BIBLE STUDY # 44
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 29, 2011
Gospel Jn 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We are still in the Book of Glory (see last week) and our Gospel passage today comes immediately after last week’s Gospel passage and is also a part of the Last Supper Discourses.
Jesus is about to leave them. This is the night before he dies, and he tells them, “In a little while the world will no longer see me.” He promises to send them “another advocate.” Jesus is the first advocate (see 1John 2:1). They have been following him, and he has been their guide, teacher, inspiration, and leader. But in a short while, he will undergo his passion, death, resurrection, and in 40 days, his ascension.
But Jesus assures them that even though he will be gone he will be with them because “I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” Our God is one who will never abandon us. He says, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
It must have been scary for the apostles when Jesus predicted his passion and death. What would the future hold? Who could replace him? What would they do? No wonder they didn’t want to believe it. Jesus tries to reassure them and give them something to hold onto. He wants to give them reason to hope. He knows life will be difficult for them as they try to spread the Gospel (see Acts of the Apostles for many examples of the hardships of the early Church).
How will Jesus remain with us? God “will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.” This is the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son to take the place of the Son as our Advocate. This spirit will be our guide, teacher, inspiration, and leader.
The world does not understand the Spirit because the world doesn’t believe in Jesus. We have accepted Christ into our lives, and we come closer to the Lord by the working of the Holy Spirit.
What does the Spirit do for us? The Spirit helps us to love. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” What commandments? What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to live? What are we to believe? Aren’t these the types of questions we want answered when we come to church, pray, or do spiritual reading?
I think that an easy way to remember what God wants us to do is wrapped up in the word ‘virtue’. Virtues are those many positive qualities that make up a holy life; things like love, sacrifice, forgiveness, generosity, humility, serving the poor and needy, and the like. Those who try to be virtuous know that this is a very difficult task, so to be virtuous, to be holy, we need to add prayer and sacraments to this list.
Jesus wants us to keep his commandments, to be holy. He wants us to show us our love for him by the way we live our lives. Saying we love God isn’t good enough. Our actions have to show that we love God. After all, if someone you knew told you that they loved you, but didn’t do anything to show or to express that love, would you believe them? Probably not, at least not after awhile. “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.” Observing commandments is more than an assent, it’s more than a belief, it’s more than a creed, it must play itself out in concrete actions in how we serve and assist one another.
What are the benefits of keeping these commandments? First of all, Jesus promises us that “whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” This is more than knowing things about Jesus, it’s about having a personal experience of the risen Lord, and therefore a personal relationship with him. Many people who’ve been touched by Jesus in this way can give you specific details of the when and where and how they felt, but it’s impossible to explain in depth the way God touched their hearts. It is a great motivator to be virtuous.
I think God gives us these moments of grace along the way to give us hope, just as the resurrection appearances gave the disciples hope. When we begin to get down, to waver, to let doubt creep in, we have these moments of grace to reassure us of God’s love and of God’s commitment to us.
I also think that these moments of grace give us direction, focus, and the ability to see what’s important in life.
One of my homily resources called Connections tells a story of a remarkable young boy named Andrew. Here is his story.
God is simply . . . there
Six-year-old Andrew Bateson came down with bacterial meningitis, an aggressive disease that almost cost the little boy his life. In order to save Andrew, doctors had to amputate his legs where the disease had destroyed his circulatory system. Andrew was devastated when he discovered what had happened to him; Andrew couldn't understand why he couldn't have his "old legs back."
His mother, Rebecca, wasn't doing much better. She tried to keep up a positive disposition for her son - but she wondered how Andrew would handle the next chapter.
And she felt betrayed - betrayed by God.
After months of agonizing rehabilitation with his new prosthetic legs, Andrew finally went home.
Then one night at supper, out of nowhere, Andrew said, "I saw God, Mommy. I was sleeping at the hospital. He put his arms out, and I thought he was going to give me a hug. But instead he just touched me on the shoulder."
His mother steeled herself. "Did God say anything?"
"No, he was just . . . there."
A chill ran down his mother's spine. Rebecca writes:
"[God] was just there. What did that mean? I looked at Andrew, wolfing down his dinner. For months I had seen a handicapped child, a damaged child, fighting as hard as he could, failing more often than succeeding in his rehab. Falling down, unable to master his new legs. Yet, unlike me, never turning bitter, never giving up. 'I'm going to walk, I'm going to ride my bike,' he'd insist, 'You just watch.'"
And Rebecca realized: "Andrew came through this better than I have. He was moving on. I was stuck in my bitterness and sense of betrayal . . . Had God been there all along for me, too, and I was just too angry to see? Was he there for me now? Lord, thank you for being with Andrew. Be with me now, too."
[From "The Visitor" by Rebecca Bateson, Guideposts, November 2006.]
I would answer Andrew’s mother by telling her that God is always there for us, not to take away our pain and suffering, but to be our guide and inspiration along the way. Did Andrew understand this theologically? Probably not. But I’d bet that his positive attitude and courage during his rehab came because God ‘was just there.’
I think a second advantage of the Spirit is that after we know what we must do, the Spirit gives us the courage to do it. As St Paul says in Philippians chapter 4 : “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
My homily source called Connections has a good story about living out our faith. It is called:
“The holy work of being Mom and Dad
Scrubbing the pan in which Sunday's pot roast was roasted . . . getting your children to and from school, doctor's appointments, rehearsals and practices . . . paying the bills and balancing the checkbook are hardly inspiring, exhilarating experiences.
But they are holy acts.
The details of being a parent - cleaning, teaching, driving to and picking up, paying tuition, guiding, counseling, feeding, clothing - take on a spiritual character when they are part of the work of transforming a child into a sacred and thoughtful and engaged adult.
For parents, the spiritual is not ethereal or remote; the holy is not abstract and confined to words and images. For Moms and Dads, the spiritual is painfully real; the holy is directly connected to the most ordinary and mundane of human activities. The spiritual transcends the present to envision the future - and who contributes more to the future than a parent raising a child into a responsible, centered, loving adult?
As a parent, you are a minister, you are a prophet, you are a priest. You are unfolding the holy work of creation when you gave life to this person with a soul and spirit. You are continuing the work begun by and now entrusted to you by God.
And that is the holiest of vocations.”
Sometimes we think that being holy means being well educated, well known and popular. We attribute holiness to those who found religious orders, write books, those who are great preachers, who begin large programs to help the poor. Or sometimes we think that holiness is reserved for the clergy and religious who have the time, who don’t have the ‘mundane’ work of the secular world.
Look at our own patron, St. Joseph. He didn’t do anything normally associated with great saints, yet he is the patron of the universal church. All he did was the best he could in any given situation, given his own limitations and circumstances.
When Jesus tells us to keep his commandments, he is not asking all of us to do great things; he is asking all of us to be Christ to those we meet in our own world. That is where we find the Lord and the Spirit finds us.
Let’s be Christ for each other and see Christ in each other.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #43
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MAY 22, 2011
Gospel John 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
The two main sections of Jesus Gospel are the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. The Book of Signs begins with chapter 1, verse 19, and ends with chapter 12, verse 50. The Gospel immediately starts the other main section, the Book of Glory, which begins in chapter 13, verse 1 and ends with chapter 20, verse 31.
The Book of Signs contains 7 great signs, which really are the wondrous deeds of Jesus. Many of these are familiar: the wedding feast at Cana; the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
The Book of Glory begins in the upper room the night before Jesus dies and ends with the story of Doubting Thomas and a short conclusion before the Epilogue. In this book, the “hour” of Jesus arrives. Jesus has come down from heaven to do the Father’s will, and before he returns, he must undergo his passion, death, and resurrection. Our gospel passage this week is in the early part of this Book of Glory. In chapter 13, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples (remember, there is no Last Supper in John’s Gospel; John talks about the Eucharist in chapter 6), announces Judas’ betrayal, he gives a new commandment to love one another, and predicts Peters’ betrayal, all familiar aspects of the gospel.
Chapter 14 begins with the Last Supper Discourses, where Jesus gives words of consolation because of his words about going away (going back to the Father) from chapter 13. He has told the apostles that he is going home to the Father; they can’t come now, but they will come later.
They become troubled because they do not understand what Jesus is telling them. They think he is going away and they won’t see him again. He is going away to ‘prepare a place for’, that is, his suffering, death and resurrection will open the gates of paradise for those who believe in him
Jesus will not abandon us. He will be with us in this life, guiding, directing, and inspiring us to follow him. When it is our time, he will guide us over the waters of death to the eternal banquet table. In fact, it is more beneficial for him to go than to stay. He will bring us to his Father’s house where there are many mansions; in other words, his Father’s love is so large and so great that there is more than enough for everybody.
Jesus tells us that we know how to get there. I, like Thomas, would have been confused and I would have asked the same question. “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responds by saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
The term ‘the way’ in the Old Testament means conformity to the Law which reveals truth and life. In Isaiah, God promises to bring the exiles home through the desert. Jesus is the way because he brings us home through the desert of life to eternal life at the banquet table of heaven.
He is the truth because he tells us what God wants for us; Jesus is the final and definitive revelation of God’s will for us in our lives. God had been reaching out to his people all through salvation history through people like Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets, but we just didn’t understand. God sent his Son to be human and he taught us how to be divine,
Jesus is the life because when we follow his way and live his truth we will have life in abundance.
So, Jesus is right – we do know how to get to where he is going (to be with the Father in heaven).
What can God ask us to do, anyway? He can’t ask us to be perfect, because he made us to be imperfect. I think all God can do is to ask us to be the best disciples we can everyday, given our limitations and our circumstances. When we fail, which we will, we seek forgiveness and keep on going, knowing that if we keep the faith as best as we can, we will gain the prize of eternal life.
An elderly lady was in hospice; she was dying and she knew she was dying. Her family asked her if she had any last requests, and she said, “Yes, I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” They were a little surprised at this statement, and they asked her to explain. She said, “At the nursing home, when dinner was finished, and they told us to keep our forks, we knew that something better was coming.” Someday I’m going to have little forks made up to hand out at wakes and funerals as a reminder that there is something better coming.
After Jesus tells us that he is the way to the Father, he explains about his own relationship with the Father. He is in communion with the Father; he is the obedient Son who perfectly carries out his Father’s will. When we see Jesus, we see the Father because they are part of each other: they are intimately bound together in love.
How does Jesus reveal the Father? By his words and his works. Jesus does the work of the Father and therefore reveals his Father’s will. The word of abundant life he shares comes from his Father. He shares his communion with the Father with us through our eyes of faith. He is also the conduit of grace, strength, and peace between God and us.
And to top it off, he tells us that “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
As a church, we are called to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. When we give ourselves over to Jesus, he will provide all we need to live out our vocation in life to spread the Good News. I can think of many great saints who did wonderful things and knew that it was God working through them.
But I think that all great saints are somehow inspired by the unknown saints in their lives. You know what I mean: those people who won’t be written about, or canonized, who didn’t do great things (like found a community or become a well known preacher), but did what they were called to do with great faith, love and dedication.
These are the people who inspire the great saints, and I think all great saints had more than one of these unknown saints in their lives. They are the foundation and basis for spreading our faith. I can’t think of a greater ‘work’ than being the conduit by which God blesses someone with a faith that saves them.
Someone had to plant and then nurture the seed of faith in such great saints as Blessed John Paul II or Mother Theresa. Great saints aren’t born in a vacuum, but come from an environment that teaches and nurtures them with the love of God.
Few of us are called to be great saints, but we are all called to be unknown saints. We never know who we will inspire with our faith filled words and actions. And we may never know, but that’s not important. God knows, that’s what is important.
God bless all those inspirational, faith filled, and holy unknown saints in our lives. Thank you for opening your hearts to the Lord and letting him inspire you so you can inspire us. May God bless all of you with peace and happiness in this life, and eternal life in the next.
Fr. Phil
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MAY 22, 2011
Gospel John 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
The two main sections of Jesus Gospel are the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. The Book of Signs begins with chapter 1, verse 19, and ends with chapter 12, verse 50. The Gospel immediately starts the other main section, the Book of Glory, which begins in chapter 13, verse 1 and ends with chapter 20, verse 31.
The Book of Signs contains 7 great signs, which really are the wondrous deeds of Jesus. Many of these are familiar: the wedding feast at Cana; the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
The Book of Glory begins in the upper room the night before Jesus dies and ends with the story of Doubting Thomas and a short conclusion before the Epilogue. In this book, the “hour” of Jesus arrives. Jesus has come down from heaven to do the Father’s will, and before he returns, he must undergo his passion, death, and resurrection. Our gospel passage this week is in the early part of this Book of Glory. In chapter 13, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples (remember, there is no Last Supper in John’s Gospel; John talks about the Eucharist in chapter 6), announces Judas’ betrayal, he gives a new commandment to love one another, and predicts Peters’ betrayal, all familiar aspects of the gospel.
Chapter 14 begins with the Last Supper Discourses, where Jesus gives words of consolation because of his words about going away (going back to the Father) from chapter 13. He has told the apostles that he is going home to the Father; they can’t come now, but they will come later.
They become troubled because they do not understand what Jesus is telling them. They think he is going away and they won’t see him again. He is going away to ‘prepare a place for’, that is, his suffering, death and resurrection will open the gates of paradise for those who believe in him
Jesus will not abandon us. He will be with us in this life, guiding, directing, and inspiring us to follow him. When it is our time, he will guide us over the waters of death to the eternal banquet table. In fact, it is more beneficial for him to go than to stay. He will bring us to his Father’s house where there are many mansions; in other words, his Father’s love is so large and so great that there is more than enough for everybody.
Jesus tells us that we know how to get there. I, like Thomas, would have been confused and I would have asked the same question. “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responds by saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
The term ‘the way’ in the Old Testament means conformity to the Law which reveals truth and life. In Isaiah, God promises to bring the exiles home through the desert. Jesus is the way because he brings us home through the desert of life to eternal life at the banquet table of heaven.
He is the truth because he tells us what God wants for us; Jesus is the final and definitive revelation of God’s will for us in our lives. God had been reaching out to his people all through salvation history through people like Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets, but we just didn’t understand. God sent his Son to be human and he taught us how to be divine,
Jesus is the life because when we follow his way and live his truth we will have life in abundance.
So, Jesus is right – we do know how to get to where he is going (to be with the Father in heaven).
What can God ask us to do, anyway? He can’t ask us to be perfect, because he made us to be imperfect. I think all God can do is to ask us to be the best disciples we can everyday, given our limitations and our circumstances. When we fail, which we will, we seek forgiveness and keep on going, knowing that if we keep the faith as best as we can, we will gain the prize of eternal life.
An elderly lady was in hospice; she was dying and she knew she was dying. Her family asked her if she had any last requests, and she said, “Yes, I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” They were a little surprised at this statement, and they asked her to explain. She said, “At the nursing home, when dinner was finished, and they told us to keep our forks, we knew that something better was coming.” Someday I’m going to have little forks made up to hand out at wakes and funerals as a reminder that there is something better coming.
After Jesus tells us that he is the way to the Father, he explains about his own relationship with the Father. He is in communion with the Father; he is the obedient Son who perfectly carries out his Father’s will. When we see Jesus, we see the Father because they are part of each other: they are intimately bound together in love.
How does Jesus reveal the Father? By his words and his works. Jesus does the work of the Father and therefore reveals his Father’s will. The word of abundant life he shares comes from his Father. He shares his communion with the Father with us through our eyes of faith. He is also the conduit of grace, strength, and peace between God and us.
And to top it off, he tells us that “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
As a church, we are called to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. When we give ourselves over to Jesus, he will provide all we need to live out our vocation in life to spread the Good News. I can think of many great saints who did wonderful things and knew that it was God working through them.
But I think that all great saints are somehow inspired by the unknown saints in their lives. You know what I mean: those people who won’t be written about, or canonized, who didn’t do great things (like found a community or become a well known preacher), but did what they were called to do with great faith, love and dedication.
These are the people who inspire the great saints, and I think all great saints had more than one of these unknown saints in their lives. They are the foundation and basis for spreading our faith. I can’t think of a greater ‘work’ than being the conduit by which God blesses someone with a faith that saves them.
Someone had to plant and then nurture the seed of faith in such great saints as Blessed John Paul II or Mother Theresa. Great saints aren’t born in a vacuum, but come from an environment that teaches and nurtures them with the love of God.
Few of us are called to be great saints, but we are all called to be unknown saints. We never know who we will inspire with our faith filled words and actions. And we may never know, but that’s not important. God knows, that’s what is important.
God bless all those inspirational, faith filled, and holy unknown saints in our lives. Thank you for opening your hearts to the Lord and letting him inspire you so you can inspire us. May God bless all of you with peace and happiness in this life, and eternal life in the next.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #42
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 15, 2011
Gospel Jn 10:1-10
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
A sheepfold is a low stone wall open to the sky. This sheepfold helps protect the sheep from predators that would kill the sheep. There is a gate in this sheepfold that provides easy access in and out for the sheep. At the end of the day, the shepherd would bring all his sheep through the gate, close the gate, and lie down next to the gate. Any intruder would need to get by the shepherd first before any harm could be done to the sheep.
This image of a shepherd is an ancient one in Israel and would be very familiar to the people. In the book of Exodus, for example, Moses would be seen as one who shepherded Israel from the slavery of sin and death to the promise of the new life in the Promised Land. King David would also be seen as a shepherd since he did what a shepherd does: he guided, protected and fed the people. This image of shepherd was also applied to the kings of Israel whose job it was to shepherd the people.
We call Jesus the Good Shepherd because he shepherded the people from the slavery of sin and death and brought them to new and eternal life. This kind of shepherding shows the love and care that God has for his people in general, and each of us in particular. God not only loves humanity in general, but each individual person in particular.
The image of shepherd appears in all the gospels. The difference in John’s gospel is the importance of a mutual relationship between Jesus and the individual disciple. He calls each by name. As the sheep will follow a shepherd, so we follow Jesus. Only those who hear Jesus’ voice are part of the sheepfold; others are not. We are not forced to follow the call of the shepherd; the voices of false shepherds are strong and may entice us with false promises. The more we grow in our faith, the stronger our bond with the shepherd and the better we resist the call of false shepherds, such as the shepherds of materialism, greed, and self indulgence.
The more we follow the shepherd, the more we hear his voice, the more we are taking on the responsibility of living like the shepherd; the duties of shepherd also fall on us. We are called to shepherd other people, another way of saying we are evangelizers and motivators of other people so they can responds to God’s call.
Jesus, as shepherd, is the leader of the people; he is the ‘gate’ by which one enters the sheepfold. When we hear “whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber” may refer to those false shepherds described in Ezekiel 34:1-16; that is, those who did not serve the needs of the people but were using their position for themselves. Ezekiel does hold out hope for the future when a shepherd will come that will be a true shepherd of the people. We believe that prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus. It also refers to those people in Jesus’ day who are the messianic, political revolutionaries rather than religious leaders.
Jesus is that gate that leads to salvation. He gives us a share in the divine life of God; through Jesus we participate in the special relationship that Jesus has with the Father. We do this when we are in communion with Jesus. The goal of salvation is attained through faith in Jesus.
Jesus also says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” As a shepherd, Jesus does what any good shepherd would do. First, he feeds us though word and sacrament. In reading God’s Word, we find out something about God, something about ourselves, and something about our relationship with others. God’s word helps to grow into maturity as a person, and as a person of faith. The more we are fed by God’s word, the more we grow in these three ways.
We are also fed by sacrament. Being a good disciple can be very trying and it would be easy to give up if left on our own. Jesus gives us the sacrament of his body and blood to strengthen us on our journey of faith.
Secondly, Jesus protects us. Growing in grace protects us from the false shepherds of society, the ones that try to convince us that they have a better way. Having been touched by the Spirit, we should know better.
Thirdly, faith in Jesus offers salvation. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus conquers sin and death. He is the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus sacrifices his life so we may live. His resurrection to new life offers us a resurrection to new and abundant life now, and eternal life I the future
As we follow the shepherd we are blessed with peace, meaning, and happiness in this life, and, eventually with eternal life.
The mission of the church is to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. How can we be good shepherds?
Fr. Phil
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 15, 2011
Gospel Jn 10:1-10
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
A sheepfold is a low stone wall open to the sky. This sheepfold helps protect the sheep from predators that would kill the sheep. There is a gate in this sheepfold that provides easy access in and out for the sheep. At the end of the day, the shepherd would bring all his sheep through the gate, close the gate, and lie down next to the gate. Any intruder would need to get by the shepherd first before any harm could be done to the sheep.
This image of a shepherd is an ancient one in Israel and would be very familiar to the people. In the book of Exodus, for example, Moses would be seen as one who shepherded Israel from the slavery of sin and death to the promise of the new life in the Promised Land. King David would also be seen as a shepherd since he did what a shepherd does: he guided, protected and fed the people. This image of shepherd was also applied to the kings of Israel whose job it was to shepherd the people.
We call Jesus the Good Shepherd because he shepherded the people from the slavery of sin and death and brought them to new and eternal life. This kind of shepherding shows the love and care that God has for his people in general, and each of us in particular. God not only loves humanity in general, but each individual person in particular.
The image of shepherd appears in all the gospels. The difference in John’s gospel is the importance of a mutual relationship between Jesus and the individual disciple. He calls each by name. As the sheep will follow a shepherd, so we follow Jesus. Only those who hear Jesus’ voice are part of the sheepfold; others are not. We are not forced to follow the call of the shepherd; the voices of false shepherds are strong and may entice us with false promises. The more we grow in our faith, the stronger our bond with the shepherd and the better we resist the call of false shepherds, such as the shepherds of materialism, greed, and self indulgence.
The more we follow the shepherd, the more we hear his voice, the more we are taking on the responsibility of living like the shepherd; the duties of shepherd also fall on us. We are called to shepherd other people, another way of saying we are evangelizers and motivators of other people so they can responds to God’s call.
Jesus, as shepherd, is the leader of the people; he is the ‘gate’ by which one enters the sheepfold. When we hear “whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber” may refer to those false shepherds described in Ezekiel 34:1-16; that is, those who did not serve the needs of the people but were using their position for themselves. Ezekiel does hold out hope for the future when a shepherd will come that will be a true shepherd of the people. We believe that prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus. It also refers to those people in Jesus’ day who are the messianic, political revolutionaries rather than religious leaders.
Jesus is that gate that leads to salvation. He gives us a share in the divine life of God; through Jesus we participate in the special relationship that Jesus has with the Father. We do this when we are in communion with Jesus. The goal of salvation is attained through faith in Jesus.
Jesus also says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” As a shepherd, Jesus does what any good shepherd would do. First, he feeds us though word and sacrament. In reading God’s Word, we find out something about God, something about ourselves, and something about our relationship with others. God’s word helps to grow into maturity as a person, and as a person of faith. The more we are fed by God’s word, the more we grow in these three ways.
We are also fed by sacrament. Being a good disciple can be very trying and it would be easy to give up if left on our own. Jesus gives us the sacrament of his body and blood to strengthen us on our journey of faith.
Secondly, Jesus protects us. Growing in grace protects us from the false shepherds of society, the ones that try to convince us that they have a better way. Having been touched by the Spirit, we should know better.
Thirdly, faith in Jesus offers salvation. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus conquers sin and death. He is the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus sacrifices his life so we may live. His resurrection to new life offers us a resurrection to new and abundant life now, and eternal life I the future
As we follow the shepherd we are blessed with peace, meaning, and happiness in this life, and, eventually with eternal life.
The mission of the church is to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. How can we be good shepherds?
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
BIBLE STUDY # 41
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 8, 2011
Gospel Luke 24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
This second resurrection narrative in Luke’s gospel takes place on the same day Peter and the women visited the empty tomb, that is Easter Sunday. Two disciples, one named Cleopas and the other disciple without a name, are leaving Jerusalem and are on their way home to a village name Emmaus. A bit of trivia: there are 4 villages in modern day Israel that claim to be the real Emmaus.
They were disciples, but have turned their back on Jesus and are heading home, presumably to their former way of life. This passage reminds us of the resurrection appearance in John 21 when 7 of the apostles went fishing, symbolizing their return to their former way of life.
As they are heading home they are talking about all that happened the past 3 days. I’d bet they were gravely disappointed that Jesus didn’t live up to their expectations and wondering where their lives were headed now that Jesus was dead.
As they were walking along the road, Jesus drew near and began walking beside them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. Not recognizing Jesus is a common thread running through the resurrection narratives. In this case I would ask if God prevents them from recognizing Jesus, or is it their lack of faith? Isn’t that true for us, too? Do we only see what we want to see, or expect to see? Or are we open to the workings of God in our life, to see the unexpected and to see with the eyes of faith? Like the early Christians in Luke’s community, do we fail to see the risen Lord in the midst of our own trial and tribulations? Are we the kind of people who only pray when we need something?
When Jesus asks them what they are discussing, they are astonished that he doesn’t know what happened over the weekend. They refer to Jesus as only a prophet mighty in word and deed, as contrasted with last week’s Gospel where Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God”. Calling Jesus a prophet symbolizes a lack of understanding concerning Jesus identity and therefore a lack of faith.
They were hoping that Jesus was the messiah, but one of their own making. Most people believed that the messiah would be similar to King David, who was a political, military, and economic leader. No one suspected that the messiah would be like Jesus. There’s an old adage that goes like this: God made us in his image and likeness, and we have since returned the favor. We want to remake God into one that is easy for us to follow, instead of letting God remake us into a saint.
You can see here that these 2 disciples are just reporting the facts about the resurrection, but they really don’t believe it. They obviously didn’t believe the women, but they went to see for themselves. There was no statement of faith or disbelief, just a reporting the facts. There is no hint of any hope on the part of these 2 disciples. What a sad state of affairs and how bleak and dreary life is without Jesus.
Jesus then explains the scriptures to them and shows them and shows them how all these events are scripturally based. All that happened was according to God’s will. The disciples (conveniently?) forgot those passages in the Old Testament referring to the suffering Messiah. Isn’t it typical for people to pick and choose the parts of their faith that appeal most to them and conveniently forget the challenging parts?
When they get to Emmaus it is getting dark and Jesus indicates that he is going on farther, but he accepts their invitation to stay with them. The timing here is important. It was at sundown that the Christians met for the breaking of the bread.
Jesus assumes the role of host, takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them, evoking memories of the Last Supper. It is in this act where they recognize the risen Jesus, who then disappears from their midst.
It is then that they realized their hearts were burning within them when he opened the scriptures to them. They immediately left for Jerusalem, symbolizing their return to faith and their commitment to discipleship.
Why did Luke include this story in his gospel? Remember, the gospels were written some decades after Jesus died, rose, and ascended. Each gospel was written to a particular community living in a specific time and place. Each gospel addresses issues in each respective community.
By the time of the writing of the gospel, about 50 years after Jesus, it seems that the church was struggling with faith in the absence of the second coming of Jesus, which many thought would happen in their lifetimes. It is a story about conversion and of hope.
We too sometimes struggle with our faith as we wait for Jesus to return. This story tells us how to keep going in life during good and bad times, during adversity and elation.
I don’t think we should look to God for answers, but for inspiration; God is not the answer – man, but the grace – man. He is the one who gives us courage in difficult times, and who rejoices with us is happy times. He is the one who dispels fear and meaninglessness, and gives us peace and hope.
I’ve often said that the bible is God’s owners manual. If you want to know how to operate a car at peak efficiency, read the owners manual. If you want to live at peak efficiency, read God’s owners manual. Let it inspire you, direct you, and set your hearts on fire with love.
Jesus also left us the sacrament of his body and blood in the Eucharist. I’m often confused when people say they can’t find God. What they mean, I think, is they can’t find God on their own terms; they can’t find the kind of God they want (a comfortable, easy God, usually). God should be relatively easy to find through the myriad ways we can connect to him.
When we actively, consciously and weekly participate at mass, we open ourselves up to be the receptacles of God’s grace that will change us and mold us. We will recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, and that will make all the difference in the world.
Fr. Phil
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 8, 2011
Gospel Luke 24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
This second resurrection narrative in Luke’s gospel takes place on the same day Peter and the women visited the empty tomb, that is Easter Sunday. Two disciples, one named Cleopas and the other disciple without a name, are leaving Jerusalem and are on their way home to a village name Emmaus. A bit of trivia: there are 4 villages in modern day Israel that claim to be the real Emmaus.
They were disciples, but have turned their back on Jesus and are heading home, presumably to their former way of life. This passage reminds us of the resurrection appearance in John 21 when 7 of the apostles went fishing, symbolizing their return to their former way of life.
As they are heading home they are talking about all that happened the past 3 days. I’d bet they were gravely disappointed that Jesus didn’t live up to their expectations and wondering where their lives were headed now that Jesus was dead.
As they were walking along the road, Jesus drew near and began walking beside them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. Not recognizing Jesus is a common thread running through the resurrection narratives. In this case I would ask if God prevents them from recognizing Jesus, or is it their lack of faith? Isn’t that true for us, too? Do we only see what we want to see, or expect to see? Or are we open to the workings of God in our life, to see the unexpected and to see with the eyes of faith? Like the early Christians in Luke’s community, do we fail to see the risen Lord in the midst of our own trial and tribulations? Are we the kind of people who only pray when we need something?
When Jesus asks them what they are discussing, they are astonished that he doesn’t know what happened over the weekend. They refer to Jesus as only a prophet mighty in word and deed, as contrasted with last week’s Gospel where Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God”. Calling Jesus a prophet symbolizes a lack of understanding concerning Jesus identity and therefore a lack of faith.
They were hoping that Jesus was the messiah, but one of their own making. Most people believed that the messiah would be similar to King David, who was a political, military, and economic leader. No one suspected that the messiah would be like Jesus. There’s an old adage that goes like this: God made us in his image and likeness, and we have since returned the favor. We want to remake God into one that is easy for us to follow, instead of letting God remake us into a saint.
You can see here that these 2 disciples are just reporting the facts about the resurrection, but they really don’t believe it. They obviously didn’t believe the women, but they went to see for themselves. There was no statement of faith or disbelief, just a reporting the facts. There is no hint of any hope on the part of these 2 disciples. What a sad state of affairs and how bleak and dreary life is without Jesus.
Jesus then explains the scriptures to them and shows them and shows them how all these events are scripturally based. All that happened was according to God’s will. The disciples (conveniently?) forgot those passages in the Old Testament referring to the suffering Messiah. Isn’t it typical for people to pick and choose the parts of their faith that appeal most to them and conveniently forget the challenging parts?
When they get to Emmaus it is getting dark and Jesus indicates that he is going on farther, but he accepts their invitation to stay with them. The timing here is important. It was at sundown that the Christians met for the breaking of the bread.
Jesus assumes the role of host, takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them, evoking memories of the Last Supper. It is in this act where they recognize the risen Jesus, who then disappears from their midst.
It is then that they realized their hearts were burning within them when he opened the scriptures to them. They immediately left for Jerusalem, symbolizing their return to faith and their commitment to discipleship.
Why did Luke include this story in his gospel? Remember, the gospels were written some decades after Jesus died, rose, and ascended. Each gospel was written to a particular community living in a specific time and place. Each gospel addresses issues in each respective community.
By the time of the writing of the gospel, about 50 years after Jesus, it seems that the church was struggling with faith in the absence of the second coming of Jesus, which many thought would happen in their lifetimes. It is a story about conversion and of hope.
We too sometimes struggle with our faith as we wait for Jesus to return. This story tells us how to keep going in life during good and bad times, during adversity and elation.
I don’t think we should look to God for answers, but for inspiration; God is not the answer – man, but the grace – man. He is the one who gives us courage in difficult times, and who rejoices with us is happy times. He is the one who dispels fear and meaninglessness, and gives us peace and hope.
I’ve often said that the bible is God’s owners manual. If you want to know how to operate a car at peak efficiency, read the owners manual. If you want to live at peak efficiency, read God’s owners manual. Let it inspire you, direct you, and set your hearts on fire with love.
Jesus also left us the sacrament of his body and blood in the Eucharist. I’m often confused when people say they can’t find God. What they mean, I think, is they can’t find God on their own terms; they can’t find the kind of God they want (a comfortable, easy God, usually). God should be relatively easy to find through the myriad ways we can connect to him.
When we actively, consciously and weekly participate at mass, we open ourselves up to be the receptacles of God’s grace that will change us and mold us. We will recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, and that will make all the difference in the world.
Fr. Phil
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