves everyone.

Let the feast of St. Mark be for each one of us an opportunity to live out our faith and inspire others and draw them to the Lord.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - Homily

 

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - Have you decided “for” or “against” Jesus? How will you show the choice that you have made?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 12:24-13:5; Jn 12:44-50

Today’s Gospel reading contains the last public discourse of Jesus in the Gospel of John. It serves as the epilogue to, and summarizes the main themes of Jesus’ public ministry. The words are a proclamation, as indicated by the words “cried out” in 12:44, which begin the discourse. Jesus has been sent as the revelation of God and, though no one has ever seen God, the one who sees Jesus, sees God. Jesus makes God known in a way never known before. He is the unique revelation of the Father as Father since he is Son. His reason for coming into the world was not to hide but to reveal and hence, he came as light. All are invited to come to this light so as not to stay in darkness any longer. Since the invitation that Jesus gives is free, one is not compelled to accept it. Every individual is free to make his/her choice. There is no coercion or force or any kind of pressure to accept. One will not be judged, even if one rejects the invitation, since the prime purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world is not to judge, but to save.  Though this is true, the ones who do not accept the true word spoken in Jesus will have to accept responsibility for the choice that he/she makes.  Jesus keeps revealing all that the Father has asked him to reveal.

These verses are a call to decision and commitment. One has to decide for or against, one has to make a choice. If one does not make a choice “for”, one is, in effect, making a choice “against” because with Jesus, there is no middle way.