May 6, 2007 Fifth Sunday of Easter

   2007년 5월 6일 부활 제5주일

 

 제1독서

 사도행전 14,21ㄴ-27
그 무렵 21 바오로와 바르나바는 리스트라와 이코니온으로 갔다가 이어서 안티오키아로 돌아갔다. 22 그들은 제자들의 마음에 힘을 북돋아 주고 계속 믿음에 충실하라고 격려하면서, “우리가 하느님의 나라에 들어가려면 많은 환난을 겪어야 합니다.” 하고 말하였다.
23 그리고 교회마다 제자들을 위하여 원로들을 임명하고, 단식하며 기도한 뒤에, 그들이 믿게 된 주님께 그들을 의탁하였다.
24 바오로와 바르나바는 피시디아를 가로질러 팜필리아에 다다라, 25 페르게에서 말씀을 전하고서 아탈리아로 내려갔다. 26 거기에서 배를 타고 안티오키아로 갔다. 바로 그곳에서 그들은 선교 활동을 위하여 하느님의 은총에 맡겨졌었는데, 이제 그들이 그 일을 완수한 것이다.
27 그들은 도착하자마자 교회 신자들을 불러, 하느님께서 자기들과 함께 해 주신 모든 일과 또 다른 민족들에게 믿음의 문을 열어 주신 것을 보고하였다.

 

 제2독서

묵시록 21,1-5ㄴ
1 나 요한은 새 하늘과 새 땅을 보았습니다. 첫 번째 하늘과 첫 번째 땅은 사라지고 바다도 더 이상 없었습니다.
2 그리고 거룩한 도성 새 예루살렘이 신랑을 위하여 단장한 신부처럼 차리고 하늘로부터 하느님에게서 내려오는 것을 보았습니다. 3 그때에 나는 어좌에서 울려오는 큰 목소리를 들었습니다.
“보라, 이제 하느님의 거처는 사람들 가운데에 있다. 하느님께서 사람들과 함께 거처하시고, 그들은 하느님의 백성이 될 것이다. 하느님 친히 그들의 하느님으로서 그들과 함께 계시고, 4 그들의 눈에서 모든 눈물을 닦아 주실 것이다. 다시는 죽음이 없고, 다시는 슬픔도 울부짖음도 괴로움도 없을 것이다. 이전 것들이 사라져 버렸기 때문이다.”
5 그리고 어좌에 앉아 계신 분께서 말씀하셨습니다. “보라, 내가 모든 것을 새롭게 만든다.”

 

 복음

 요한 13,31-33ㄱ.34-35
31 유다가 [방에서] 나간 뒤에 예수님께서 말씀하셨다. “이제 사람의 아들이 영광스럽게 되었고, 또 사람의 아들을 통하여 하느님께서도 영광스럽게 되셨다. 32 하느님께서 사람의 아들을 통하여 영광스럽게 되셨으면, 하느님께서도 몸소 사람의 아들을 영광스럽게 하실 것이다. 이제 곧 그를 영광스럽게 하실 것이다. 33 얘들아, 내가 너희와 함께 있는 것도 잠시뿐이다. 34 내가 너희에게 새 계명을 준다. 서로 사랑하여라. 내가 너희를 사랑한 것처럼 너희도 서로 사랑하여라. 35 너희가 서로 사랑하면, 모든 사람이 그것을 보고 너희가 내 제자라는 것을 알게 될 것이다.”

 

 

 

 May 6, 2007

 Fifth Sunday of Easter

 Reading 1
Acts 14:21-27

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news
to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”
They appointed elders for them in each church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them make known your might to the children of Adam,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading II
Rev 21:1-5a

Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people
and God himself will always be with them as their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,
for the old order has passed away.”

The one who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”

Gospel
Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35

When Judas had left them, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”

 

 

 Commentary

 

Paul and Barnabas return to bring reassurance and encouragement to the new churches, warning them of the reality of trials to come. They pray and fast and commend those chosen to be elders. They travel and tell of the good news spreading and the wide open door to the Gentiles. Again we hear/see the vision of John: how the work of Jesus and the work of the Spirit in the Church will one day come to fulfillment-there will be a new heaven and earth, a new Jerusalem come from heaven where God dwells with his people and there will be no suffering, weeping, mourning, or pain; all things will be made new. This is what is happening now in the world by the work and the Word of God in the power of the Spirit.

Jesus the night before he dies, tells us, encouraging and reassuring that he will be raised up and glorified (crucified and risen from the dead) and even though he will not be with us (in the flesh) he wants to give us a new commandment: love one another. Such as my love has been for you, so must your love be for each other. This is how all will know you for my disciples: your love for one another. This is the new thing that will set in motion the new heavens and earth. It is up to us now to love like Jesus and to encourage one another and to choose new elders as the Church grows and spreads forth. 

 

 

 PRE-PRAYERING

Liturgy, speaking cynically by some, is doing “the God thing”. More gracefully-speaking, it is actually God doing “the human thing”. Our concept of God is that the Divinity is tending reverently to creation and the continuous creation of us as God’s highest art work. God does this “human thing” by coming to us where we are, as we are and loves us so that God does not just leave us there.

We prepare for our celebration of God’s doing the “human thing” by receiving gratefully all the other ways and forms within which God continues our individual and universal creation and salvation. We gather together to pray with others who are allowing God to enter their hands and lives not only during the liturgy, but all the ways God gardens us.

REFLECTION

We hear in the First Reading for this liturgy, that Paul and his band of preachers went on from the town of Derbe to preach to the Gentiles. What is amazing here is that Paul has just risen from his being stoned by some Jews who had followed him from Antioch where Paul had been preaching. They dragged him out of town and left him for dead. Preaching the Good News was, and still is, dangerous to ones health. Paul rose and, as we hear, Paul returns to Antioch and exhorts the believers to hang in there even though there might be a little resistance.

The Gospel relates Jesus’ speaking to His disciples immediately after Judas has left the group in the Upper Room to betray Jesus. Jesus is pictured in a prayerful spirit of surrendering to time. His hour for glorification is arriving. In John’s theology, “glory” has to do with the more complete revelation of Jesus and the highest ｅxpression of this, is Jesus on the throne of His Cross. In a sense, Jesus is saying, from the Cross, “Now you can see the depth of God’s love for you through me.”

After these words of pondering, Jesus speeds up as one does when leaving. I have noticed that at the end of a house party, there is much standing at the door or out on the steps of the house and many important things are said. Future dates, or phone calls are arranged, someone forgets something that was promised during the evening and is back in the house. Kind words of affection and thanksgiving are exchanged and promises of future dinners or social activities are shared. It all happens at the end and quite quickly. These are sometimes the most sincere and loving things explicitly spoken.

Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples and given them an instruction about how they will live His presence. That was the gesture of loving care, now He says His important words at the end, on the doorstep of time. For John, there is no narrative of Jesus’ instituting the Eucharist. Here at the Last supper He is saying, “Do this in memory of Me.” Loving one another is how we remember, how we do the “remembering”. We remember Him in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup. We live lovingly as a remembrance of His love for us.

So these words are his final instructions as they all begin to end the Passover party. Jesus has never said these exact and explicit words to them of the importance of loving each other. He has lived those words in His actions, but now He comes right out and lays down the law which He will repeat in chapter fifteen and live explicitly through His passion and death.

Yesterday I hosted a group of students from our university who are dating “seriously”. I had made a general invitation for such couples to come for an afternoon of reflection about, not dating, but dating “seriously”. We began by asking what “seriously” meant to them. For some it could mean preparing to be engaged, for others it could mean involved beyond just “hanging out”. They were deciding to “hang in”.

The major prayer for them and later discussion centered around love of course. Jesus loved by giving His life for and to others. Giving life to others means that I want to give you more and more awareness of your truth and by my acceptance of your truth; I want to help you accept all of your gifts and goodness. This is a long process and love is shown in patience then.

In a “serious” loving relationship, I seriously receive your giving me more and more of me as well and helping me become aware and accepting of who I am. Jesus gave people themselves, gave them back their lives and dignity, but always for the purpose of their giving, donating, doing something with the truth of who they were. Loving one another means that both persons are the lovers and beloved. Both are “enloved” to love beyond just each other. It is true that we cannot give away what we do not have. Loving each other results in our being freed by being loved, to love what we have received, (ourselves) and having received ourselves more gratefully, we can donate ourselves more generously, or “seriously”.

Last night I received an email from a student asking me, of all persons, about just how he could approach a young female student and begin a “serious” relationship, he was not at the afternoon gathering. The “how” of fulfilling the command to love is the subject of many books and movies, I guess. The “why” is more important. Jesus washed feet, dried tears, fed folks, cured them, and helped them have a good time of it. He had many “hows”, but only one “why”. God so loved this world and Jesus lived that love for this world and His presence in this world is expressed by our living that same love in as many “hows” as we have moments.

Sonnet 116:

by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.

 

 by
Larry Gillick, S.J.
Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality

 

 

"Love one another, even as I have loved you" 

 How does God reveal his glory to us?  In his Last Supper discourse Jesus speaks of his glory and the glory of his Father. What is this glory? It is the cross which Jesus speaks of here. The cross of Jesus shows us that the greatest glory in life is the glory of willingly sacrificing one's life for the sake of another. In the cross God reveals the breadth of his great love for sinners and the power of redemption which cancels the debt of sin and reverses the curse of our condemnation. Jesus gave his Father supreme honor and glory through his obedience and willingness to sacrifice his life on the cross. The greatest trust one can give to their leader is the willingness to obey in the line of duty, even to the point of putting oneself in harm's way. In warfare the greatest honor belongs not to those who survive but to those who give the supreme sacrifice of their lives. Jesus also speaks of the Father bringing glory to the Son through the great mystery of the Incarnation and Cross of Christ. God the Father gave us his only begotten Son for our sake, to redeem us from slavery to sin and death.  He freely offered his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world.

 There is no greater proof of God's love for us than the Cross of Jesus Christ. In the cross we see a new way of love – a love that is selfless, sacrificial, forgiving and compassionate beyond comprehension. Jesus commands us, his disciples, to love one another just as he has loved  us. How can we love one another selflessly, sacrificially, and with compassion? Through the victory of the cross and resurrection, we  have access to God's grace and mercy.  God gives us new life through the gift of the Holy Spirit and he fills our hearts with faith, hope, and love. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).  As we turn to God with trust and obedience, he transforms our hearts and frees us to love others with compassion and kindness.  Do you want to bring glory to God in the way you love others?

"Lord Jesus, your love knows no bounds and your obedience to the Father reverses the curse of our disobedience. May I bring you glory in the sacrifice of my will to the will of the Father and in my love and compassion for others, both for those who treat me well and for those who cause me grief or harm."

Psalm 145:1,8-13
1 I will extol thee, my God and King, and bless thy name for ever and ever.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee!
11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power,
12 to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of thy kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.  The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.

 

Times change.   Personnel come and go.   We pass from one phase of life to another.   This weekend, many will graduate from college; they will then go on to something new in life.  This summer, many priests will receive changes of assignment; both priests and people must adjust.   Today's first reading describes a change in the Churches of Asia Minor.   Paul is going to leave; they probably won't see him again.   He ordains priests there, and commends them to God's care.   We can't hang on to the old forever.   Parents must let go of their children.   Teachers must let go of their students.   We must all have faith and hope that God will always be with us.  
The second reading tells of another change: John sees a new heaven and a new earth.   The old had passed away.   There might be nostalgia for the old and the comfortable, but the new will be better.   We of the older generation must trust that the younger generation will have wisdom and insight and divine guidance as they face a new world.
The gospel selection is Jesus' last instructions to his disciples.   The big change would happen soon: He would return to his Father through his death, resurrection, and ascension.   Before he leaves, he gives us a new commandment.   The new commandment is the moral imperative of every Christian.   We are called to love each other as Christ Jesus has loved us!  With the power of God's spirit, let us always strive to do this.   Then each day will be new and vibrant.   Then we shall have peace of soul even in crisis and adversity.   Then we shall see that God is with us, and that all will be well.    

 

 

 Homily from Father James Gilhooley

 Do you remember the tale of the dreadful accident on the battleship USS Iowa. It occurred in the spring of 1989. Forty seven young men were killed in a still unexplained explosion in a gun turret. There is much tragedy in the sad story. But also one can find strong threads of glory. The storyteller reminds us the glory belongs, paradoxically perhaps, not to the survivors but to the casualties. The heroes were not the men who may have kept the battleship afloat after the accident. Rather, the heroes were the sailors who died.
   
They shall ever be numbered among the Navy's honored dead. Writes the poet, "They shall not grow old...At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."
    
As it was for these young men, so it was for Jesus. So can it be for you and me if of course we have spiritual courage and discipline.
    
Today's Gospel takes us back to the Last Supper. We listen to the opening strains of the Teacher's last talk with His closest followers.
    
If you listen even with your hearing aid turned down to low, you will detect no anxiety and no fears in the Christ. Clearly He is not running scared. This is remarkable. Remember He knows of the impending betrayal of one of His own. He sees His fast approaching crucifixion with its dreadful pain. The Teacher is circled in majesty. He is the original Mr Cool. He does not require blood pressure pills. This is not a prisoner sitting in a death cell ready to eat the traditional last meal. Rather, He is a King hosting a sumptuous victory banquet.
    
Let me support my statement with irrefutable proof. In the opening two sentences of today's Gospel, you will find the word glory mentioned an extraordinary five times. Does this sound like a Man who feels He is a loser? Quite the contrary! You would not be surprised to discover this Host pouring aged Napoleon brandy in Baccarat snifters for each of the apostles. Then He would pass around a box of the finest Havanas. No doubt, He would say, "Take a second one for the celebration  Sunday."    
   
One scholar sums up the situation succinctly. In John's Gospel, the passion, death, and resurrection of the Teacher are not told as distinct tales. Rather, they are part and parcel of one large story. And the thought that runs throughout the narration is supreme glory.
    
The greatest glory in life, says William Barclay, is glory which comes from sacrifice. Following long-standing traditions, the crew members of the USS Iowa will come together for regular reunions. Their first toast will not be to the survivors but always to the fallen forty seven. Whenever we Catholics and Christians come together as today, we salute not the apostles who survived that Good Friday but our Leader who sacrificed Himself for us.
    
John argues today that the more one puts out, the more one will receive in turn. Thus, the generous giver happily finds himself the subject of Bunyan's riddle, "The more he threw away, the more he had."
   
For example, who was the hero of Charles Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities? The beautiful Lucie Manette or Sydney Carton who allowed himself to be guillotined to insure that she might live a life of bliss? Most would answer Mr Carton.
    
Thus, if you and I can somehow break out of the confining envelope of our own selfishness, if we stop hoarding our time, money, and energy, the bigger will the payoff be for our own Christian selves.
   
If we take this Gospel message with the seriousness that John intended, we might well become different men and women.
    
When you grow weary, bring to mind the tested advice of William Ward.  "When we are unable, God is able.  When we are insufficient, God is sufficient. When we are filled with fear, God is always near."
   
Reflect daily on the dictum which advises Christianity is not just Christ in you but Christ living His life through you. It goes on to say our love for Christ should be faith with working clothes on, So, we must tell everyone about Someone who can save anyone.
    
Your sacrifices will someday bring you much glory. That is both the teaching of history as well as a chief principle in life.

 

Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html

The New Jerusalem

While on vacation a few summers ago I met a wonderful Moslem man who asked me about Jerusalem.  His question shocked me.  I don’t know if his question represented a popular thought in Islam, but what he asked was, “Do Christians support the Jews because they believe that someday Israel will rule the world from Jerusalem?”  His question was based on the second reading for this Sunday from the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelations.  This chapter speaks about the New Jerusalem. 

I thought it might be helpful today for us to do a little reflection on the Book of Revelations and on the New Jerusalem.

First of all, the Book of Revelations is part of that form of literature called apocalyptical material.  Some older bibles still refer to it as the Apocalypse.  Apocalyptical material is actually a literary genre somewhere between prose and poetry.  It is meant to stir up the emotions of the listener or reader and motivate him or her into action.  In the Book of Revelations we hear about horrible scourges, those of the seven seals, the seven bowls and the seven trumpets.  These are meant to scare us into recognizing what sin is doing to the world.

At the same time, in the midst of terror, God is triumphant.  In fact, the main theme of the Book of Revelation and all apocalyptic material is that the world might seem to be out of God’s control and in the control of the devil, but God knows and God will intervene.  For example, in the sixth chapter of Revelation the angel of God opens the seals of the Book of God’s plan for his people. A plague upon evil doers accompanies each seal.  When the fifth seal is opened voices are heard under the altar of God’s sacrifice.  These are the voices of the martyrs, the witnesses of Jesus Christ.  “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true,” the voices call out, “how long before you will judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood.” They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed. A little longer.  God is in control.  The horrors happening around us will continue for a little longer until more can be added to the saved, even if more will also be added to the martyred.

The Book of Revelation is a profound ｅxpression of the Christian experience.  only the Lamb that was slain can unseal the Book of God’s plan for mankind.  only Jesus Christ can restore God’s plan.  He alone is our salvation.  The death of the Lord, swept up into heaven, is the conquest of the Forces of Death.  Evil no longer has a hold in the world of Jesus Christ. 

The New Jerusalem is in our immediate future. Those who hold out for the Lord will be citizens of  “the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”  They will hear a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes,

and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away."

The former heaven and former earth will pass away. The sea, chaos, will be no more.   There will be a new heaven and a new earth. The one who sits behind the throne says, “Behold, I make all things new.”

There is no room for pessimism in Christianity.  The basic attitude of the Christian is optimism.  God is in control.   God will cure the evils of the world and answer the questions of existence in ways that are beyond our imagination. 

I see this Christian optimism when I’m with a family gathered around the deathbed of a loved one.  “He is in God’s hands now,”  they proclaim in the midst of their grief.  I

see this Christian optimism in our parents and godparents who see a new world in the faces of their children.  I see this Christian optimism in the care givers and servants of the sick and poor.  I see this Christian optimism whenever I am confronted with a seemingly impossible situation.  Somehow or other, God will work it out.  He is in control.

What could never happen in the world that had rejected God, can now take place in the New Jerusalem.  The Blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk and the poor will have the Good News preached to them.  Jesus Christ has won the battle.  He is the victim who has become the victor.

We are part of the New Jerusalem.  The trials and pains of our lives have meaning and purpose because they are part of the witness of the Christians of the ages that Jesus wins.

Don’t be negative.  Don’t be pessimistic.  No matter what you are facing physically, in your home, in your lives.  No matter what you may fear for your loved ones.  No matter what questions you have for the future, be positive.  It’s a whole new world.  God is in charge.  We are citizens of the New Jerusalem.  Christian optimism must permeate every action of our lives.  Sin will never win the final battle. Evil, no matter how powerful it may seem, will never conquer the world.   Jesus Christ has won.  God is in control.

So what is the New Jerusalem that Christians believe will someday rule the world?  The New Jerusalem is not a physical place. The New Jerusalem is the Kingdom of God among us. 

And we are called to be its citizens.
 

 

 Homily from Father Phil Bloom
http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/

 They Appointed Elders
(May 6, 2007)

Bottom line: From the apostles we have the threefold structure of bishop, priest and deacon. An essential component of love is our relationship to our bishop - and to the priests and deacons who work with him.

Today Jesus gives a new commandment: that we love each other as he loves us. Love has many dimensions. I could never sum up the meaning of love in a single homily or even a lifetime of homilies. This Sunday I would like to focus on one aspect of love - it is not the whole story, but it is an essential part. Love involves being a correct relationship with the other person. Take for example the relationship between parent and child. A parent's love for the child involves protection and guidance, while a child's love for their parent involves honor and obedience. So it is in all our relationships - whether it is teacher and student, older sister and younger brother, grandparent and grandchild, husband and wife. Love involves discovering those elements of correct relationship - and living them out.

We can see the concern for right relationships in today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The Apostles not only wanted to give people correct teaching; they also were concerned about right relationships within the community. As they went from one area to another - I quote - "they appointed elders for them in each church." In Greek the word for elder is "presbyteros" - and it does not necessarily mean "old man." The presbyter could be some quite young like Timothy who Paul placed in charge of the important church of Ephesus. It is from the word presbyter that we get our modern word "priest." By the end of the first century Christians had already developed a structure with three levels or orders: bishop, priest and deacon. The early Christians wanted to be in correct relationship with their bishop, their priests and their deacons.

So it is for us. Now, some of you are thinking that I am telling you this because today is Commitment Sunday for the Annual Catholic Appeal. You are right. I am. But I might be preaching to myself more than to you. I admit that sometimes I am tempted to think we have so many needs in our parish, why do I have to take up a collection for the archbishop? The truth is that no priest and no deacon can function apart from his bishop. Being in a correct relationship is an essential part of life -and of love. And from that relationship we receive great benefits for ourselves and for those less fortunate.

Today I am going to ask you to express that love by filling out the Annual Catholic Appeal pledge. Last year the average pledge in the Archdiocese was $258. Some here can pledge more, other less. We are not asking for an equal gift, but for an equal sacrifice. For some of you, your pledge will be prayers. Simply write that on your card. Last year 353 families from our parish made pledges - about one third of our registered families. This year I would like to increase that to 460 families - that is, 40% of our parish.

If we exceed our parish goal of $58,048, we will receive a rebate from the Archdiocese. This year we have a beautiful project in mind for the rebate. You may have noticed that the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Michael the Archangel have been repaired. (You may remember that the statue of St. Michael was vandalized the summer before last – and that we had to send it Italy to be repaired.) We now need a secure room for those statues - a room where people can go for quiet prayer and to light a votive candle. We need a total of about $7,000 to prepare the room off the vestibule for that purpose. The goal of this project is that these beautiful statues be accessible for devotion, but at the same time have adequate protection. If you desire more details about this project, you may contact parish administrator Gary Samaniego or myself.

Remember: we belong to the Church that goes back to the Apostles. Today we hear how the apostles were careful to set up elders - presbyters - in each local church. From the apostles we have the threefold structure of bishop, priest and deacon. An essential component of love is our relationship to our bishop - and to the priests and deacons who work with him.

 

 Homily from Father Andrew M. Greeley
http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html

Background:
  The last supper discourse of Jesus to his apostles is a mix of many consoling things Jesus had said to them in the course of their time together so that they might be sustained in hope after he had returned to the Father-in-Heaven. The consolation today is mixed with a challenge – a new commandment which sounds nice but which turns out to be very difficult. For as we know from the experience of our lives it is very had to love everyone, especially those who are closest to us, our colleagues, our families, our close friends, the people next door.
 
Story:
 Once upon a time an older woman live next door to strange neighbors. Why is it that neighbors are always strange? Anyway these people were noisy, rude, and vulgar. Their televisions were always on full blast way into the night. They fought with one another at the top of their voices. Their kids played baseball in the yard and football on the street and ran over her lawn and flowers – and cursed a lot too, even the girls, though that is very had to believe. All the other neighbors complained, called the police, threatened to get court orders. The loud crowd just laughed at them. Their daddy was a lawyer and he boasted he cold beat any complaint in a court of law. WELL, everyone else in the neighborhood refused to speak them. The lady we’re talking about was always polite and friendly. She had treats ready at Halloween, and cookies at Christmas, and she often salvaged their newspaper from the rain or snow. one night a little girl – the one who always had a runny nose – rang the doorbell about midnight. Our Mommy is dying and our daddy is out of town. Please help us. Well, the woman went over to the house and called 911and stayed their till the ambulance came (the mommy had an allergic reaction to some medicine) and stayed there until the daddy came home, and calmed the children down and told them there mother would be fine and got them all into bed. And they all became very good friends.

 

 

Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe,Pa
http://benedictine.stvincent.edu/archabbey/Weeklywords/Weeklywords.html

 

Gospel Summary

In our largely urban society we tend to glamorize sheep herding. In fact, and especially in Jesus' day, it was a lonely, harsh and dangerous occupation. Jesus was not using hyperbole, therefore, when he says that the good shepherd must be ready to lay down his life for the sheep. It is only the bad shepherd, for whom the sheep are of merely utilitarian value, who flees because he is unwilling to risk his own life when they are attacked.

Jesus is not really talking about sheep herding, of course. He is speaking instead about the intimate, personal bond that must exist between him and his followers. He offers his life for them, and they respond in total trust, so that they know and love Jesus in the same deeply personal way that Jesus knows and loves his heavenly Father.

Life Implications

We live in a world that seems to prize personal freedom above everything else. The problem with that is that one person's use of freedom may easily infringe upon the rights of someone else. In such cases, one must recognize that, in a society of many individuals, personal freedom cannot be absolute. When Frank Sinatra sang, "I did it my way," he was making beautiful music but expressing very dubious theology. The ideal is to live life, not in my way, but in the right way.

When Jesus says that he is the good shepherd, he certainly means that he sacrifices his comfort and safety for the sake of others. There is a graphic description of bad shepherds in Ezechiel (34:2-3): "Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep." Such selfish shepherds do not care for their sheep at all but instead mistreat them as they use them for the satisfaction of their own needs.

If we wish to be followers of the good shepherd, we must have that same relationship with God that Jesus did. This means that we must open ourselves to the reality of God's love for us and then do all that we can to make that love a reality in the lives of others. This will often mean that we will place the interests and needs of others before our own wishes and preferences. In other words, we will often "do it their way." This may, at first glance, appear to be a recipe for disappointment and servitude, but such a conclusion will be reached only by those who have never tried it. The good shepherd is also a happy shepherd!

This concern for others will create in us that wonderful sense of "knowing" Jesus and being "known" by him. In other words, we will sense the presence of Jesus in our lives in a way that transcends all the external elements of religion. These elements will remain important but we will understand that they are really meant to lead us to a personal and mystical experience of Jesus in all the circumstances of our lives. When that happens, we will recognize instinctively the voice of our good shepherd and gladly follow him into God's wonderfully mysterious future.

 

 

Homily from Father Cusick
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

How do we know the Church? What is she like? What are the characteristics that set the Church apart from all other bodies, groups or organizations in the world?

The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history:

--It is the people of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." (1 Pet 2:9.)

--One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being "born anew," a birth "of water and the Spirit," (Jn 3:3-5.) that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism.

--This People has for its head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is "the messianic people."

--"The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple."

--"Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us." (Cf. Jn 13:34.)

--Its mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. (Cf. Mt 5:13-16.) This people is "a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race."

--Its destiny, finally, "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time." (LG 9 art. 2.) (CCC 782)
 

Let's pray for each other until, together next week, we "meet Christ in the liturgy", Father Cusick
 

 

Homily from Father Alex McAllister SDS
http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/

 

Normally in the cycle of liturgical readings it is the First Reading and the Gospel that are connected to give us what you could call the theme of the mass. Usually the Second Reading takes us week by week through one of the Letters of SS Paul, Peter or James.

In Easter it seems to be the other way round. In the First Reading we go week by week through the Acts of the Apostles and it is the Second Reading that hooks up with the Gospel to give us the seasonal emphasis.

For this Fifth Sunday of Easter we have an excerpt from the Book of the Apocalypse in which St John tells us about his vision of a new heaven and a new earth. He describes the New Jerusalem and presents us with a wonderful picture of what heaven will be like.

In our Gospel we have Jesus at the Last Supper giving the Apostles his new commandment, to love one another just as I have loved you.

Let us look briefly at this text about the New Jerusalem. To the Jewish People the most important thing about the city of Jerusalem is the temple, but in this description there is no mention of the temple. No mention of the temple because in the New Jerusalem there is no need of the temple. In the New Jerusalem God lives with his people: he is fully present to them, so there is no need for a special place to worship him or to offer sacrifices.

It is entirely new, as John says: The one sitting on the throne spoke: Now I am making all things new.

But this newness is in a real sense already upon us. The simple fact of Jesus’ resurrection makes the whole world new.

Of course, it makes it new in the sense that nothing can ever be the same again. But it also makes it new in a much deeper sense for all those who follow Christ. By virtue of our Baptism we live a new life in Christ.

We are not living the old life without Christ we are living the new life with him—through our Baptism we have become part of his work of salvation in the world.

There is not just a new heaven and a new earth; there is also a new people—the Church. We are the leaven for the world, the salt of the earth, the new chosen people.

In our Gospel reading Jesus instructs the eleven, and so also us, how to be his disciples. He says: Love one another just as I have loved you. By the love you have for one another everyone will know that you are my disciples. So Jesus clearly wants us to be known as his disciples by the world. It is in this way that his salvation will become known and that everyone will eventually come to him.

I frequently go to the Black Horse on a Sunday evening to take part in the quiz—I’ll probably be there tonight, it is rather a good quiz with more geography and history than pop music and sport, which suits me.

Most of the regular quiz crowd know who I am, even if they don’t know my name. I don’t wear a clerical collar but they know that I’m the parish priest. They know, therefore, what I stand for. In a very real sense I represent Christ and if I drank far too much or was seriously impolite or out of order in some way they would be disappointed, for I would have let Christ down.

A priest is a public figure and is known as a dedicated follower of Christ wherever he goes—not an easy role, I can tell you.

But it shouldn’t be just the priest, should it? It should be all of us; for we are all ambassadors for Christ.

If we are to be faithful to Christ we can’t be secret followers, we have to walk in the light, we have to openly give witness to Jesus. We must allow people to know what we are and who we stand for. And we must live lives that do not bring Christ into discredit.

I was at a retreat house once and the retreat director told me about a group of primary school children who he had given a talk to once. He pointed to a hanging behind the altar which had the Latin word PAX beautifully embroidered on it and asked them what this word meant.

After a long silence a young boy who had obviously been thinking very hard put up his hand and said, ‘Does it mean Personal Awareness of Christ?’

If we are to be effective witnesses to Christ in the world then we have to have Christ at the very forefront of our minds. We have to have a deep consciousness of his loving presence at all times of the day. We need that constant personal awareness of Christ that the little boy mentioned.

If we have this, then we needn’t worry about how to be a witness to Christ, because we will be already doing it. We won’t need to wear a dog collar or a cross in our lapel because people will know already. They will see Christ in us and the longer they know us the better they will get to know Christ.

 

 

Homily from Father Clyde A. Bonar, Ph.D.
Contact Father at cbonar@cfl.rr.com  

"Love one Another"

Introduction

In her Autobiography, St. Therese of Lisieux wrote: "I have found my vocation, and my vocation is love."1 St. Therese said she was not to do "sensational acts of piety," neither was she to preach the gospel, nor was she to shed her blood as a martyr. Rather, the niche God gave St. Therese in life was to love. In all ways, at all times, to love.

Today Jesus gives us "a new commandment: love one another." We are to give as much love to others as Christ gives to us.

Family Love - Storge

Our first experience of love comes within our families. The love parents show for their children, the love children return to their parents.

One father expressed the deep, heart-felt love he had for his new born daughter. He said, "I never knew I could love so much until I held my daughter in my arms for the first time."

Family love causes mother and father to wake for 2 a.m. feedings, to change diapers until potty training finally takes hold. Family love gets dad coaching little league, and soccer moms driving the kids to practice. When the kids get older and get in trouble, family love brings mom to visit her son in the county jail after junior trashed the high school computer lab.

Knowing love because their parents have loved them, sons and daughters begin to show love. By their actions, washing the dishes or mowing the grass, just to help out. After graduating herself, family love motivated Becky to put aside some money each week to pay college tuition for her brother.

When parents get older, family love continues with the children taking care of their aging mother and father. Jeff and Susan tell about a vacation at the beach with their grown children. Swimming in the surf, Susan overheard her daughter say, "Tom, you watch out for dad, I'll stick close to mom."

In our families, with each "I love you," we know we are loved. Our families give us love, teach us how to love.

The Greeks called family love storge, the love we show to our children and the love our children show to us.

Love of Friendship - Philia

Knowing our families love us, we are ready for friends. A type of love the Greeks called philia, the love of friendship.

We discover friends. We find we have a common interest with someone we met in school, or at church, or in some casual meeting. Perhaps playing basketball, or reading poetry. Maybe spelunking, the adventure of exploring caves. After discovering our similar interests, we begin to spend time with each other. Friendship springs up. We just have fun being together.

That's the first step of friendship, something to share.

The second step of friendship is harder, takes longer. It's building trust. New friends test each other. Questions have to be answered. Do I find myself looking forward to being with this person? What other interests do we each have? Can we count on each other? Do we hold in confidence what we are told in confidence?

When we're down and out, the true friend puts aside all else, and says, "I'm here for you." Like the time George got fired. His friend Pete called, asks George to help him lay out a patio. Pete could have built the patio himself; in fact, Pete planned it as a project to do with his teenage son. But, when George told him he'd been fired, Pete knew, the patio project would be a perfect time to just be with George for a while. Because, right now, George needed a friend.

True friends are more than casual acquaintances or business associates or fellow club members.

It is deep friendship that the Greeks called philia, the love of friends. The kind of friends we enjoy being with, and who will stand by us in good times and in bad.

Romantic Love - Eros

Next comes romantic love, what we often call being "in love." The exclusive love between one man and one woman. The Greeks called it eros, a romantic love that says "You and only you."

Romantic love starts as a boy cautiously looks at a certain girl, as a girl with the same hesitation looks at a certain boy. Perhaps its physical attraction. He's so handsome, she's so pretty. Or, maybe similar interests. She notices him while playing tennis, he asks her to volley with him. Whatever first attracts this boy to this girl, this girl to this boy, they find themselves wanting to spend time with each other, just the two, alone together.

Romantic love says, "We enjoy being with each other more than we've ever enjoyed being with anyone else." Romantic love tells everyone, "This is the one, the only, the love of my life."

Those truly in love are also truly friends. Eros includes philia. In the best seller Tuesdays with Morrie,2 Morrie tells how friendship love and romantic love get mixed up together in marriage. Morrie says, "If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble." "If you don't know how to compromise;" "if you can't talk openly about what goes on between you;" "if you don't have a common set of values, you're gonna have a lot of trouble" in marriage. In romantic love, the couple also are friends with each other.

The romantic love of eros certainly needs to be erotic, but the love of eros goes well beyond erotic ｅxpression. Couples cheat themselves when they try to base their love in sensual pleasure. Seeking just sexual pleasure, that's lust.

The romantic love of eros leads to marriage. Eros calls the lover a friend, the chosen one, to be true to, to have and to hold, until death do they part.

Pure Love - Agape

Storge, the love of family; philia, the love of friendship; eros, romantic love. There’s one more kind of love. When Jesus commanded us, "love one another," the Greek word used was agape. In the phrase, "God is love" (1 John 4:16), the word used for love is agape.

Agape love is pure love. With agape love we choose to love.

We find agape love in the best of marriages. Couples express agape love by their willingness to put the other first, to risk themselves for their wife or husband. Agape love wants the best for the other, will work for that best, even, if necessary, to die for it.

I can tell you about Sean and Debbie. Sean works for CitiBank, Debbie, his wife, is a Navy officer. When Debbie was transferred to San Diego, Sean packs up and moves. Romantic love joins with agape love, Sean putting his career advancement on hold to follow his wife's duty assignment.

In truth, we find agape love more often than we might think. Not only in marriage. Agape love sees in the other person an image of God, to be loved simply because he or she is a brother or sister in Christ. Agape love attaches no strings, asks nothing in return. Whether the other person is beggar or friend, stranger or neighbor, we love with a love that imitates God's love.

It's agape love to help the stranger. one night, after Mass, a elderly lady's car had a flat tire. Mary calls AAA, waits as the tire is changed, then follows the elderly lady home in the dark. Mary had never met the lady before. She just knew the lady needed help. That's loving with agape love.

Agape love spurs us to give to charities. one seniors’ group knits afghan blankets and bonnets for babies. At last check, the afghans had found their way to every nursing home in the county, babies in the local hospitals wear caps knitted by the seniors.

Agape love lets no one ever come to us without leaving better or happier. Agape love has kind eyes, a pleasant smile, a warm greeting, a helping hand. Agape love wants the best for the other, and is willing to work, to sacrifice, for the good of the other person.

Conclusion

Jesus tells us, "I give you a new commandment: love one another." Before we can love, we must have been loved. Our families are the first to say to us, "I love you." Then, secure that we are loved and lovable, we try friendship, love for and love from someone outside our families. Next comes romantic love, an exclusive "in love" commitment to one man or one woman.

Our personal experience of love makes us ready for the new commandment, to love one another in pure love. The Greeks called this agape love.

What is love? To love each person as a brother or sister in Christ. Whether a stranger, or neighbor, or a member of our family, to love with a love that imitates God's love for us.