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Scripture:

1 Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
1 John 4:7-10
John 15:9-17

Reflection:

When I was five years old, my Grandma, Margarita, had to chase me around the house in order to wash my hands before every meal or brush my teeth before bed. This was not an easy task for an older woman who had to take care of two other children, my younger and older sister. She tried everything from loving words to all sorts of intimidations. Nothing, however, would work with me.

One day, in the midst of one my usual tantrums, once she caught me to wash my hands, I vehemently asked her, why do I have to wash my hands before every meal! You have to wash your hands because it is good for you, she responded to my complaints in a firm manner. I’m sure she went on telling me about cleanliness and health and the usual explanations that a mischievous five year-old needs to hear. That line, however, captured my attention. There and then I understood. I wash my hands because it is good for me. It’s good for me!

Even to this day, I can recall that incident because those words touched something very deep in me. I understood those words beyond just protecting myself from illness or for social appearances. I understood those words from the perspective of love. Because I love myself, I must do what is good. I understood why I had to be obedient to my Grandmother.  I followed those rules out of love.

Keeping God’s Commandments also comes from the experience of love. No wonder the Evangelist invites us in this Sixth Sunday of Easter to remain in God’s love. Our faithfulness as followers of Christ is not a contract. Obedience is the response that emanates from our encounter with God’s transforming love, who, moreover, has loved us first, as the first letter of John reminds us.

May God’s transforming love continue to make of us ever more faithful followers, especially, as we seek to seek to build solidarity with the poor, the oppressed and those often forgotten by our societies.

 

Hugo R. Esparza-Pérez, C.P. is member of Holy Cross Province currently working in Mexico.

Scripture:

Acts 15:22-31
John 15:12-17

Reflection:

"I chose you."

It was traditional that disciples chose the rabbi under whom they wanted to study.  Paul, the Apostle, boasts of how he studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel.  But Jesus turns this tradition upside down.  "You did not choose me," he reminds his disciples.  "I chose you."  We would assume that Jesus would then have selected the brightest, most promising of disciples.  But we would be wrong.  These disciples were a seriously flawed, ragtag bunch of braggadocio fishermen, tax collectors, hothead zealots and betrayers. 

Why, then, did Jesus choose them?  What special qualities did they have?  Part of the answer may be found in Deuteronomy 7:7 where Moses reminds the Israelites why God chose them.  "It was not because you are more numerous than all the peoples that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you; for you are really the smallest of all peoples.  It was because the LORD loved you…"

God’s ways are always mysterious.  Consider: God, who is almighty, all-knowing, all-present, all-loving, all-forgiving, all-merciful, is saying to us: You have something I don’t have.  Give that to me.  What is it?  Our weakness.

God loved and chose the Israelites precisely because they were insignificant.  Jesus loved and chose the 12 because they were so stunningly flawed.

God clearly has a special bias for the least, the weakest, the poorest, the broken.  And therein lies the good news for us: "I chose you."  Jesus calls us his friends, not as a reward for being so good, or virtuous, or bright, but out of sheer, extravagant love.  Jesus calls each of us to an important mission.  We are to love and serve one another.  Our qualification for the job?  Our weakness.

 

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Acts 14:19-28
John 14:27-31a

Reflection:

During this fifty-day season of Easter, we must believe that the resurrection of Jesus can make a difference in our daily life. Perhaps there will be consolation in our prayer life, a new surge of energy, or personal change. Today we are given insight into another quality: resilience.

Paul faced great resistance and sufferings as a missionary. We see that his travels didn’t all yield accolades and large collections. He was stoned in Lystra and thought dead. I’ve slept in hard beds, noisy rectories, and had teens laugh at me while I preach, but nothing like Paul. When the disciples gathered around him in prayer, he "got up." With no thought of returning home, he preached in Derbe and then had the audacity to return to the site of the stoning to "strengthen the spirits of the disciples and to exhort them to persevere!"  He continued preaching in other cities and completed his first missionary journey. Soon he was prompted to begin another journey and then another.

Many people I meet feel tired, burdened, and overwhelmed. Everyone is "busy," and it takes a toll on all of us. Paul demonstrates to us that the "peace" Jesus came to bring is a reservoir of power within us helping us face trials and bounce back from seeming defeat. Rather than giving up, Paul got up and faced his destiny. He wouldn’t let his heart be troubled or afraid. He understood that trials were part and parcel of being a disciple and are a necessary condition for entrance into Heaven.

Whenever I suffer set backs, seeming defeat, or difficult circumstances, I look to the stability and tranquility that is mine in Christ. Paul and others who lived so valiantly and persevered encourage me. Whatever you are going through right now, don’t let your hearts be troubled or agitated. Look to the tranquility of Christ within. Jesus is Risen and that makes all the difference. I heard a quote about attitude that I love: "We can’t control the waves, but we can learn how to surf."

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 16 books and creator of television and radio programs airing in many cities. You can learn more about his ministry at: http://www.frcedric.org/

 

Scripture:

Acts 15:1-6
John 15:1-8

 

 

 

Reflection:

Embrace the Good Word

A lot hinges on a few words in today’s readings. In John’s Gospel we hear the words ‘abide in me’ or ‘live in’ me. Abiding in Jesus and Jesus abiding in us will enable us to produce fruit abundantly. If we live in Christ and his words live in us, we may ask what we desire and it will be done.

When Jesus met the two disciples of John the Baptist who became his first followers he invites them to come and abide with him. Jesus tells us that he goes to prepare a place for us so that where he is we also may be. After the Resurrection when Jesus meets Mary at the empty tomb he will say to her, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and to your God!" 

Our abiding in Jesus is more than a physical presence. It is the completion of Jesus’ work to lead us to intimacy with the Father. To abide is a positive, comfortable word that conjures up feelings of security and peace. The vine and branch share life, the branch bears fruit through Jesus and gives the Father glory in the bearing of that fruit.

The Acts of the Apostles gives us some negatives words. There came to Antioch those whose teaching said, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved." Their words sowed dissension and controversy. And converted Pharisees ‘demanded’ the Gentiles follow the Mosaic Law. What follows has been called the Council of Jerusalem, the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem gathering with Paul and Barnabas to look into this matter. The wonderful events that have taken place among the gentiles are shared and Peter says that the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles shows God’s approval. Acts will tell us, "the decision of the Holy Spirit, and ours too…" is that that the Gentiles not be so heavily bound.

We hear the invitation to abide as branches upon the Vine in the richness of the Resurrection. But even as we celebrate the Risen Lord there can be such words as ‘unless’, ‘cannot’, and ‘demands’ that can do harm. We who abide with the Lord can ask for what we need.

And the Holy Spirit who guided the new Church to what seemed the impossible union of Jew and Gentile as one at the table is our Advocate, Guide, and the one who can bend what is rigid and melt what is frozen.

 

Fr. William Murphy, CP is pastor of St. Joseph’s Monastery parish in Baltimore, Maryland.

Scripture:

Acts 9:26-31
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8

Reflection:

In last Sunday’s gospel reading, Jesus described himself as the good Shepherd. This morning, Jesus says, "I am the true vine." The apostle John has several other "I am" sayings (bread of life, gate for the sheep, light of the world, resurrection and life, and the way/truth/life) which help us understand Jesus and our relationship to Jesus.

We hear about the vine, the vine grower and the branches. What about the vineyard itself? Although grapevines can be grown in a wide variety of soil types, the most important characteristics are good internal drainage and, at the same time, a water-holding capacity, adequate depth, the right combination of pH levels, iron, magnesium, nitrogen, etc. You can’t just dig a hole, put in a vine and hope for first-class grapes to produce exceptional wine. There are regions throughout the world that produce first class wines. It’s not because of luck. Winemakers for centuries have charted specific sites that have unique geological compositions that produce the finest grapes in the world for wine.

Our God, the one who plants the vine, is not limited by geological compositions. The Christ vine was planted in a young girl who was not married, in a country that was rigorously controlled by Roman supremacy, in a population that was poorly educated, at a time when communication resources were sorely inadequate and transportation for ordinary people was restricted to walking, Definitely not very good soil in which to plant the Christ vine and to announce the Good News. All the toxic components in the soil could devastate the plant before it even had a chance to produce.

What about my vineyard? Do I feel that I have not been planted in the finest soil? The nutrients of love, community and understanding are not adequate for my development. The minerals of disappointment, fear, unbelief, discontentment and greed surround me. If only I could be planted in soil that supports my faith (the grass is greener on the other side of the hill). Adverse life-situations need not prevent me from having a fruitful life. We can believe that when life is difficult, the best thing to do is to run and look for better circumstances. It may in fact be wise to run from certain situations (physical abuse), but by and large we need to stay where we are planted. The consequence of too much running is that we miss what God wants to teach us. God will be with us, wherever we are to provide every grace we need for a full and abundant life. That’s the promise. All God asks of us, as we are reminded in today’s Gospel, is that we abide in Christ. "Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit…" It is not about the soil, it’s about our willingness to trust. We know that God is not out to harm us; yet we know that God does not give us immunity. We believe that God will use both the delights and troubles of life to strengthen us, to draw us closer to Jesus and to give us a fruitful life.

Richard Halverson, a Presbyterian minister who served as chaplain in the United States Senate, offered this prayer:

            You go nowhere by accident.
            Wherever you go, God is sending you.
            Wherever you are, God has put you there.
            He has a purpose in your being there.
            Christ, who dwells in you,
            Has something he wants to do through you where you are.
            Believe this and go in his grace and love and power."

My vineyard might not be highly valued like Tuscany, Italy or Bordeaux, France or the Napa Valley, but it is good enough for God. Growing where I am planted means giving my best in the here and now.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago.

Scripture:

Acts 13:44-52
John 14:7-14

Reflection:

The Word of God is something nourishing. 

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the Word of the Lord.

Acts of the Apostles testifies the Gentiles were people who could hear the Word of the Lord, accept it and find joy in it.  As I ponder this, I’m left with the question how to recreate this? What would it take for us to find tremendous joy in the Word of the Lord? Can we do so in a way that others want it and desire it?  The entrepreneur in me wants others to have this experience, yet it is an experience of the Holy Spirit.  Luke affirms this as he concludes, "the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."  Frustrating as this is in a consumeristic society, the Holy Spirit can’t be bottled up or kept on the shelf for when we have one of those bad days. And while the Holy Spirit is always with us, it can seem at times elusive.  We do know, and scripture reminds us, it can still be fanned into flames.

This Easter I had one of those firsts in my life which was the real culmination of these readings. Throughout this year I’ve been privileged to walk with a group of people through the RCIA. 

I was mesmerized by how some in their early 20’s were bringing their friends to come to the evening sessions.  I was delighted at how close the group grew during the year.  I was captivated with their ability to share faith and ask down to earth questions.  I was charmed at their stories and experiences.   They were hungry and found nourishment in the Word, instruction and community.   In many striking similarities, the faith of the people in Acts of the Apostles was being recreated and relived in this small faith community. 

They would speak about how they looked forward all week to their weekly formation evening. They contributed to the larger parish community their time, talents and treasure even when they weren’t even full members, nor was it ever asked or expected of them.  They truly enjoyed being together. 

The spirit was building in these people of God for many months and during the night of the Easter Vigil it burst forth and bubbled over till everyone in the whole church was glowing and filled with joy.  There were no questions of who the Father was, it was a profound encounter with the resurrected Christ.  Every person in the church knew it, felt it, and glowed with that Joy of the Holy Spirit.    And all of these neophytes, after spending three hours in the church for the Easter vigil, came back the next morning. 

The other night I was eavesdropping on their conversation.  They were conversing about which mass to go to on the Forth Sunday of Easter.  They were doing so with the enthusiasm of a teenager who just got their driver’s license complete with a car and a full tank of gas.  They were eager and still hungry for more. What peaked my curiosity most was, they were choosing to make Sunday Eucharist the highlight of their Sunday. None of them were looking for a convenient mass to fit into their busy schedule.   

I can remember when it was that way for me.  And I wonder how did it slip away?  Has this absence of beautiful and simplistic joy clouded my ability to see the lived expression of Acts of the Apostles today?  

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 13:26-33
John 14:1-6

Reflection:

Jesus:  Our Way, Our Truth, Our Life

Today’s Gospel selection is so true to life:  like the early disciples, we can easily be caught up in the details and challenges of life that we lose our perspective and wander afar.  Family, jobs, personal health, politics, the global reality, etc.:  all converge in our minds and hearts and we can seem lost — and perhaps even fearful of the future.  To whom can we turn?

Jesus reassures us as he did the early disciples:  "I am the way and the truth and the life."  Yes!  Without Jesus the Way, there is no going; without Jesus the Truth, there is no knowing; and without Jesus the Life, there is no living.  To have faith in Jesus transforms us and gives us a new outlook on life.  He is the most influential and important person in our lives.

I’ve heard it said that life without Jesus is like living in the largest airport you’ve ever traveled through…perhaps Chicago’s O’Hare, or Dallas-Ft. Worth, or LAX in Los Angeles, or JFK in New York, or Atlanta.  As an occasional airport traveler myself, I know that airports can be confusing, impersonal — and perhaps a madhouse at times.  Amidst the thousands of people there, you can feel very much alone, perhaps even lost as you seek your departure gate. 

With Jesus we are not lost souls amid a maddening crowd, but rather folks in union with an untold number of sisters and brothers in the worldwide family of God…all on the same journey through earthly experiences to our eternal destiny.  No need to let our hearts be troubled!  We believe…Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life!

And, as "Easter People" on the roads and airports of contemporary life, may we add our joyful "alleluia’s" (perhaps a bit off key at times….) to our song as 21^st century disciples!

 

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is the local leader of the Passionist community in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:1-8
John 14:6-14

Reflection:

For prayerful Easter consideration: Am I a Christian leader? Am I willing to be another Christ? Can I believe that I am such a leader? During Easter season we are celebrating the baptismal re-birth in Christ to which I have been called. Is not that the meaning of being "begotten from above," as Jesus explains to Nicodemus? Accepting the role of being a Christian leader in my every day? The Christian leader’s life has a practical expression, believe it or not. One role of a leader is to announce, proclaim, promote, and exemplify the particular mission amidst those who choose to follow. In other words, hold the ideal of the mission in my heart, and as faithfully, hopefully, and joyfully, live it. Assume situations that go counter to "the Ideal," assume as Paul that you have been "born" in an untimely fashion. Untimely?   not the first Atom Bomb dropped on the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus? Was not Osama bin Laden killed on Divine Mercy Sunday? In two different places in the Acts of the Apostles, including today, the "mission" of the Body of Christ on earth is proclaimed. It is the descriptions of the earliest Christian communities. Re-read it.  Ah, if only…"of one heart and mind…none claimed anything as his own…no one was needy among them." Yes, it is the ideal. Yes, it really didn’t last long. Reality became more of a challenge (translate = persecution, destitution, unexpected demands, acceptance of "foreigners," and, the refusal to change for another’s sake).  But as leaders, we keep the precious ideal of Christ, in mind and action.  It all is begotten from "above." That means, do not worry about the results, it is all part of the Plan. I will constantly come up against opposition and threats. Is that not why Jesus (along with us) is lifted up? Just do it. 

 

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is president of Holy Family Cristo Rey High School, Birmingham, Alabama.